Patients and patient visitors at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics soon will have the option of lower parking costs at hospital parking facilities thanks to a partnership between UIHC and UI Parking and Transportation.

Starting Dec. 3, patients at the main campus of UIHC can receive a Patient Parking Pass, which will allow free parking at ramps 1, 2, 3, and 4 regardless of time parked in the ramps, according to a press release from UIHC spokesperson Tom Moore. Previously, patients paid $10 maximum for daily parking.

“Improving the parking experience at UI Hospitals & Clinics is essential to enhancing overall patient satisfaction,”  Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO of UIHC, said in the release. “We want our patients’ and visitors’ time here to be as positive as possible.”

Passes can be printed from patients’ MyChart accounts or by their clinic or unit clerks, according to the release. The passes can only be used once per vehicle.

Patient visitors will also be able to Visitor Parking Pass Booklets starting Dec. 3, according to the release. These booklets contain five passes and costs $30, the release said.

Free parking is already available at UI Health Care clinics off-site, the release said, including locations at Scott Boulevard, North Dodge Street, Sports Medicine, and the Iowa River Landing.

“Parking and Transportation is committed to finding innovative and bold solutions for the campus,” Debby Zumbach, director of UI Parking and Transportation and associate vice president of Business Services, said in the release. “Partnering to deliver solutions that are better for patients and visitors, while reasonable for the university, is a win‐win.”