University of Iowa planning piecemeal Children’s Hospital opening Saturday

IOWA CITY - After months of delay and staff reports of a spring opening, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics administrators Monday night announced plans to move into the new UI Stead Family Children's Hospital on Saturday.

Still, only portions of the $360 million facility will open this month, according to the message from Vice President for Medical Affairs for UI Health Care and Carver College of Medicine Dean Jean Robillard, UIHC CEO Ken Kates, and Scott Turner, executive director of the Children's Hospital.

The following areas will be part of the Saturday move:

Imaging

and procedure center on the lower level 2;

Discharge

lobby and main pharmacy on the lower level 1;

Gerdin

family lobby on level 1;

Dialysis

and infusion center on level 2;

Pediatric

cardiac intensive care unit and pediatric intensive care unit on level 3;

Neonatal

intensive care unit on level 6;

And UI

Dance Marathon pediatric cancer center on level 11.

'Remaining areas of the new Children's hospital will open at a later date,” according to the message. 'This will allow time to complete device integration and staff training and ensure the remaining areas are ready for patients, families and employees.”

Those areas not listed for move-in on Saturday include inpatient units on levels 9 and 10, and surgery and surgery support units on levels 4 and 5.

A specific timeline for when the entire hospital will be open and operating was not provided.

UI administrators previously reported the new Children's Hospital would not open piecemeal but rather all at once. It had been slated for a Dec. 10 opening, but administrators in late November announced that wouldn't happen as construction was ongoing.

Over the weekend, The Gazette reported design changes, contractor disputes, and cost overruns have plagued the project and contributed to its delay in opening.

In fact, one contractor - Modern Piping Inc. - says the hospital owes it nearly $8.4 million for work on the Children's Hospital, and the case is headed to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Modern Piping's original $28 million contract on the hospital ballooned to $43 million following 157 change orders over three years. The university sought a temporary injunction in April to stop Modern Piping from including $8.4 million in disputed work on the Children's Hospital with arbitration arising from the Hancher Auditorium construction project, where Modern Piping alleged UI owed it $65,000.

An attorney representing UI claimed 'irreparable harm” if the university had to send project managers and others to arbitration instead of finishing hospital construction, noting specifically the impact on patient care 'for one of Iowa's most vulnerable populations.”

But even as those issued played out behind the scenes, the 14-floor hospital in early November hosted a three-day open house, during which thousands of visitors toured several of the more-finished floors. Administrators at the time told The Gazette the hospital was on track, and a week later they held a dedication ceremony attended by patients, families, employees, lawmakers, and donors.

Officials later confirmed that temporary carpet, ceilings, and bathroom fixtures had been installed for the open house events and then torn down. UI spokesman Tom Moore said most of those materials were reused within the hospital, but he didn't provide details of where they were used and how much the work installing the temporary facade cost.

In the Monday night message, administrators said, 'Clearly, the planning, design, construction, and preparation for moving into the new children's hospital has been a historic undertaking.”

'Our sincerest appreciation goes out to everyone who has worked so hard to make this weekend's move a reality,” according to the message. 'Together, we can look forward to opening a truly world-class facility for our pediatric patients and their families. The wait is almost over.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com