Hunter
01/07/22
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is developing plans for a major expansion on its main campus, including a tower as tall as the Children’s Hospital.
Plans are in the early stages, but UIHC CEO Suresh Gunasekaran says that they hope to see groundbreaking on the projects within the next decade.
Among the priorities are a new hospital tower on the main campus and a teaching and research building for the Carver College of Medicine. The hospital building would expand space, as the UIHC is regularly at capacity and has to turn away transfers. And with additional hospital space, there would be need for more doctors, nurses and staff. The expansion of the College Of Medicine would give the growing number of learners more space to be taught and do research.
The UIHC also plans to construct an ambulatory care building or clinic for patients on the main campus. The Gazette reports that details on that part haven’t been ironed out yet, but Gunasekaran said that it would focus on interdisciplinary needs of more complex programs on campus.
The rest of the project, likely to cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars, would be focused on modernization of clinics that were built up to 70 years ago.
The UIHC is currently in the beginning stages of a nearly $400 million project in North Liberty, which needed approval form the State Health Facilities Council to go forward. It’s not anticipated a certificate of need will be required for any of the upcoming projects the UIHC is planning.