College of Allied Health Professions

Mission and Values

UNMC Mission

We are Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.

Our mission is to lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.

UNMC Stand

We are Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.

We lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future through extraordinary care, discovery and learning.

College of Allied Health Professions Mission

The mission of the College of Allied Health Professions is to advance health by:

• Delivering allied health educational programs that prepare graduates to provide high quality, evidence-based, safe care for all patients;
• Conducting scholarly activities that create and disseminate knowledge reflective of the unique contributions of allied health theory and practice;
• Providing high quality, contemporary clinical care in the allied health disciplines; and
• Providing outreach to underserved populations.

Purpose

The purpose of the College of Allied Health Professions is:

1. to provide the educational programs needed to prepare allied health professionals to serve as members of the health care delivery system;
2. to provide selected continuing education programs for practicing allied health professionals;
3. to provide opportunities for the faculty to further the body of knowledge within their disciplines through research and creative activity;
4. to provide consultant services and leadership to groups and organizations concerned with the delivery of health care;
5. to provide services as appropriate to patients and to the public so that the health of the populace may be improved and maintained.

History

The Legislative Act of February 15, 1869, provided for the formation of the University of Nebraska and included provision for a college of medicine. In 1883, the University of Nebraska College of Medicine was established at Lincoln.

It continued in operation until the 1887 session of the Legislature withdrew its appropriation, necessitating discontinuance of the college on May 19, 1887. The Omaha Medical College, incorporated at Omaha in 1881, became a part of the University of Nebraska in 1902. The merger resulted in the first two years of the four-year medical curriculum being given in Lincoln and the last two years in Omaha. Since 1913 the entire curriculum has been offered in Omaha. The College of Medicine is a  component of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), one of the four major campuses of the University of Nebraska System.

At its October 1972 meeting, the Board of Regents of the University established the School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP) as a formal entity of the College of Medicine on the Medical Center Campus.

Thirty-six years later, on September 25, 2008, all the programs in the SAHP finally came together in one building when the renovation of Bennett Hall (built-in 1918) was complete.

Since its inception in 1972, the School of Allied Health Professions grew considerably in the depth, breadth, and geographical reach of its educational programs. It dramatically enhanced extramural funding, including the addition of numerous endowed faculty and chair positions, and expanded the scope of faculty involvement and responsibility across UNMC, and at national levels of leadership within professional organizations. In response to this growth, in the fall of 2014 UNMC put forth a proposal requesting approval to transition the School of Allied Health Professions to a free-standing college.

On January 30, 2015, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously approved the proposal. This was followed by unanimous approval on March 12, 2015, by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. On July 1, 2015, the former School of Allied Health Professions became the UNMC’s sixth college – the College of Allied Health Professions.

On August 6, 2015, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the appointment of Kyle Meyer, Ph.D., as the founding dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Allied Health Professions.

Educating Health Professionals
UNMC has been engaged in the education of allied health personnel for decades. It began in the early 1930s with a class in Medical Technology and a class in Radiologic Technology.  

A Bachelor of Science degree program in Physical Therapy Education was established in 1970. In 1989 it was replaced by the Master of Physical Therapy program and again in 2001 with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy program.

The Nuclear Medicine Technology program was established in 1972 followed by the Radiation Therapy Technology program in 1973. The Physician Assistant baccalaureate degree program was also established in 1973 and was replaced in 1993 by the Master of Physician Assistant Studies.

In addition to these formal degree programs, a post-baccalaureate generalist dietetic internship program was initiated in 1976 to provide experiences in clinical, administrative, community and consulting dietetics.

At its March 1988 meeting, the Board of Regents of the University approved the Division of Radiation Science Technology Education (RSTE), which incorporated the training of Radiographers, Nuclear Medicine Technologists, Radiation Therapy Technologists, and Diagnostic Medical Sonographers into one Bachelor of Science degree in Radiation Science Technology Education.

Approval was obtained at the October 1989 meeting of the Board of Regents to establish a Clinical Perfusion program within the SAHP. This new program admitted its first students in August 1990 and awarded a post-baccalaureate certificate upon completion of the 21-month training program. In May 2000, this certificate program was replaced by a Master of Clinical Perfusion.

A certificate program in Cytotechnology was approved by the Board of Regents in 1994, and the program admitted its first student in August of 1994.

Computed Tomography (CT) / Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) education began in 1994, and the Cardiovascular Interventional Technology program started in 2000. MRI received JRCERT accreditation status in May of 2012, and MRI and CT separated in 2013 with CT changing to a practicum.

The CAHP expanded to a second campus, opening the doors of the Health Science Education Complex (HSEC) in Kearney on August 20, 2015.

In 2016, Medical Nutrition added the Master of Medical Nutrition degree. The Clinical Laboratory Science program changed its name to Medical Laboratory Science, and the Department of Radiation Science Technology Education became the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences (MITS).

The online Health Professions Teaching and Technology (HPTT) program, approved by the Board of Regents in 2016, saw its first certificate graduate in 2017. The first master-level graduate followed in 2018.

The 2021 year brought continued growth: Genetic Counseling graduated its first class in May of 2021; Occupational Therapy prepared for their first cohort of students to start in the fall; the Master of Healthcare Delivery Science, an entirely online program, was granted approval by the Board of Regents, and the Respiratory Therapy program (a masters level program) was approved by the Board of Regents.

In 2022, the Cytotechnology certificate program transitioned to a Master of Diagnostic Cytology.

UNMC enjoys full accreditation of all its colleges, programs, and sites by The Higher Learning Commission.

To contact The Higher Learning Commission, please use the contact information below:

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1413
Phone: 312.263.0456
Toll Free: 800.621.7440
Fax: 312.263.7462
info@hlcommission.org

Information about individual accreditation for each of our education programs can be found under the programs' webpages.