Featuring a fresh coat of paint, decorative artwork hanging from the ceiling, and a framed jersey signed by former Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa Health Care North Liberty Medical Campus will open in just over two weeks. 

To celebrate, UI Health Care hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday in a packed room filled with university and community leaders including UI President Barbara Wilson, Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague, and U.S. Rep. Marrienette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa. 

The North Liberty Hospital is primarily focused on orthopedic health, or bone, joint, and ligament health care, and has been under construction by contractor JE Dunn since 2021. Budgeted at $525.6 million, the hospital encompasses 469,000 square feet with a 36,000 separate utility plant. It is based on 60 acres of a former corn field.

“The significance is tremendous,” Miller-Meeks said. “When you’re getting access to people, access to care in a facility that makes it easier to serve your patients. The facility is grandeur, but it only pales in comparison to the quality, the excellence of the providers.”

Speakers at the ribbon cutting included UI President Barbara Wilson, UIHC CEO Bradley Haws, Vice President of Medical Care Denise Jamieson, Chairman of the UI Orthopedics Department Larry Marsh, and President of the Iowa Board of Regents Sherry Bates. 

Haws said the facility will ultimately help expand the number of patients UIHC can accommodate. On an annual basis, UIHC has to turn away more than 3,000 patients because there is not enough capacity.  

“We still, as UI Health Care, can’t take all the transfer requests that we get from the state,” Haws said. “So, this expansion of capacity, together with the downtown campus, really allows us to treat more patients that are being referred to us.” 

Once open, the hospital will serve as the new location for the UI Orthopedics Department, which is currently located on the lower levels of the main campus hospital. Marsh said he is looking forward to the advanced level of equipment and amenities the hospital will offer orthopedics patients, which is one of the highest-demand health care fields in the country. 

“All of these things allow us to expand our care to a wider range of population,” Marsh said. “That is really challenging when you’re in the basement of a tertiary care center and with the parking, and the challenges. And it’s challenging for patients, not just us.”

UI President Wilson highlighted the work across the university, UIHC, and the Iowa Board of Regents that has made the hospital open on time and under budget. 

“They have pored over spreadsheets and numbers and data and helped us build this facility, keeping a keen eye on affordability and what the goal of this enterprise is,” Wilson said. “Now, they get to celebrate, and we brought this building in on time and under budget.”

Rod Lehnertz, UI senior vice president for finance and operations, said in a previous interview with The Daily Iowan the hospital is approximately $20 million under its $525.6 million budget. 

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Jamieson said the technology in the hospital is cutting edge, which offers a higher level of care for Iowan’s not previously available without the hospital.

“UI Health Care work will remain committed to our mission, and our mission is to serve 3.2 million Iowans across 99 counties,” Jamieson said. “This facility offers a new level of comprehensive orthopedic care that has not previously been available in the state.”

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague said the new hospital opens up opportunities for jobs in the area and could spur more economic development. 

“This definitely will bring more jobs into the community, which we desperately need an opportunity for, not only for our research, but to train more people in this area,” Teague said.

Iowa is in the middle of physician care shortage, which has spurred legislation and state-wide efforts to attract and train more health care workers. Iowa is ranked 44th in the nation for patient-to-physician ratio, which is 30 percent lower than the national average. 

More than 700 medical professionals will be working at the hospital. Emily Ward, UI associate chief nursing officer, said about 300 of those positions are new because of the hospital. Staff will consist of both new hires and transfers from other departments in UIHC. 

The physician shortage has drawn attention from legislators and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Reynolds recently proposed implementing funding for training and facilities that will attract physicians. 

Serving as an army doctor, Miller-Meeks said the hospital, along with the services it offers, is a place where physicians can call home.

“As a provider, I’m looking at this, and I’m saying this is something that’s going to attract providers that we desperately need to Iowa,” she said. 

The hospital will host a variety of services that are meant to be expanded over time. These services include:

• 36 inpatient beds
• 84 clinic exam rooms
• 14 emergency care rooms
• 12 operating rooms
• Two procedure rooms
• 24/7 retail and drive-thru pharmacy
• Advance diagnostic imaging including MRI, ultrasound, computed tomography, EOS, fluoroscopy, and bone density screening
• Physical therapy services with indoor and outdoor rehab space
• Walk-clinic for same-day treatment of orthopedic injuries
• Clinical lab services
• Orthotics and prosthetics
• Teaching, research, and community education space
• Cafeteria and gift shop

Ward said there are also shelled-out rooms in the hospital that can be furnished in the future. She said there are 12 shelled rooms for in-patient beds and two additional shelled operating rooms. 

UIHC is hosting an open house to the public on Saturday to continue celebrating the new hospital. The event will have a variety of events including STEM activities for kids, tours of the hospital, and meet and greets with UI athletes. 

“If you look out there, you see the trees are budding, the grass is green, and it’s a beautiful day to celebrate,” Wilson said. “We have created a state-of-the-art facility here, and it’s not just about patient care, it’s about research, it’s about training the next generation of health care workers.”