UI proposes new outpatient clinic

A new $73 million University of Iowa health care clinic could open by June 2012 to ease congestion at the main hospital and boost patient convenience.

The proposed outpatient clinic, with a building cost of $53 million and furniture and equipment cost of $20 million, would be built at the Iowa River Landing development in Coralville, just south of Interstate 80.

UI Hospitals and Clinics leaders presented details Wednesday to the state Board of Regents in Ames. The regents were supportive of the plan and will vote today on allowing UI officials to move forward with purchasing the 1.2 acres from the city of Coralville.

“It's a very important move for the hospitals and clinics,” UI President Sally Mason said.

This was the only site to offer the needed space, visibility and ease of patient access, said UI Vice President for Medical Affairs Jean Robillard.

There is tremendous patient dissatisfaction with hospital parking and traffic, Chief Executive Officer Ken Kates said.

“We have a very challenging facility ... to navigate,” he said.

The new clinic will move many outpatient services to a convenient location with free parking, about five minutes from the hospital, officials said. It will make room to expand other programs at the hospital and make all patient rooms private.

Outpatient care has grown and will continue to grow 4 percent to 5 percent yearly, officials said.

The original plan called for the UI to lease a facility, but officials now want to buy the land and build a UI-owned facility using the standard public bidding process. The UI will buy a lot in the larger subdivision - Iowa River Landing - developed by the city. A city-owned parking ramp will be directly north of the UI clinic, with free parking.

The city likely will purchase more land south of East Ninth Street for a total of 156 acres in Iowa River Landing. The UI will have right of first refusal on land to the south for future expansion.

“Ultimately you're going to need more land,” Regent Michael Gartner of Des Moines said.

Bonds and hospital revenue will pay for the 150,000-square-foot clinic that will include general internal medicine, general pediatrics, women's health, cardiology, urology and radiology.