With dignitaries including Governor Dave Heineman, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, as well as business, medical and community leaders and former patients, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital celebrated the groundbreaking of its Omaha Campus on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014. “This is indeed a great day,” said Marsha Lommel, president and CEO of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. “We are not only celebrating the groundbreaking of our Omaha Campus but also honored to join the healthcare continuum for Omaha, which is becoming a national destination for medical care. Omaha has done a superb job of building a healthcare system that provides, not only the best primary care, but the most advanced trauma, cancer, transplant and neurological specialized care, as well.” added Lommel. Madonna is bringing its nationally ranked inpatient rehabilitation programs to Omaha as a complement to the metro area’s outstanding medical community. According to an independent study, more than 1,300 individuals each year would qualify for rehabilitation in the Omaha area but are referred to nursing homes or sent home instead. These individuals frequently remain institutionalized or unable to resume their life roles. The Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital Omaha Campus will be located at 175th Plaza and Burke Streets, just west of Village Pointe Shopping Center. The 110-bed facility will include a 32-bed long-term care hospital and 48-bed acute care rehabilitation hospital, with another 16 beds for sub-acute patients. In addition, the acute care hospital will feature a 14-bed children’s rehabilitation unit. The Madonna Omaha Campus will be among the most advanced rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. The architectural design team of DLR Group of Omaha and Michael Graves and Associates of Princeton, New Jersey, is focused on the needs of the patient. The space will be all-accessible in an open environment filled with natural light to foster recovery. Rooms will feature hands-free environmental control so patients with limited mobility may adjust lighting, room temperature and operate a computer or TV with just voice command or minimal movement. Madonna is partnering with Kiewit Building Group as the contractor for the $93 million project, which will include a full continuum of inpatient rehabilitation care, including a research institute, rehabilitation gym, therapy pool, therapeutic learning center and chapel. According to Paul Dongilli, executive vice president and COO of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, the Omaha Campus project is a collaboration of many. “We are proud of the team we have assembled to build this world-class facility,” said Dongilli. “The talents of DLR Group combined with Michael Graves and Associates give us a beautiful and unique design, which will be fully functional with the latest in technological advances for our patients. Kiewit Building Group is world-renowned with its corporate home in Omaha. The name Kiewit is synonymous with excellence. We could not ask for better partners for the Omaha Campus,” Dongilli added. The project is estimated to produce a substantial economic impact to the Omaha area: • $104 million during the construction phase for the 250,000 square foot facility at a cost of $70 million. • 450 initial jobs – 250 of which are in construction. • $45 million of annual revenue creating an economic impact of $86 million. • 820 jobs for the Omaha campus (once operational) with cumulative annual wages of $22 million. These jobs will create an additional 400 jobs for affiliated products and services. The project will be financed with tax-exempt revenue bonds, with 20 percent coming from philanthropic support. Madonna’s Omaha Campus is slated to open in the Fall of 2016. Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is one of the nation's foremost facilities for medical rehabilitation and research. Specializing in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and pediatric rehabilitation, Madonna offers hope and healing to thousands of patients from throughout the country each year. Madonna's team of highly specialized physiatrists, therapists, rehabilitation nurses, clinicians and researchers work with the most advanced technology and equipment to help each person achieve the highest level of independence. Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is located at 5401 South Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, 68506; 402-413-3000; www.Madonna.org.

• published: 12 Sep 2014
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