UI Health Care’s Chief Integration Officer to vacate position next month

In January, Mercy Iowa City officially handed over its reins to University of Iowa Health Care, joining the academic hospital’s burgeoning portfolio of medical facilities that reach across Johnson County. To aid in the transition, UIHC hired independent contractor Deborah Berini as a temporary chief integration officer and chief administrative officer to lead management and integration, joining an integration team composed of leaders and teams from both Mercy and UIHC to make the transition as seamless as possible.

“We needed an interim leader to help provide a smooth transition for employees, providers, and patients. Deb Berini joined us in January with an incredible amount of experience, focused on helping the team complete the transition from Mercy Iowa City to UI Health Care on Jan. 31, maintaining operations at the downtown campus, and implementing Epic, our electronic medical records (EMR) system,” said Emily Blomberg, MHA, chief operating officer for UI Hospitals and Clinics. Ms. Berini’s position was never meant to be long-term, however. “This was an interim contract position through May 1, with the option to extend to one year,” said Laura Shoemaker, Public Relations Manager with UIHC. According to the contract Ms. Berini signed with the University of Iowa in December, employment was “not to extend beyond Jan. 1, 2025,” and both parties had the right to terminate the agreement after May 1, with the stipulation of 30 days’ notice. For her work, Ms. Berini was paid $65,000/month, according to the contract. In a March 19 news release, UIHC announced that Ms. Berini’s last day would be May 10, having accepted a permanent role at SSM Health in St. Louis as president of DePaul Hospital. “Until then, she will remain the on-site leader at the downtown campus, focused intently on ensuring continuity of patient care, overall operations, and implementing Epic,” the news release stated. Epic is an electronic medical records (EMR) company used by many hospitals and medical clinics, including UIHC. At the time of its acquisition, Mercy Iowa City – renamed UI Health Care Medical Center Downtown – was using Altera Digital Health as its EMR. “Moving to Epic as the common platform will be the technological backbone that will allow us to operate as a true system, facilitating continuity of care and enhancing patient safety. We are targeting the launch for May 2024, and Deb will remain here through Epic implementation,” said Ms. Blomberg. Ms. Blomberg said the transition has gone well so far, and UIHC has been able to maintain care and services for patients throughout the process. A normal timeline for hospital integration can take years, she said. “As we look ahead, we see a permanent chief administrative officer for the downtown campus playing an important role in leading future phases. As Deb pursues a new opportunity in May, the time is right for us to hire a permanent leader for the downtown campus. The job will be posted soon. Of course, as Brad Haws recently shared, we’re still in an exploratory phase when it comes to planning for downtown campus,” said Ms. Blomberg.

Bradley Haws, CEO and associate vice president of UIHC, said they are in the “listening and learning” phase in determining UI Health Care Medical Center Downtown’s future. “An extensive evaluation process is underway to review everything from capacity needs to equipment to staffing, systems, processes, and more,” he said in an update on UIHC’s website. “A UI Health Care Advisory Board for the downtown campus has been assembled to help guide decision making and provide a third-party assessment of potential plans moving forward.” The advisory board is comprised of the following members:

• Latasha DeLoach, Iowa City Senior Center coordinator
• Tom Gelman, attorney
• Ann Perino, anesthesiologist at the downtown campus
• Jeff Quinlan, professor, chair and department executive officer of the UI Department of Family Medicine
• Robin Therme, CIVCO Medical Solutions president
• Pete Wallace, former Mercy Iowa City employee and former medical director and chair of the Johnson County Board of Health

Deborah Berini’s last day is May 10. She has more than 20 years of distinguished leadership in health systems at institutions such as Penn State Health, University of Texas Medical Branch Health System, UAB Medicine, and University of Wisconsin Health.