The Board of Regents Wednesday approved approved schematic drawings and plans for financing the $271-million children’s hospital at the University of Iowa. U-I Health Services vice president, Jean Robillard, says the state needs the extra capacity for children’s specialized care.

Robillard says pediatric care is very different than it was done 10 or 15 years ago, he says children come to the hospital because they are very sick and need cardiac surgery, a transplant or have cancer and he says they can’t get that care in a community hospital like it was done in the past. Robillard says the approval of the plans will allow them to move forward.

He says there should be a hole in the ground by the fall of 2012. The new children’s hospital is being constructed adjacent to existing buildings directly across the street from Kinnick Stadium. It is expected to be completed by the fall of 2015 completion. The hospital is being paid for by revenue bonds and $50-million gift.