Thousands gathered at the University of Iowa Health Care’s new orthopedics hospital in North Liberty. The North Liberty Medical Campus is weeks away from its opening date on April 28. Community members enjoyed tours of the hospital and various activities.
“People waited a long time for this facility,” Denise Jamieson, UI vice president for medical affairs, said in an interview with The Daily Iowan. “This facility will help recruit really great residents, people who have just finished medical school, to work in such a beautiful place.”
The $525.6 million North Liberty Hospital has been under construction since 2021 by contractor JE Dunn. The facility encompasses 469,000 square feet on a 60-acre plot of land that was formerly a cornfield. Opportunities to view the hospital brought in many people with connections to the facility.
Carlie Sorensen is in the residency program at the university, specializing in internal medicine. She came to the open house out of curiosity, as internal medicine doctors work closely with orthopedic surgeons. She said the growth of the UIHC health care system makes the university an attractive place for out-of-state students applying to programs.
“I think the fact that the university is growing so much and expanding is attractive to a lot of people because there’s a lot more opportunities, especially for growth and kind of trying different things and getting new opportunities,” Sorensen said.
Jamieson said the new facility is geared toward attracting more physicians to the state because Iowa is currently experiencing a physician shortage and is among the worst in the nation for patient to physician ratio.
“We both need to keep talented Iowans here, and our facilities, including this one, provide fantastic training opportunities,” Jamieson said. “We also need to recruit outside talent and create new Iowans who are committed to being here in Iowa and providing care.”
The new hospital is geared toward orthopedics, or the health care field of bone, joint, and ligament health, a rapidly growing practice. Carol Galbraith and her husband Joe Galbraith were one of the attendees at the open house Saturday.
Both Joe and Carol Galdbraith worked for UIHC. Joe Galdbraith worked in cancer research for 47 years, and Carol Galdbraith worked as a secretary. Now, they said they may be considering some of the orthopedic care options the new hospital offers.
“I may be looking at knee replacement,” Carol Galdbraith said. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it, so it’s cool to see in the community.”
Terri Reeve lives two miles away from the new hospital and currently receives orthopedic care at the main campus hospital. Once open, the orthopedic department is completely relocating to the North Liberty Hospital, freeing up more than 100,000 square feet of space, 107 in-patient rooms, 81 exam rooms, and 11 operating rooms.
Reeve said she likes the new hospital because it has more parking and is not in the lower levels of the main campus that are hard to get to. Having lived in North Liberty for more than 10 years, she said the hospital will help accommodate the area’s growth.
“I just hate all the growth that’s happening in North Liberty because it’s getting so crowded, but I think this would be beneficial because the population is really growing,” Reeve said.
Just down the street from the North Liberty Hospital is a new Steindler Orthopedic clinic. Shirley Harrison, who was also at the event, has received care from Steindler Orthopedics. She said she is torn between which health care facility she will use in the future.
“A lot of people went to Steindler because there wasn’t an orthopedic clinic, so they may change and come here,” she said.
RELATED: North Liberty Hospital cements UIHC’s market dominance in Eastern Iowa
Standing underneath a framed signed Caitlin Clark jersey near the entrance of the building, Deb Gaddis — a longtime employee in the Radiology Department of Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids — said she hopes the hospital will alleviate long waits at other UI Health Care facilities.
“You hear about the wait times at other ERs, and I think, hopefully, it’ll eliminate some of that,” she said.
That sentiment is shared by UI officials. In a previous interview with The Daily Iowan, Rod Lehnertz, UI senior vice president for finance and operations, said the main campus hospital could have wait times exceeding multiple hours because of their capacity. He said the new hospital provides an alternative to take in more transfers and reduce wait times.
Once complete, the hospital will offer a variety of amenities, including:
- 36 inpatient beds
- 84 clinic exam rooms
- 14 emergency care rooms
- 12 operating rooms
- Two procedure rooms
- 24/7 retail and drive-thru pharmacy
- Advanced diagnostic imaging including MRI, ultrasound, computed tomography, EOS, fluoroscopy, and bone density screening
- Physical therapy services with indoor and outdoor rehab space
- Walk-in clinic for same-day treatment for orthopedic injuries
- Clinical lab services
- Orthotics and prosthetics
- Teaching, research, and community education space
- Cafeteria and gift shop
Karen Pregon came to the open house because her daughter will work in the new hospital. In a previous interview with the DI, Emily Ward, UI associate chief nursing officer, said more than 700 people will work in the new hospital, with about 300 positions being brand new.
Pregon said she has seen UIHC grow immensely in recent years and that the new facility provides additional convenience for people who do not want to drive onto the university’s main campus for treatment.
“I think it’s going to be great for them, and everybody in the community has a choice now,” she said.