University of Iowa names head of new North Liberty hospital without search

Instead of conducting a public job search for a chief administrative officer to lead its new $525.6 million hospital in North Liberty, University of Iowa Health Care has appointed longtime administrator Amy O’Deen to the position five years after first promoting her to oversee plans for the project.

The university first promoted O’Deen to function “as the chief operating executive of the UIHC North Liberty campus planning and development” on June 1, 2019, through a “reclassification process,” UI officials told The Gazette.

That was six months before the university submitted an application for a state certificate of need to build the three-story hospital and two years before it was granted that certificate and broke ground.

In summer 2019, when her job duties were expanded to include North Liberty planning and oversight, O’Deen’s salary increased 37 percent from $207,810 in March to $285,000 in September.

O’Deen — who’s been at UIHC since 1983 in various roles, including stints as interim executive director of the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital and as interim chief operating officer — has a current salary of $323,610, according to public records.

“Given Amy’s longtime tenure with UI Health Care, she has frequently assumed various responsibilities as needs arose within hospital administration,” a UI official told The Gazette about her promotion. “Her duties have been expanded and include participation and oversight of the planning for the North Liberty campus, which is not scheduled to open until spring 2025.”

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UIHC in May began referring to O’Deen as chief administrative officer for the North Liberty campus. Brad Haws, chief executive officer of UIHC’s clinical operations, in an update this week announced O’Deen “will serve as chief administrative officer for the new campus.”

“Given Amy’s more than 40 years of experience at UI Health Care, and her heavy involvement during all phases of the North Liberty project, she will provide a steady hand in leading the opening of our newest campus,” Haws said in his update.

The university did not conduct a search for the position or complete a waiver to preempt a search in its promotion of O’Deen to chief administrative officer for the new North Liberty campus — which officials confirmed is a permanent appointment.

It did not provide her an offer letter, but rather expanded her “senior associate director” job description in 2019 to include — among other things — the “multi-phased planning, development, operational management, strategic planning and financial leadership of the UIHC North Liberty campus.”

“The senior associate hospital director functions as the chief operating executive of the UIHC North Liberty campus planning and development,” according to the updated job description provided to The Gazette in response to a records request. “This individual provides administrative oversight and direction to the planning, organization, and leadership of the UIHC satellite operations in North Liberty, including inpatient, ambulatory care, diagnostic, rehabilitative, emergency and perioperative services.”

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‘Require a search’

The university’s hiring and appointments policy states that “creation of professional and scientific staff positions is accomplished by submitting the appropriate requisition through the designated university hiring system for review and approval.”

“Faculty and professional and scientific positions that are 50 percent or more time and extend for one year or more require a search, which must comply with the affirmative action procedures at the university,” according to the policy, which outlines guidelines for leadership positions.

“The position announcement must include a required job qualification, indicating that candidates and/or applicants be able to demonstrate job-related experience with fostering a welcoming and respectful work environment and/or otherwise demonstrate their ability to foster a welcoming and respectful work/academic environment for people from all types of backgrounds.”

Given the policies’ aim to comply with equal employment opportunity and affirmative action laws and regulations, UI hiring guidance states, “Deviations from these standard search procedures are therefore strongly discouraged.”

“With appropriate justification, a waiver of the search process may be granted for a faculty or (staff) position,” according to the UI guidance. “Exceptions to these procedures will be made only upon recommendation from the employing unit and its senior human resources leader or associate dean.”

Examples of instances warranting a waiver from standard search procedures include elimination of an existing employee’s position; a new disability making an employee’s current position no longer feasible; spousal hires; or the creation of a position that would only exist if a specific candidate were interested in the job.

An often-cited reason to waive a search is an applicant’s “unique qualifications and expertise are such that no other applicant would be expected to surpass this individual’s qualifications for the position.”

“Typically, the applicant would need to be nationally or internationally renowned in his/her field to meet this criterion,” according to the UI guidance, adding, “To request a waiver of the affirmative action search process, the hiring department must complete the ‘request for waiver’ form and submit the requested documentation.”

‘Providing administrative oversight’

Given the university didn’t advertise the position leading its new 469,000-square-foot hospital in North Liberty, it didn’t fill out a search waiver for O’Deen’s appointment.

According to her expanded job description in 2019, she’ll report to Haws and serve as a key member of the senior management team, “responsible for supporting the goals and objectives of the entire UI Health Care enterprise.”

Since the North Liberty campus will feature orthopedics and emergency care, among other things, O’Deen will “have a strong working partnership with the chairs of Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, and Radiology as well as the executive medical director for Perioperative Services and (UI Physicians) executive director.”

Beyond planning and developing the North Liberty project, O’Deen’s duties, as outlined in the 2019 job description, include:

In addition to O’Deen, UI Health Care has named Emily Ward its associate chief nursing officer for the North Liberty campus. She’s been serving as associate chief nursing officer of UIHC since 2016.

“While she’s already a co-leader of clinical planning for North Liberty campus, beginning Nov. 1, her focus will fully shift to the new campus, and her current position will be backfilled,” Haws said.

The university posted its “associate chief nursing officer-UIHC North Liberty Medical Center” position in April.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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