University of Nebraska Medical Center, (UNMC, Courtesy)
LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will hold a special meeting on Jan. 9, 2026, at 3 p.m.
The meeting will take place in the boardroom at Varner Hall, 3538 Holdrege St., in Lincoln, as well as via livestream.
A full agenda is available on the University of Nebraska website.
During the meeting, the Board will address the opportunity for a change in the historic governance structure of Nebraska Medicine, the longstanding primary academic medical center partner of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
As a result of the planned withdrawal of membership by Clarkson Regional Health Services (CRHS) from the 1997 dual member governance relationship between CRHS and the Board of Regents, Nebraska Medicine will transition to a sole-member governance relationship with the Board of Regents. This transaction will also include a substantial philanthropic gift by CRHS toward completion of Project Health, the critical facilities replacement project currently underway on the UNMC Omaha campus.
This unique opportunity, precipitated by the CRHS member withdrawal, will transition the governance structure of the university’s primary clinical relationship with Nebraska Medicine to one much more consistent with NU’s Big Ten and other peers, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, the University of Iowa, The University of Washington and the University of Texas, among others. This will further solidify the long-existing shared branding, mission and core values that have been in place for UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, further integrating them into a unified organization in ways already perceived by the communities they serve.
The terms for this governance change will be considered by the Board of Regents and likely acted upon. Of note, Nebraska Medicine will remain a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Nebraska corporation serving the needs of Nebraska and beyond with no change to the world-class clinical outpatient and inpatient care provided. Size and scope of educational programs and access to lifesaving clinical research programs will continue to grow as outreach continues to expand across Nebraska and beyond.
More information on the history and details of this proposed transaction can be found online.
