Injured UI workers lose clinic site

Effective this week, University of Iowa employees who are injured on the job must drive to North Liberty to seek treatment at a clinic there. Previously, UI workers had the choice of two clinics --  UI HealthWorks in North Liberty or the Workers Health Care Clinic located at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics -- to treat on-the-job injuries. But the state, which oversees the workers comp program for all state employees, told UI officials they want employees to seek treatment at the North Liberty clinic only from now on.

Richard Saunders, assistant vice president for human resources at the UI, said today he wasn't sure why the state made the change. Saunders notified UI employees of the change via e-mail this week. He said some employees were upset, and they said driving to North Liberty for treatment will be inconvenient.

Officials with the state Department of Administrative Services weren't available Friday to answer questions about why the change was made; many of the department's employees were on furlough. I'll be following up Monday to try to answer that question.