AMES, Iowa — The University of Iowa reflected on the acquisition of the former Mercy Iowa City hospital during a Board of Regents meeting Wednesday. Bradley Haws, chief executive officer of UI Health Care, updated the regents on the university’s accomplishments, along with future plans.
The hospital was acquired by the UI after Mercy filed for bankruptcy last year. The UI rebranded the hospital to UI Health Care Medical Campus Downtown in December 2023.
Through the transition, the UI retained about 1,000 employees from Mercy, Haws said. He added those employees got to keep their vacation leave and receive a transition payment.
Since then, the UI has hired Jennifer Miller as the chief executive officer of the hospital, created advisory groups, transitioned software, and plans to put at least $25 million into the facility over the next five years, Haws said.
Out of all the work done so far, Haws said one of their biggest accomplishments was the speed of the transition.
“It’s been a wonderful success,” Haws said to the regents.
He added they were able to transition to a completely new software, EPIC, in four months. 35,000 hours were put into the transition, and 1,281 staff were trained in the new software, according to Haws’ presentation.
Haws said they’ve created two advisory boards to ensure quality of care in the hospital. One of the advisory boards replaced Mercy Iowa City’s board of directors, while the other was composed of hospital doctors.
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He also said the hospital is beginning to provide new services — particularly in radiology care. The UI is requesting permission to begin planning a new remodel to the hospital to expand their capacity for new equipment as well as buying new equipment.
Radiology is just one of several projects they are looking to begin planning at the hospital.
According to the presentation, the UI is looking to renovate the hospital’s Medical Office Building, improve the hospital’s operating room, create new parking installations, and fix the hospital’s roof.
According to the proposed plans, the funds for this project would come from the University Hospital Building Usage Funds.
Haws said there are several areas where the roof is currently leaking. Roof repairs, upgraded radiology equipment, and new parking structures are the most immediate needs.
Regent Nancy Dunkel asked Haws what staffing looked like following the transition.
Haws said they are utilizing more traveling nurses than they’d like to staff the hospital, but they are actively working to make a dent in that number. He said there is a group of about 30 traveling nurses from the UI system who relocated to the downtown hospital, which was helpful.
The hospital remodels also come with plans for increased service. These include obstetrics, family medicine, gastrointestinal endoscopy, operating room utilization, heart and vascular services, sleep disorders, oncology services, and custodial care.
“Our investments are so that we feel like the community can understand and expect the same great, high-quality care that we provide in our system already, and that can be done in both places,” Haws said.
UI Health Care is working to finish several multi-million projects.
By the summer of 2025, UIHC plans to open a new emergency department that cost $37 million and open a new hospital in North Liberty for $525 million. In the fall of 2025, they plan to open a new maternal health center for $115 million.
The regents are set to vote Thursday on whether the university can proceed with plans for the downtown campus.
Brianna Brands contributed to this report.