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News
Nebraska's "Project Health" teaching hospital just got bigger — and pricier. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved an expanded scope for the future UNMC and Nebraska Medicine facility, bumping the planned investment from ~$2.25B to $2.75B. The facility will now span 1.5 million square feet, up from 1.25 million, to handle growing patient volumes and replace aging infrastructure.
Nebraska's flagship academic medical center is thinking big. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents greenlit an expanded vision for "Project Health" — the future primary teaching hospital for UNMC and Nebraska Medicine — raising the planned investment to $2.75 billion, roughly $500 million more than originally estimated. The facility will now cover 1.5 million square feet (up from 1.25 million), designed to absorb higher patient volumes, support anticipated growth, and allow the retirement of outdated facilities.
Leaders framed the investment as a generational opportunity. UNMC System President Jeffrey Gold called it "a once-in-a-multigeneration opportunity" to expand access to world-class care, modernize healthcare education, and build a lasting economic development platform for Nebraska. Nebraska Medicine CEO Michael Ash echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the project's potential to redefine patient care and drive innovation for decades to come.
The approval comes amid broader governance changes — in September, the board established a new shared governance structure for Nebraska Medicine, with the Omaha Community Foundation joining the University of Nebraska system as a co-governing member.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: This is one of the largest academic medical center investments in recent U.S. history, with major implications for healthcare access, workforce training, and regional economic development in Nebraska for generations to come.
