Project Health: Transforming Education, Research, and Healing
From Idea to Redefining What’s Possible
Project Health is a transformative $2.2 billion initiative at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, designed to revolutionize healthcare education, clinical research, and patient care across the state. The project, slated to be approximately 1.4 million square feet, anticipates breaking ground in spring 2026 on building foundations and take 5-6 years to complete. Project Health represents one of the most ambitious and consequential investments in Nebraska’s healthcare future, aiming to improve access, quality, and innovation for generations to come.
This program will offer attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the design and construction of this groundbreaking initiative. The panelists will give attendees a deeper understanding of how the project has progressed from idea to design and construction, including using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model.
Panelists:
Bryan Nielsen, AIA, NCARB – HDR, Project Manager, Project Health
Bryan is a Healthcare Principal with more than 28 years of experience specializing in the design and renovation of healthcare facilities. His portfolio includes projects ranging in size from small-scale renovations to the design of large replacement hospitals. His experience and responsibilities include all phases of the design and construction process including design, client contact, project coordination, cost control, and scheduling for a variety of healthcare clients. He is the Project Manager for HDR on Project Health.
Alan Brodin – Kiewit Building Group, Project Manager, Project Health
Alan has more than 39 years of experience in the construction industry. He has led many large, complicated projects but most of his career has been in healthcare projects. He led the effort at Children's Nebraska's Hubbard Center for Children on the first IPD project in Nebraska. Alan is currently serving as the Construction Manager and Project Management Team member at Project Health.
Andrew M. Balus, EIT, LEED AP – University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine Executive Director of Utilities & Engineering,
Andrew has spent more than 25 years in the commercial construction industry in the Omaha metro area. In his 15 years with a local general contractor, he worked on and managed projects such as the Children’s Hospital SPC, Village Pointe Medical Center, the Fred & Pamela Buffet Cancer Center, and a myriad of other projects on the UNMC campus and throughout the city. For the last 10 years, he has held various positions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, managing their construction portfolio and most recently, managing their Utility Services. Andrew maintains day-to-day responsibility for Project Health as a member of the project's Project Management Team (PMT). He has also served as an adjunct professor at UNO’s Peter Kiewit Institute – teaching their Capstone Course for Construction Management.
Moderator:
Jason Schmitz, AIA, NCARB – HDR, Associate Vice President/Health Principal
Jason has more than two decades of expertise in architecture and healthcare design. A licensed architect in multiple states, he has led and contributed to projects nationwide—like Henry Ford Hospital a $1B + replacement hospital—while staying connected to significant local initiatives such as Boys Town National Research Hospital and Children’s Nebraska. As a Health Principal at HDR, Jason plays a key role in fostering client relationships and driving strategic growth both locally and regionally. He is deeply committed to creating healthcare environments that enhance the well-being of patients, staff, and caregivers; believing that few spaces influence the human experience as profoundly as those dedicated to healing.