UIHC to convert main campus wing to 13 inpatient rooms

An $8 million University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics plan to transform the second level of its south wing into 13 inpatients rooms was one of several capital improvement projects presented to the Iowa Board of Regents Nov. 9. The one-year project, beginning in the spring, would increase patient capacity in the short term, a continuing point of concern for the hospital system. According to the meeting's agenda documents, modifying the south wing was part of the university's 10-year master plan unveiled in January. "We are working on a big series of projects to enable an inpatient tower, but that won't happen for years as we work through the diffierent construction projects to enable that," said Rod Lehnertz, senior vice president for finance and operations at the University of Iowa, during the meeting. The university intends to construct a new hospital bed tower, teaching and research building and an ambulatory care building as part of a long-term modernization initiative. The inpatient rooms project will include new walls, ceilings, two ADA accessible patient restrooms, pneumatic tube upgrades, a nurse call station and upgraded HVAC and electrical systems, among other modifications. UIHC plans to build a new, $2.3 million opthalmology simulation lab on the lower level of its Parking Ramp 4. It will have teaching space and six lab stations and include the renovation of a 1,600 square feet storage area where dissections and other surgical procedures will take place. The request will allow for "instructional and practice space related to eye care,” for medical students and residents, the documents said. Construction is expected to begin in February 2023 and be completed by October.

Elevator, recreation fields, residency hall upgrades

UIHC is requesting to proceed with planning for the first of four elevator modernizations across its campus. In this case, the $5 million plan would improve three elevators and their accompanying lobbies in the UIHC Roy J. Carver Pavilion. Elevator D Bank elevator cars and controllers were last modernized 21 years ago, while the machinery is more than 40 years old, according to agenda documents. The elevator renovations, new inpatient rooms and opthalmology simulation lab will all be funded utilizing Building Usage Funds. An additional $5.8 million will go toward building six synthetic turf fields, among other improvements, at its west recreation fields. The project would eliminate the need for up to $1 million in maintenance each year, allowing the project to pay for itself, said Mr. Lehnertz. "The grass fields have been a problem for years because it's a very flat terrain and surface drainage, leading to cancelled events and cancelled seasons," he said. Built in 1957, the school is looking to renovate Burge Residency Hall with $4.7 million over the next three summers to minimize impact on students. UI is also looking to officially name its new Hawkeye wrestling training facility. It will be called the Goschke Family Wrestling Training Center after a $7 million donation from Doug and Ann Goschke.