University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) is a 761-bed public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UI Hospitals and Clinics is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and the University of Iowa Physicians group practice.
It is located in Iowa City, Iowa at Melrose Avenue and Hawkins Drive near Kinnick Stadium. At times during televised Hawkeye football games, the hospital can be seen in the background. The hospital is one of three hospitals in Iowa City, the others being Mercy Hospital and the Iowa City VA Health Care System, a VA medical center.
UI Hospitals and Clinics employs over 7,100 people and is overseen by the Iowa Board of Regents. It is Iowa's only comprehensive, tertiary-level center and also its premier medical facility. In addition to taking care of local patients, people throughout the state and region are often referred to the University's hospitals for treatment of serious or complex illnesses or injuries.
History
The University of Iowa began medical services in 1873 when its medical department entered into an agreement with the Sisters of Mercy to operate a small hospital in the community. Davenport, Iowa physician Washington Freeman Peck and other physicians raised $5,000 to renovate a vacant school building known as Mechanics Academy into a 20-bed hospital. This hospital had two open wards for both men and women, four private rooms, and a surgical amphitheater. Dr. Peck convinced the Mother Superior of the Davenport-based Sisters of Mercy to send nuns to Iowa City to help care for patients. This arrangement lasted until 1885, when the Sisters moved to a nearby vacant mission and opened Mercy Hospital one year later.
It soon became apparent that a new hospital was needed as the University was outgrowing its original facility. In 1896 the state of Iowa approved the needed appropriations. A 65-bed hospital was built in 1898 where the school's Seashore Hall is now located. This facility was state of the art at the time of its construction, with both electrical lighting and steam heating. The hospital featured a 200-seat amphitheater for instructional purposes.
Following passage of indigent care laws in 1928, patient admissions increased greatly. The current hospital was built in 1928 as a 735-bed hospital. At the time of its construction, the hospital building was one of the largest in the country.
The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Iowa. The Carver College of Medicine can trace its roots back to the 1870s. It is ranked as the 10th best institution in the 2013 U.S. News and World Report's ranking.
Awards and recognition
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals in America" reports each year since the category began in 1990. In 2009, UI Hospitals and Clinics had three specialties ranked within the top 10 nationally: Otolaryngology (third); Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (sixth); and Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation (eighth). Other ranked specialties at UI Hospitals and Clinics include neurology/neurosurgery (22), cancer (27), kidney (34) and gynecology (36).
- More than 270 UI Physicians have been named “Best Doctors in America†by their peers.
- Wellmark Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery
- NCI Comprehensive cancer center (one of less than 60 nationally).
- Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence (first in Iowa)
- Development site of buffered aspirin, later marketed by Bristol-Meyers as Bufferin.
- First hospital in the U.S. to implant a multichannel cochlear implant that helps deaf patients hear sounds that can be interpreted as speech.
- First hospital in the world to implant a multichannel cochlear implant in a congenitally deaf child.
- First research center to discover the gene for open-angle glaucoma.
- First hospital in the world to use robotic surgery for removal of an adrenal carcinoma (an aggressive deadly tumor) and an adrenal mass from a pediatric patient.
- World's smallest patient (Nissen fundoplication in a 5.7 pound infant) to undergo gastric reflux surgery using the da Vinci robotic surgical system.
- First hospital in the U.S. to perform digital breast tomosynthesis imaging, which allows physicians to "page through" the interior of the breast without the superimposition of the other tissues.
- American Nurses Credentialing Center: The national credentialing organization awarded UI Hospitals and Clinics the state's first Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence (2004), and twice granted Magnet re-designation for four years (2008 and 2013).
- The 2010 Most Wired Survey named UI Hospitals and Clinics as one of the nation's most wired hospitals for its use of electronic and related technology.
- The Joint Commission gave a "Gold Seal of Approval,â„¢" indicating UI Hospitals and Clinics is in full compliance with all applicable Joint Commission standards (2007); in addition, the hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approvalâ„¢ as a Primary Stroke Center (2009).
- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield designated UI Hospitals and Clinics as a Blue Distinction Centerâ„¢ in the following areas: spine surgery (2013), cardiac care (2009), bariatric (weight loss) surgery (2008), complex and rare cancers (2008), adult bone marrow transplant (2007), and assisted reproduction quality program (2009). UI Hospitals and Clinics was designated as a Blue Distinction Centerâ„¢ Plus in knee and hip replacement (2013).
- Optum Health Care Solutions designated the infertility services (2009), obesity surgery (2008), and adult bone marrow transplant (2008) programs as "Centers of Excellence"; the company also designated the adult heart transplant (2008), adult kidney transplant (2008), and adult liver transplant (2008) services as Transplant Access Programs.
- National Cancer Institute, an arm of the National Institutes of Health recognizes the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI as the only cancer center in Iowa designated as "comprehensive" (2005).
- Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services: Seven of our transplant programs meet the federal agency's Conditions for Participation: adult kidney, pediatric kidney, adult liver, adult heart, pediatric heart, adult pancreas, and adult lung (2009).
