Hunter
05/28/21
University of Iowa Health Care’s resubmittal for state certification to build a North Liberty medical facility won’t be considered by a state council in July as expected due to the resignation of one of the council members.
The Gazette reports that the five-member council is short a member after Carol Earnhardt submitted her resignation from the State Health Facilities Council on Wednesday. Governor Kim Reynolds now must appoint a replacement who will need to be brought up to speed on current proceedings.
Earnhardt was one of three council members who voted against the UIHC’s application in February. Her six-year term was set to expire in April 2025.
A spokesperson for the state’s Certificate of Need Program said that the original July 15th hearing date will have to be delayed, but the council will set a new date, possibly in August or September depending on how the new appointment process progresses.
University of Iowa Health Care’s initial application to build a new facility in North Liberty proposed having the project completed by early 2024, but the timeline was moved to the second quarter of 2025 due to the February rejection. It’s currently unclear what the new projected timeline will be now that the hearing has been delayed.