Transplant Center

Volunteer Services

You would be hard pressed to find an area of The Nebraska Medical Center that the Volunteer
Services program hasn’t touched. Transplant patients in particular come to depend on a variety of services provided best by volunteers. In fact, families from all over the world are often pleasantly surprised by how The Nebraska Medical Center volunteers make them feel more at home in Omaha.

Transportation
Patients need not be bothered with cab fare for trips to and from the airport, bus or train station. Thanks to a unique program, transportation volunteers help to make staying in an unfamiliar city much easier for families with or without their own transportation. This program makes every effort to provide:

• Volunteers between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week
• Regularly scheduled rides to local grocery stores and retail outlets

Volunteer Companions
Transplant patients have the option of being assigned a volunteer companion. This unique program was awarded a “Point of Light” from former President Bush in 1991 and highlights:

• Volunteers specially trained in the transplant experience
• A friendly face and a ready ear
• An extra set of hands to help during and after hospitalization
• Assistance with running errands, laundry, writing letters or simply helping families pass the time

Look Good...Feel Better
In conjunction with the American Cancer Society, volunteers offer sessions for women recovering from cancer treatment and provides:

• A cosmetologist trained in using makeup, wigs and accessories to help women cope with appearance changes caused by chemotherapy and radiation
• A complimentary package of cosmetics valued at more than $200

Gift Shops
Whether you need a magazine to pass the time or a balloon to cheer up a child, Volunteer Services has the answer for you.

• CornerStone Gifts, located in the University Tower
• Clarkson Gift Shop, located in Clarkson Tower

More information about The Nebraska Medical Center volunteers can be found by calling the Volunteer Services office at (402) 559-4197.

Support Groups

Weekly and monthly support groups are available for solid organ transplant patients and their families. The groups are designed to provide support in coping with the stresses involved in the transplant process.

Solid Organ Support Groups
Meets every Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in conference room three on the second floor of The Lied Transplant Center at 43rd and Emile Streets, Omaha.

This support group, facilitated by The Nebraska Medical Center social workers, is for anyone who has had a solid organ transplant. Attendees can share experiences and discuss patient issues in an environment just for solid organ transplant patients.

New Hearts, Inc.
This group is open to all organ transplant recipients, potential recipients or their families. For more information, talk with a transplant coordinator or contact Shirley Kramer, Treasurer of New Hearts, Inc. at (402) 339-8946.

Additional Resources
For information on national resources, you can visit the UNMC McGoogan Library Transplantation Resources.

Too Cool Hospital School Program

The Too Cool Hospital School Program is a service offered to school-age pediatric patients at The Nebraska Medical Center. The school provides educational services to school-age children and adolescents while they are patients.  The goal is to enable the student to continue their academic progress with as little interruption as possible.  Going to school is a way of providing normalcy even during hospitalization or extended outpatient periods.

The program provides the following services:

• Direct instruction for K-12 students
• Bed side services for students who are unable to come to the classroom
• Adaptation of assignments to fit medical conditions
• Basic school supply needs:  notebooks, pens, pencils, dictionaries, crayons, markers, book bags, rulers, etc
• Facilitate patient/classmates communications (letters, phone calls, emails)
• Liaison with home school district personnel (teachers, administrators, counselors)
• Academic testing
• Referrals to local school districts
• Assistance with school reentry process
• Summer enrichment reading program
• Report cards or progress reports upon discharge
• On-site visits to home school if requested
• Special events:  Ty the Science Guy, Math Time and Story Time
• Opportunities to practice normal social interactions

Eva Meinke-Hansen is the educational consultant/teacher of the school.  She is state certified and holds a master’s degree in education.  She is an employee of The Nebraska Medical Center with twenty years of experience at her position.

There is no charge for the program.  The school services are offered by The Nebraska Medical Center as on-going support for the patients and families who come to our hospital for their care.

You can get more information on The Too Cool Hospital Cool by calling (402) 559-5020 or email emeinke@nebraskamed.com.

The City of Omaha

If you choose The Nebraska Medical Center for your transplant, Omaha will become your second home for a short time. Those not familiar with our city will be pleasantly surprised to learn the particulars of this Midwestern metropolitan area. After spending time in Omaha you’ll come to appreciate what residents consider the perfect hybrid between small town friendliness and big city amenities.

Ease of Transportation
Only a few short hours by airplane to either coast, or less than a day’s drive to several major U.S. cities. Omaha is centrally located.

Eppley Airfield, conveniently located five minutes from downtown Omaha, provides air travel from 11 major regional air carriers, including two commuter airlines. Non-stop flights are available to such major cities as Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta among others.

Interstate 80 links Omaha to the East and West coasts. Northern and southern travelers will find Omaha via Interstate 29. The city is also serviced by Amtrak for rail service and Charter bus lines for coast-to-coast travel.

Cultural and Recreational Activities
The most pleasant surprise to big-city dwellers is the diversity of Omaha’s cultural attractions. Here you’ll find everything from opera and ballet to the zoo, fine restaurants to ethnic delights, sports and outdoor fun to mall madness. A few of the top Omaha attractions include:

• Henry Doorly Zoo
• Holland Performing Arts Center
• Joslyn Art Museum and Jazz on the Green
• Opera Omaha
• Omaha Community Playhouse
• Emmy Gifford Children’s Theater
• Omaha Symphony Orchestra
• Orpheum Theater
• Durham Western Heritage Museum
• Shakespeare on the Green
• Strategic Air and Space Museum
• Lee Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari
• Lauritzen Garden
• Omaha Royals
• College World Series
• Omaha Lancers Hockey
• UNO Mavericks Hockey
• Cox Classic Golf Tournament
• Creighton Bluejay Basketball
• Omaha Beef Indoor Football

To learn more about Omaha, visit:
www.omahachamber.org
www.visitomaha.com