Photo above: Vinita Sauder, president of Union College (left), and Emily Rumery, director of Union’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (right), presented the 2024 Community Partnership Award to Chris Lee, COO and Vice President for Rehabilitation at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals.

Union College is proud to honor Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals with the Community Partnership Award.

The award was presented at the eleventh annual Community Appreciation Breakfast held at Union College on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Union gives the award to recognize a local business, foundation or organization’s steadfast dedication to helping the university accomplish its mission — to create a personal, student-focused community that empowers students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership.

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals are top-ranked in Nebraska and well-known throughout the nation for medical and physical rehabilitation for adults and children. Their hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha specialize in rehabilitating patients who have suffered a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, complex medical issues and a variety of other conditions or traumatic events.

Madonna has proven to be a key supporter of Union’s Nursing and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs. Emily Rumery, OTA program director said, “Union nursing students have completed clinical experiences at Madonna facilities for nearly 10 years. Since Union’s OTA program launched in 2021, Madonna has contributed to the curriculum through guest lectures by their specialized practitioners, allowed a tour and on-premise student lab experience, accepted fieldwork students for their Level 2 practicum and hired Union graduates at both their Lincoln and Omaha campuses each year.” 

This school year, Madonna also launched a scholarship for Union OTA students that provides financial support for three students with the opportunity for guaranteed employment upon graduation.

“Receiving the Madonna Scholarship is an honor,” said Stacie Cyr, a Union OTA student and Madonna scholarship recipient. “It shows they have confidence in the education students receive here at Union College. Knowing I have a job after passing boards is a comforting feeling. I am so excited to be a part of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals.”

“We are called to serve the sick and care for the sick as if they were Jesus himself. It is our talented clinical staff who provide care and do the hard work of returning people to their lives,” said Christopher Lee, Madonna’s Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Rehabilitation, who accepted the award. “That’s why we’re so excited to partner with Union College to build the next generation of clinicians. Without clinicians, there is no mission.”

Union also honored Corey and Jeanette Stull, attorneys at Atwood Law in Lincoln, with the Valued Partner Award. The couple provides expert legal services to Union and has helped guide university leadership for the past 24 years.

“They understand Union and are a part of our campus family. We rely on them for legal advice and can confidently follow that advice,” said Lisa Forbes, director of Human Resources at Union. “Jeannette has also given valuable advice related to deferred gifts and estate gifts which has led to hundreds of thousands of dollars given to Union College.”

The Community Appreciation Breakfast was hosted by Union supporters Bud Synhorst, former president of the Lincoln Independent Business Association; Demoine Adams, CEO of Teammates Mentoring and Mick Ray, president of Empire Electric.

Previous Community Partnership Award recipients include the Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, Lincoln Public Schools, Bryan Health, Capital and Eastern Nebraska Chapter of the American Red Cross, People’s City Mission and Union Bank & Trust.

Thanks to the Lincoln Independent Business Association for sponsoring the solid crystal award.