Testimony at Senator Johanns’ Field Hearing on the Omaha VA
August 20, 2009

I am Dr. Harold M. Maurer, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  Prior to being Chancellor, I was Dean of the College of Medicine and a regular member of the Dean’s Committee of the Omaha VA.

The Omaha VA is an integral component of our education, patient care and research program.  Many of our faculty spend a considerable portion of their effort at the VA.  Our resident physicians and students spend rotations in their training on both in-patient and out-patient services of the VA.  We have combined funded research projects, particularly on alcoholism.  Thus, the Omaha VA is essential to the programs of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Our faculty are involved in general medicine, diabetes, surgery, cancer diagnosis and care, vascular medicine, critical care, gastroenterology, geriatrics and many other services that are provided by the VA to the veterans.  We see women’s health as a new service for the Omaha VA as well as for other VA’s across the country.  We are working collaboratively on telemedicine, particularly telepsychiatry for veterans who live in rural Nebraska.  UNMC can do even more in the future, but the existing facilities are tired and pose limitations on our ability to serve the veterans to their best advantage.

The Omaha VA, as do all other VA’s, provides UNMC with the best electronic medical record example in the nation. It also provides us with educational opportunities that are irreplaceable.  It provides the best system for patient safety, outcome and performance measures.  We believe that a new VA facility will enhance the current services and grow the synergism between UNMC and the Omaha VA to better serve the veterans.

Thank you for your attention.

Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
Chancellor
University of Nebraska Medical Center