University of Iowa primary care expansion to address ‘access gap’ in SE Iowa City

IOWA CITY — By 2025, University of Iowa Health Care expects to have a new primary care location up and running in southeast Iowa City — addressing a “health care access gap” in that part of town.

Citing an analysis of local health care needs, UIHC officials said Wednesday that southeast Iowa City has the fewest primary care options in the community, despite being the “most densely populated.”

“Many residents must travel outside of their immediate community to access care,” according to the news release promising forthcoming details on the project — which will add to UIHC’s growing list of health care facilities under construction.

The university in November issued a request for qualifications from prospective developers interested in designing and building a new primary care medical office building in Iowa City. That initial request didn’t specify a location or part of town, and suggested UIHC might consider “other scenarios to new construction, such as a re-purposed existing facility, if a compelling business case can be structured.”

It also noted the developer selection would involve two phases — including a shortlist of finalists asked to submit detailed proposals.

“The university has begun the request for proposal (RFP) process to identify the developer and exact location to establish a new facility in southeast Iowa City,” Wednesday’s news release said.

In a statement, Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague praised the university’s planned addition.

“In order to build strong neighborhoods and a healthy community, we need to make sure everyone has access to high-quality health care,” Teague said. “We are pleased the University of Iowa shares this commitment to increase health care access. By placing primary care services in this currently underserved neighborhood, we can have a positive impact on the health of our community for years to come.”

UIHC recently has laid out more than $1 billion in new construction projects underway or upcoming — including a $525.6 million hospital in North Liberty; a $95 million vertical expansion of its existing inpatient tower; a $24.6 million renovation of its emergency room; and an $8 million conversation of its south wing into inpatient rooms.

Through at least 2029, UIHC expects to spend more than $620.9 million building a new inpatient tower on the main campus — a cost that doesn’t include expenses this year or in fiscal 2029.

UIHC officials have cited crammed corridors, patient rooms, operating suites and waiting spaces in espousing the need for more facilities and construction on its main campus and across the community and region.

On Wednesday, UIHC was at 93 percent capacity — with 805 patients filling most of its 866 beds, according to UIHC spokeswoman Laura Shoemaker. As of about 1 p.m. Wednesday, it had logged 4,334 outpatient visits — numbers that can fluctuate dramatically on any given day, Shoemaker said.

In the 2021 budget year, UIHC reported more than 32,000 inpatient admissions; nearly 50,000 emergency room visits; more than 35,600 major surgeries; 169,700-plus minor operations; and more than 1.3 million clinic visits across its main campus and community clinics.

Of UIHC’s 78 locations statewide, 21 are in the Iowa City area — including a QuickCare-East location on Sycamore Street, near the Sycamore Mall in southeast Iowa City. Most of UIHC’s 70-plus locations offer some form of primary care or family medicine.

“In addition to serving patients’ primary care needs, the planned southeast Iowa City facility will enhance the university’s ability to train future physicians to help address the shortage of physicians across the state, as well as conduct medical research,” UIHC reported.

In response to critiques from community hospitals across Eastern Iowa concerned with UIHC’s expansion into their primary-care lane — grievances aired during UIHC’s battle to build in North Liberty — university officials stressed the need for advanced spaces to educate and conduct research. UIHC also cited a dire need to alleviate long emergency room wait times in reporting plans to add emergency space in North Liberty and now to expand primary care options in southeast Iowa City.

“Studies have shown that limited access to primary care can increase people’s use of emergency departments or urgent care as their main source of health care,” according to the UIHC. “Not only does this increase health care costs and emergency care backlogs, but it also increases a person’s likelihood of developing chronic diseases.”

In a statement, UIHC Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nurse Executive Kim Hunter said the university aims to increase access and break down barriers by adding services in southeast Iowa City.

“Having a relationship with a primary care doctor for regular, preventive care is shown to have better long-term health outcomes,” Hunter said.

The new southeast facility — once complete — will “house most of the primary care services currently located at the main campus,” officials said. Shoemaker said that will involve both relocating existing services and expanding them.

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