Brooks Jackson.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Vice President for Medical Affairs, Brooks Jackson, told the Board of Regents Wednesday they plan to continue seeking approval to build a $230 million hospital in North Liberty despite being turned down by a state board.
The first request in what’s called the Certificate of Need Process was voted down by the Health Facilities Council. “The outcome while disappointing is not unexpected. Those of you who may be familiar with the Iowa CON process know that it is not uncommon for a project of this significance to require more than one hearing before receiving approval,” Jackson said.
Mercy Iowa City CEO Sean Williams and others spoke out against the proposed new hospital — saying it would duplicate services already provided. Jackson told the Board of Regents says there’s a growing need for the services.
“We envision that this hospital would serve as a vital extension of our academic medical center in a community setting that is centered on the patient,” Jackson said.
He said they are not backing away from the proposal. “We will continue to give a 100 percent effort to make the case for this project for the people of Iowa,” according to Jackson, “just as we gave 100 percent to meet the needs of our community and protect our states’ hospitals from collapse against the weight of a terrifying COVID surge.”
Jackson says they are waiting for the full report on the Facilities Council decision so they can review the areas where they may need improvement in their proposal.