About UI Health Care
University of Iowa Health Care is unique among academic health systems. Composed of UI Hospitals & Clinics, the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and UI Physicians, UI Health Care is integrated under a single leader and functions under one enterprise-wide strategic plan.
This integration is one reason UI Health Care leads the way in providing tertiary- and quaternary-level patient care, educating future medical and allied health professionals, and conducting significant biomedical research.
A Comprehensive Health System
Comprehensive, multidisciplinary care is a hallmark of an academic medical center. UI Health Care patient care services range from routine primary care to sophisticated treatments for patients with complex and rare conditions.
The faculty and staff of UI Health Care conduct biomedical research that has led to some of the most important discoveries in treatments for cancer, heart attack, stroke, eye diseases, hearing loss, genetic diseases, birth defects, and many other conditions.
And, through its educational mission, UI Health Care trains the next generation of global leaders in patient care, medical research, and education.
UI Health Care is guided by a common strategic plan to maximize its ability to support and improve the health and well-being of the people of Iowa and influence the delivery of health care throughout the world. The common themes throughout the strategic plan are inclusion, collaboration, and accountability—all directed toward achieving excellence in our tripartite mission of patient care, education, and research.
UI Health Care Mission
Changing medicine. Changing lives.
Through our commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration, and diversity, quality, safety and service, UI Health Care:
Educates the next generation of physicians and health care providers
Provides world-class, accessible, and equitable medical care and expertise to patients, families, and communities
Seeks knowledge and discoveries that advance biomedical science, leading to improved treatments, enhanced prevention strategies, and reduced health disparities that lead to better quality health and health care
Fosters care, research, and educational collaborations with health systems and providers across Iowa and the region in service to rural and underserved communities
Advocates for and facilitates changes that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in health care, education, research, and the health of Iowa and beyond
Our Vision
To be a destination academic health system for Iowa and the world that provides an equitable, inclusive, and innovative environment, and fosters the health and well-being of patients, trainees, and employees.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
UI Hospitals & Clinics is the clinical arm of UI Health Care and provides the full spectrum of specialty and subspecialty care that draws patients from Iowa, the region and around the world. As a major tertiary- and quaternary-level health care facility, UI Hospitals & Clinics includes the main adult-care hospital, a specialized disabilities and development outpatient facility (serving pediatric and adult patients), and UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
In addition, there are outpatient clinic facilities on campus and off-site locations in population centers such as Waterloo, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids. With more than 250 specialty and subspecialty clinics, UI Hospitals & Clinics offers the most comprehensive health care in the state.
In February 2017, UI Health Care opened a new $360 million, 14-floor, children’s hospital—adding 190 pediatric beds and 507,000 square feet to the UI Hospitals & Clinics main campus.
A new UI Health Care campus in North Liberty is scheduled to open in 2025, which will increase access to inpatient and outpatient specialty services. In addition, plans are underway for an adult inpatient tower to add capacity and modernize inpatient services.
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2017, provides a healing environment designed specifically to improve the health and well-being of children and their families.
The 14-level children’s hospital added 190 pediatric beds and 507,000 square feet to the UI Hospitals & Clinics’ main campus. UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital also is home to a Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit—the highest level recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Staff in the NICU care for more complex conditions than any other NICU in Iowa.
The survival rates for babies born at 22, 23, 24, and 25 weeks are significantly higher than survival rates for extremely premature babies born at other U.S. hospitals, placing UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital among the top neonatal intensive care providers anywhere.
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, a distinction it has held since 2000. The center coordinates all cancer related research, education, and patient care by faculty and staff from 41 departments and six colleges across the university.
University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center is a national leader in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and conditions.
A multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, therapists, and other health care professionals provides care that ranges from medical management procedures to advanced vascular and cardiothoracic surgery, including heart and lung transplant procedures.
The Organ Transplant Center is the region’s leading transplant center, providing liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants. The center’s team includes nationally recognized experts in transplantation and a complete range of advanced medical and surgical options for patients.
The Center of Excellence in Image-Guided Radiation Therapy is the world’s first fully digitally integrated, image-guided radiation therapy center. It employs multidisciplinary teams of radiation and medical oncologists, neurosurgeons, oncologic surgeons, and basic science researchers who partner with scientists at other leading cancer centers to assure the center remains at the forefront of cancer treatment and discovery.
UI Hospitals & Clinics National Rankings
U.S. News & World Report nationally ranked adult and pediatric care specialties for 2023-24:
- Ear, Nose and Throat
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Pediatric diabetes and endocrinology
- Pediatric nephrology
- Pediatric neurology and neurosurgery
- Pediatric orthopedics
- Pediatric urology
“High-performing” specialties designated by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24:
- Cancer
- Gastroenterology
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonology
- Urology
In its 2019 rankings of “Best Employers for Diversity,” Forbes ranked UI Hospitals & Clinics No. 2 in the Healthcare & Social category and No. 24 overall. In 2020, Forbes listed UI Hospitals & Clinics in its rankings of “Best Employers for Women.”
UI Hospitals & Clinics Notable Distinctions
- First hospital in Iowa to be designated as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the first hospital in Iowa to be re-designated four times (2008, 2013, 2018, 2023)
- Named one of the nation’s “Most Wired” hospitals by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives each year since 2010 for its use of health care information technology
- Certified as a Level 1 trauma center for adult and pediatric patients—the highest level available
- Verified for the highest quality burn care by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association
- Recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics for its Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit—the highest designation available
Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
A nationally ranked medical school with exceptional balance across its missions of research, education, and patient care, the college’s faculty teach medical students, graduate students, and associated medical science students across 14 degree programs. In addition, more than 5,000 undergraduate students take basic science courses taught by Carver College of Medicine faculty.
Carver College of Medicine faculty teach over 600 medical students and more than 160 associated medical sciences students. Faculty also teach basic science classes to more than 5,000 undergraduate students from other UI colleges. In addition, more than 1,000 residents, fellows, and graduate students are trained in a range of specialties and sub-specialties. The Carver College of Medicine is the only allopathic medical school in Iowa.
In fiscal year 2022, researchers in the college garnered more than $276.6 million inn external funding, including over $133.8 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The college ranks 43rd in NIH funding for the federal fiscal year 2022, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
UI Physicians
University of Iowa Physicians is the multispecialty medical and surgical group practice. More than 1,000 health professionals in 19 clinical departments provide specialized comprehensive care for patients and serve as members of the medical staff at UI Hospitals & Clinics as well as faculty for the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.