UNK Health Science Center names atrium for donor couple after $10 million gift

Sarah Mills | GlobalBeat

The University of Nebraska at Kearney will dedicate the atrium of its new Health Science Education Center II to Carey and Brian Hamilton following their $10 million donation, the largest single gift in campus history.

The naming ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday at the construction site, where university officials will unveil a permanent installation recognizing the couple’s contribution to health education in rural Nebraska.

The Hamiltons’ donation funds construction of the $30 million facility, which joins the existing Health Science Education Center I to create a unified health sciences complex serving 1,200 students annually. The new building will house expanded nursing, physician assistant, and allied health programs beginning fall 2025.

Brian Hamilton built his fortune through Hamilton Telecommunications, a Nebraska-based company providing internet and phone services to rural communities. Carey Hamilton, a retired nurse, has championed health education initiatives across the state for two decades.

“This investment will transform how we train health professionals for rural Nebraska,” UNK Chancellor Charles Bicak told reporters Tuesday. “Carey and Brian understand that small towns need skilled healthcare workers who grew up understanding rural life.”

The atrium will serve as the complex’s main entrance, featuring study spaces, a café, and digital displays tracking student progress. Architects designed the 3-story glass structure to maximize natural light and create visible connections between different health science programs.

Construction crews topped off the steel framework last month, with interior work beginning on simulation labs, classrooms, and collaborative spaces. The facility adds 65,000 square feet to UNK’s health science offerings, including a 200-seat auditorium and 12 high-fidelity simulation rooms.

Students currently enrolled in UNK’s health programs say the expanded facilities cannot open soon enough. Nursing major Sarah Gonzalez, 21, described practicing IV insertions on classmates in crowded conference rooms due to limited lab space.

“We have 40 students trying to use 6 simulation mannequins,” Gonzalez said. “The new equipment will let us practice complex scenarios without waiting weeks for lab time.”

The nursing program has doubled enrollment since 2020 but delays admissions because clinical training slots exceed current capacity. University data shows Nebraska needs 4,000 additional nurses by 2030, with rural hospitals reporting 25% vacancy rates.

Brian Hamilton said rural broadband expansion convinced him that infrastructure investment drives economic development. He views healthcare education as equally critical for Nebraska’s future.

“Small towns lose population when they lose basic services,” Hamilton stated. “Training local kids to become local nurses keeps communities alive.”

The couple previously funded scholarships for first-generation college students and donated $2 million to Kearney’s hospital expansion. Their latest gift establishes endowed faculty positions and student support services within the new facility.

UNK’s health science expansion responds to workforce shortages plaguing rural hospitals across the Midwest. The university has graduated 89% of health science students into Nebraska jobs over the past five years, with 62% serving communities under 25,000 people.

State Senator Teresa Ibach, who represents rural districts, attended Tuesday’s announcement. She credited the Hamiltons for addressing Nebraska’s healthcare crisis through education rather than recruitment alone.

“We cannot poach our way out of this problem,” Ibach said. “Growing our own healthcare workers is the only sustainable solution for rural Nebraska.”

The project has attracted additional donors inspired by the Hamiltons’ leadership. University officials report raising $8 million from 120 other contributors since announcing the couple’s gift in September, bringing total fundraising to 60% of the $30 million goal.

Background

Nebraska faces a critical shortage of healthcare workers, with rural areas hit hardest. The state ranks 44th nationally for physicians per capita, and 30 counties lack a single primary care doctor. Aging populations and hospital consolidations strain remaining providers, while young professionals gravitate toward urban centers with higher salaries and better amenities.

Rural hospitals report turnover rates exceeding 30% annually for nurses, forcing some facilities to close departments or reduce services. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated retirements among rural healthcare workers, worsening shortages that existed for decades. Nebraska hospitals currently advertise 2,500 open nursing positions, with critical care and emergency departments facing the greatest needs.

What’s Next

University officials will break ground on a 150-bed student housing complex adjacent to the health science center next spring, designed to attract students from Omaha and Lincoln who might otherwise commute. Plans include study lounges, tutoring centers, and shuttle service to clinical sites around Kearney.

The Hamiltons’ gift positions UNK to compete for federal grants aimed at rural health workforce development. University lobbyists are pushing for $5 million in state matching funds during the next legislative session, arguing the investment will return $3 in economic activity for every dollar spent.