- Seven of Iowa's transplant programs meet Center for Medicare/Medicaid Service's Conditions for Participation: adult kidney, pediatric kidney, adult liver, adult heart, pediatric heart, adult pancreas, and adult lung (2009).
- American College of Surgeons's Commission on Cancer granted "approval" to the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI under a program designed to ensure quality cancer care for patients (2005).
- AABB granted two-year accreditation to the hospital's DeGowin Blood Center (2007)
- Aetna designates our bariatric surgery program as an "Institute of Excellence" based on an evaluation of clinical performance (2009).
- The American College of Radiology accredited the hospital as a "Breast Imaging Center of Excellence" (2008)
- American College of Surgeons certified UI Hospitals and Clinics as a Level I Trauma Center, the highest designation possible for trauma care (2009). This is the only Level 1 designation given for both adult and pediatric patient care in the entire state.
- American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association jointly identified the University of Iowa Burn Treatment Center as a verified burn care center for high-quality careâ€"making us the only verified burn center in Iowa (2006).
- The hospital received the "Guidelinesâ€"Coronary Artery Disease Gold Performance Achievement Award," recognizing a higher standard of cardiac care that improves the treatment of patients hospitalized with coronary disease and reduces their risk of recurrent heart attacks or death, from the American Heart Association (2009).
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery designated the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics bariatric (weight loss) program as a Center of Excellence (2007).
- Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy Cellular Therapy and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation granted three-year accreditation to the DeGowin Blood Center's tissues and cellular therapies service (2007).
- National Marrow Donor Program annually accredited the DeGowin Blood Center since 2000; the Adult and Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Programs since 1987; the Iowa Marrow Donor Program since 1990, and UI Hospitals and Clinics as a collection center since 1990. In addition, the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match Registry ranked the Iowa Marrow Donor Program as the top donor center among 70 members (fiscal year 2008-09).
- The bi-annual national magazine for nurses, Nursing Professionals, identified the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as the only hospital in Iowa on its "Top 100 Hospitals to Work For" list (2009).
- Urology Times, the news source for urologists, named the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI as one of 15 "Clinical Cancer Centers of Excellence" for prostate care (April 2009).
- Only Comprehensive Stroke Center in the state of Iowa since 2013
US News Top Doctors
U.S. News & World Report made a directory of top physicians around the United States. UI Hospitals and Clinics had 126 Adult Specialists nominated by their peers â€"doctors nominating doctorsâ€" within these specialties: Allergy and Immunology, Cardiac electrophysiology, Colon and Rectal Surgery (colorectal surgery), Critical Care Medicine, Dermatology, Diagnostic Radiology, Endocrinology, Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, Geriatric Medicine, Gynelogic Oncology, Hematology, Internist, Medical Oncology, Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology, Nephrology, Neurological Surgery (neurosurgery), Neurology, Nuclear Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Pathology, Perinatology, Physiatry, Psychiatry, Pulmonary Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Reproductive Endocrinology (fertility medicine), Rheumatology, Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery (cardiothoracic surgery), Urology, and Vascular Surgery.
U.S. News and World Report also had the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics ranked as the number one hospital in Iowa, as well as one of the top hospitals nationally. It is Nationally ranked in six adult specialties: cancer, ear, nose, and throat, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, and orthopedics. It also had above-average rankings in patient satisfaction.
University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital
University of Iowa Children's Hospital was founded in 1919. As Iowa's only comprehensive children's hospital, it provides care for children from birth to young adulthood. The new UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital building opened in February 2017 and includes more than 170 pediatric doctors, surgeons, and dentists, and more than 500 specially trained pediatric nurses. It is the only nationally ranked children’s hospital in Iowa, and is home to Iowa’s only Level 4 NICU, Level 1 Trauma Center for pediatrics, pediatric dermatologists, pediatric genetics team, pediatric renal dialysis, pediatric rheumatologists, pediatric urologist, pediatric heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, and blood and bone marrow transplants. Patients come from every county in Iowa, nearly every state in the United States, and several international countries.
Medical advances
Several advances were pioneered at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. One such advance was the development of modern-day blood banking in 1939. Dr. Elmer L. DeGowin and his team were able to refrigerate, ship and use banked blood. The world’s first horizontal gastroplasty surgery for morbid obesity was performed at the hospital in 1971. In 1982, UI Hospitals and Clinics otolaryngologists were the first in the country to place a multichannel cochlear implant in a person. More recently, in 2005, the Center of Excellence in Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, the world’s most advanced radiation oncology treatment center, opened.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is also where Dr. Ignacio Ponseti developed the Ponseti method. The Ponseti method is a revolutionary non-surgical way to treat congenital clubfoot, which had previously been treated through surgeries to infants or children at a young age. The Ponseti method is a way to treat clubfoot through a series of manipulating bones and tendons in the foot and holding them in place through a series of casts. It is a treatment technique that is still used worldwide to this day. More information on it can be found on UI Children's website, the World Health Organisation website, and many other places.
Notes
External links
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- The University of Iowa
- University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital
