I
I WEATHER: Tuesday, mostly
sunny and cooler with a high in the
50s. Tuesday night, fair with a low in
the mid-20s to around 30. Wednes
day, partly to mostly sunny. High in
the 50s.
October 27, 1987
I Inside:
News Digest.Page 2
Editorial.Page 4
Sports.Page 10
Entertainment.Page 8
Classified.Page 11
Vol. 87 No. 44
University and Omaha hospitals may merge
By Mary Nell Westbrook
Staff Reporter
The University of Nebraska Hospital and
Bishop Clarkson Memorial Hospital hired
consulting firms that may suggest the two
hospitals merge, said University of Nebraska
Medical Center Chancellor Charles Andrews.
The consulting firms are discussing various
options for the two Omaha hospitals to work
together more efficiently, Andrews said.
“They (the consulting firms) could come up
with anything from sharing bed sheets to totally
merging both hospitals,” he said.
Brent Stevenson, director of University
Hospital, said the hospital has set no limits on
what the firms may come up with.
The firms, Robert Douglas Associates in
Houston and Herman Smith Associates in
Chicago, have been working on the UNMC/
Clarkson project since July.
The firms were supposed to reach a decision
by Sept. 30, but the firms probably won’t have
a decision for another three to four weeks, said
Steve Weylandt, a consultant with the Houston
firm.
“This is a very important decision for each
of the hospitals,” he said. “It’s a very sensitive
issue with complex organizations like these.”
Stevenson said the firms are meeting with
medical staff, governing boards and other staff
members.
Because the hospitals are across the street
from each other, they already share many func
tions and staff members, Stevenson said.
In the future, if the hospitals merge, costs
would be cut for patients by sharing one par
ticular service, for example, an emergency
room, he said.
University Hospital receives less than 5
percent of its support from taxes, Stevenson
said. Of its $89 million budget, 95 percent
comes from patient revenue.
The students at UNMC would benefit from
a merger because the number of patients avail
able to care for would double.
Having the outside expertise of the consult
ing firms look at both institutions “we might
avoid any duplication” and therefore work
more efficiently, he said.
Max Francis, chief executive administrator
of Clarkson, said he hopes to hear a recommen
dation on how the two hospitals can work
together better.
Regent Robert Koefoot of Grand Island said
he thinks a merger would be an “excellent
working arrangement.”
U S West
aids schools
By Amy Edwards
Senior Reporter
U S West announced a program
Monday that will give $20 million
over the next five years to education in
the 14 states, including Nebraska,
with U S West-owned corporations.
Jane Prancan, director of commu
nity affairs for U S West, said the U S
West Education Initiative will com
bine several programs to ensure edu
cational excellence.
The initiative, which will begin in
1988 with $2 million, has four objec
tives:
• to encourage public and private
educational institutions to continue to
do boiler what they already do well.
• to establish broad-based links
between parents, businesses, educa
tors, government and communities.
• to establish a teacher recognition
program.
• to share university knowledge
outside normal confines of the cam
pus.
Prancan said university informa
tion needs to reach areas outside the
university community, primarily in
rural areas.
u ^ west win cstamisn a leuow
ship program in 1988 lo recognize
elementary and secondary education
teachers who have developed teach
ing methods that go beyond normal
leaching methods, Prancan said.
The fellowship program w ill select
three teachers from the 14 states who
will receive a salary and be paid by U
S West to take one year out of their
teaching careers to develop profes
sional leaching skills.
Prancan said the fellows decide
what they w ant to do with that year,
whether to go back to college or find
another form of developing profes
sional teaching.
Teachers from each stale can apply
for the program. A finalist will be
chosen from each state. Prancan said
each of the 11 finalists not chosen for
the program will receive recognition
and $5,000 to aid in educational de
velopment.
The U S West Education Initiative
represents all U S West corporations.
Prancan said the initiative is a com
petitive process based on criteria and
objectives that are not yet established.
The $20 million that will be distrib
uted over the next five years has not
yet been allocated. Prancan said that
when U S West officials were touring
the 14 states in August for a location
for a research center, the officials
were impressed with the strong educa
tional institutions in each state.
“In order to have a strong, sound
economy, we have to have a strong,
sound educational system,” Prancan
said. “The stronger the educational
system, the stronger our company will
be.”
Butch Ireland Daily Nebraskan
Climbing the walls
A construction worker stands on the scatfolding outside the student recreation center/indoor practice
field Monday afternoon.
Task force: UNL should improve image
By Bob Nelson
Staff Reporter
The Image Task Force, formed to
examine image and communication
problems at the University of Nc
braska-Lincoln, recommended that
UNL eliminate misperceptions by
improving the “shape and form” of its
image.
The task force made its recommen
dations Monday to UNL Chancellor
Martin Massengale. Its main emphasis
was to improve communication on
campus and with grassroots Nebraska.
Some recommendations of the task
force were to discard outmoded com
munications theories, to be open and
responsive to the media and public,
and to establish clear lines of authority
and responsibility in communications
at UNL.
The report says the university’s
image can only be improved by the
adoption of and commitment to these
broad and basic principles.
Task force chairman R. Neale
Copple, dean of the College of Jour
nalism, said the university’s image
policy must be broad enough to satisfy
an almost endless list of constituencies
in Nebraska. He said the policy must
encompass the different interests of
students, parents, legislators, the
media, interested citizens, and UNL
faculty and staff members.
Copple said UNL must extend
communication to grassroots Ne
braska.
“We don’t feel that we know what
grassroot Nebraskans arc thinking
about the university or what they ex
pect from this university,” Copple
said.
Because of this lack of communica
tion, Copple said, the task force rec
ommended a formal organization of
listening forums.
“We need to get out and listen to
what people have to say about the
university,” he said.
Copple pointed out communication
problems within the university as well.
He said there have been problems with
relations between students and faculty
members and between students and
administrators.
“We got a lot of horror stories about
people that handle students,” Copple
said. He said these stories go from the
student to the parents and then arc
spread throughout whole towns.
“We’ve got to train everyone to be
more sensitive,” Copple said.
He said this includes faculty
members.
“This includes the professor who is
too busy ... who doesn’t stop to help
a student properly,” Copple said.
Copple said the report contains
perceptions of his task force only and
does not commit the university to
implement any of its recommenda
tions.
“The ball is in his (Masscngalc’s)
court now,” Copplc said.
Massengale said he was pleased
with the report.
“I think the task force has presented
an excellent report to improve rela
tions with our complex constituency,"
he said.
Massengale said he plans to create
a follow-up committee within the next
few weeks to develop strategies to
apply the broad guidelines in the re
port.
The Image Task Force is one of five
task forces designed by Massengale to
examine the past and present at UNL
and to recommend changes for the
future.
The other task forces are role and
mission, accessibility and standards,
restructuring and consolidation, and
business and academic service.
