KEARNEY, Neb. — It was an event described as one of the defining moments in university history.

That’s what university leaders said about the groundbreaking ceremony for the rural health education building, which will be built on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. The 110,00 square-foot project will help to educate more than 600 students annually with a goal of addressing shortages in healthcare workforce in rural Nebraska. University leaders say it’s impossible to overstate its impact.

“There’s never been a project of this size, of this scope, of this scale ever done in the United States,” UNMC Chancellor Dr. Jeffrey Gold said.

“It’s going to change rural Nebraska forever. It’s going to change our campus forever,” UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen said.

“When they write the book about the history of the University of Nebraska, now in its 153rd year, what has happened here today will become it’s own chapter," NU President Ted Carter said.

UNK and UNMC officials had the idea for the Rural Health Education Building more than a decade ago. They first built the Health Sciences Education Building, improved the campus infrastructure and then figured out how to pay for the planned complex.

$35 million is coming from donations, including money from the City of Kearney and Central Community College. The state approved the use of $60 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act money.

“We’re the only one in the university that got those funds," Kristensen said. "That’s very, very fulfilling because I think everybody saw that this was the right thing to do.”

The building will house a four-year program for educating 20-person classes of future doctors. It will also be home to training for future pharmacists and public health professionals.

The idea is for those students to learn in Kearney and then stay to work in rural Nebraska, helping to solve the massive healthcare gaps in most of the state’s counties.

“There’s so many that don’t even have a primary care doctor, let alone pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists," Carter said. "This will answer that call.”

Construction is scheduled to finish in late 2025 and the building will be occupied in early 2026.  There’s still lots of work to do before then.

“We now need to recruit faculty and staff, we now need to build programs and we now need to find that critically important seed corn, the young women and young men who are going to be the first classes to enter this building,” Gold said.

But first, the people behind the project are taking a moment to appreciate its significance.

“I’m really proud to work with the people here at UNK," Kristensen said. "This has kind of been the highlight of my life to be able to work with very talented people and have a common goal. Now it’s accomplished so we’re onto the next one.”

In his closing remarks, Chancellor Doug Kristensen said, “just wait until you see what we do next.” He hopes the Rural Health Education Building is just the launching off point for a future expansion and even more healthcare resources coming to the area.