According to U.S. Department of Justice, every 98 seconds another American is sexually assaulted. And, it is likely that over the course of a lifetime, one in every six women in this country will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape.

We may know some of the numbers related to sexual assault, yet we typically know little or nothing about the victims and the impact of the assault.

Teresa Prince Conway, a Nebraska Methodist College alum and adjunct faculty member, has set out to change that. Her compelling photo exhibit, called “Survivor Stories,” debuted at NMC on April 1. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the exhibit is one of the awareness activities on campus.

Teresa’s desire to create the exhibit came from her own personal experience.

“I was a junior in college studying photojournalism when I was raped,” she explained.

Dr. Linda “Lin” Hughes, Honorary Alumni (2011), longtime dean of nursing and recent interim vice president of academic affairs, officially retires from NMC on April 6.

But Lin is far too high-energy and deeply dedicated to NMC to retire for long. Instead, she is taking the required minimum of 120 days off the employee roster — and not one day more — before returning as an adjunct professor this August.

Now, in Lin’s 28^th year as a member of our nursing faculty and her 46th year as a nurse, the NMC family knows it is impossible to measure the full scope of her contributions to students, faculty, our holistic culture and the nursing profession overall.

Even while on spring break this week, NMC nursing students were still learning, helping others and making a difference. It was a busy time for students involved in service learning activities in the community and on campus. 

"As part of being a Nebraska Methodist College student nurse," said Trisha Baker, "we had the opportunity to participate in an Omaha immersion course to address the issue of food deserts and food insecurity."

Better Health, Brighter Futures 

A drop of blood is small yet mighty.

Inside are 5 million red blood cells and answers to questions like these: Is my child at risk for lead poisoning? Do I have diabetes? Could my family’s health and future be in danger?

In Omaha and beyond, students and staff of Nebraska Methodist College are helping to answer these questions. They do this with compassion, skill and one quick finger prick at a time — and without expecting the public to find the time and transportation to come to them.

Who is the most renowned nurse in Nebraska Methodist College’s first century of service? Without a doubt, that is Edna Fagan, a stern yet admired icon of nursing excellence known as "Miss Fagan" throughout more than six decades of association with NMC and Methodist Hospital.

Where did Nebraska Methodist College begin?

Candy Rutledge was born and raised in Midland, Texas, and has never lost her southern twang or quest for adventure. Diane Heine traveled the world as an Air Force brat, and she signs every email with her personal motto: “Life is better in flip-flops.” 

Together, they have nearly 70 years of nursing experience, and each earned a graduate nursing degree and post-graduate certificate from Nebraska Methodist College. 

Yet the two alums never crossed paths at NMC. Instead, they met more than 3,000 miles away from their alma mater. They met in the employee parking lot before the start of a workday at the same hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. 

Do you know which health profession is among the most in-demand and fastest-growing careers in the nation?

From 2016 to 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 24 percent growth for the occupational therapy profession. An additional 31,000 occupational therapists (OTs) will be needed by 2026.

Nebraska Methodist College is helping to meet this growing need with its new Master of Occupational Therapy program, which recently earned five-year accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

NMC Nursing Students Provide Diabetes Screenings at Intercultural Senior Center

How do we give our seniors the dignity and care they deserve? How can we especially help aging immigrants and refugees in our community who may be isolated by poverty, language and cultural barriers, or lack of transportation?

These are questions asked and answered every day by Carolina Padilla, founder and executive director of Omaha’s Intercultural Senior Center.

“I chose this profession because of the importance of it. Cardiovascular sonographers are essentially the first line of defense for ruling out cardiac and vascular disease.”

During a recent workday at Methodist Hospital, Alex Belsky took part in a unique procedure that let him see the impact members of his profession can make.

“This one was an emergency situation,” said Alex. “The cardiologist needed ultrasound guidance to place a needle into the fluid-filled sac around a patient’s heart to draw off excess fluid.”

The procedure was a success, and the story illustrates how cardiovascular sonography is an integral part of healthcare.