VIDEOS, GALLERY: Steindler Orthopedic opens new facility as clinic celebrates 75th anniversary

The opening of the new Steindler Orthopedic building in North Liberty is an ideal way to celebrate the clinic's 75th anniversary and the legacy of founder Arthur Steindler, according to Steindler president and CEO Patrick Magallanes. “We call what we do the Steindler Way,” Mr. Magallanes said. “Our street is Steindler Way. I’m exceptionally proud of our investment in our community and the care we provide. Arthur Steindler started Steindler in 1950. In our 75th year, I think he’d be pretty pleased with how we continue the Steindler Way.” The clinic portion of the new Steindler Orthopedic facility opened Monday, March 24, and the surgical side of the facility is set to begin operations Friday, March 28, Mr. Magallanes said. Dr. Tom Ebinger, chair of the Steindler Physician Board, said at a clinic opening ceremony Wednesday, March 26 that the new facility represents the culmination of a long-term effort by Steindler providers, leaders and teams from Miron Construction and RDG Planning and Design. “Those of us who work in the clinic now understand the history of the clinic, the historical achievements of the docs who came ahead of us,” Dr. Ebinger said. “and we're constantly striving to maintain their reputation and to continue to provide the great care established by those doctors for the past 75 years … this [facility] represents our commitment and our mission. This project was not a hedge. We didn't go light on the scope of the project. This represents how deeply committed we are to the community. Every detail of this project was designed to serve our mission, which is continuing to provide high-quality orthopedic care to patients of Eastern Iowa and beyond.” A certificate of need (CON) for the new Steindler facility was approved by the Iowa Health Facilities Review Council in March 2022, after Steindler announced plans in February 2021 to relocate operations from its four-acre, 36,000-square-foot clinic building in Iowa City to a new medical campus near the intersection of Forevergreen Road and Highway 965, citing the need for more space and additional provider resources. Construction of the new 100,000-square-foot facility – approximately three times the size of its previous facility in Iowa City, which had been its home since 2001 – began in June 2023. The new North Liberty facility features a clinic design with “on-stage” and “off-stage” elements that enhance patient flow and foster staff collaboration. Under the model, patients enter an exam room from one side of the room, with their physician entering from a central work area on the other side. According to a release, the model provides shorter wait times by segregating “on-stage” patient corridors from “off-stage” staff corridors, allowing clinical teams to move more rapidly between exam rooms. It also offers reduced travel distances for care providers, which creates more opportunities for face-to-face time with patients, and allows patients to spend less time in crowded waiting rooms, offering greater patient privacy. Meanwhile, the “off-stage” area provides clinical staff a dedicated, centralized environment to coordinate and consult without creating noise or congestion in patient areas. “We wanted a clinic design that’s going to be more patient-centric,” Mr. Magallanes said in a December 2023 CBJ article. “It’s going to be a really efficient patient process.” The new facility also incorporates an on-site, six-room Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) – a first for Steindler. Previously, surgical procedures were performed by Steindler surgeons off-site, primarily at the former Mercy Iowa City hospital, which was purchased at auction by UI Health Care in October 2023, and at the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center. The new Steindler ambulatory surgery center provides an easily accessible, lower-cost outpatient option for many procedures that previously required hospital admission. Surgery costs at ASCs are typically about 40% less than hospital-based procedures, Mr. Magallanes said. Same-day surgeries and simplified check-ins create a smoother patient experience, Steindler officials, and the six oversized, modern operating rooms, equipped with robotics and the latest orthopedic technology, provide advanced surgical capabilities. “Bringing Steindler Orthopedic Clinic and our new ASC under one roof offers significant advantages for our patients, surgeons, and the entire team,” Mr. Magallanes said. “This integrated approach enhances efficiency, quality of care, and overall patient experience.” Steindler Orthopedic expects to see an average of 400 clinic patients per day and run thee surgical suites daily at the new facility, Mr. Magallanes said. The new Steindler facility is opening just months before the new UI Health Care Medical Center, just a mile away in North Liberty. That facility, with a cost of just over $525 million, will also offer orthopedic services, but Steindler officials say their new facility will new facility will keep the costs of outpatient orthopedic procedures in check by providing a competitive option, as well as providing private physicians in Johnson County “a competitive chance at staying in private practice.” The total Steindler Orthopedic project cost an estimated $65.6 million, Mr. Magallanes said, including $23.5 million for the clinic, $28 million for the ambulatory surgery center, $10 million for new surgical equipment and $4 million for clinic equipment. Some equipment was moved from the former Steindler location, but a majority was newly purchased, Mr. Magallanes said. Steindler’s Iowa City building was sold in 2022 for $11 million to a Kansas City investor. The new Steindler facility occupies about seven acres of the 36 acres the clinic purchased in February 2021. Mr. Magallanes said Steindler continues to pursue the development of a new community-based hospital at the North Liberty site, as well as a possible hotel and medical office building. He characterized those efforts as “ongoing,” with no agreements signed to date. “Johnson County is a large, growing area,” he said. “I think any health care services would be embraced by the community and leadership.” The new facility was also designed with the possibility of future expansion in mind, including the potential for two new surgical suites. “We believe other projects will be announced soon,” Mr. Magallanes said.