UI Health Care is now an integrated academic medical center. What does that mean?

UI Hospitals and Clinics, the UI Carver College of Medicine, and the faculty physician group practice, UI Physicians, are now united into one organization with one leadership team.

Why is integration a good thing?

It strengthens our ability to provide high-quality patient care. Instead of operating independently, the Hospital and the College are together as one, with pooled resources and a common vision for the future.

Will integration make the organization more effective?

Absolutely. Merging resources and staff will promote efficiency and make us more patient-focused. Our service-oriented principles are now everyone’s concern, not just those of the Hospital. Medical education activities can be better coordinated. Research can be more closely aligned with patient-centered care.

What are some of UI Health Care’s most immediate goals?

Here are just a few:

• Modernize our patient care facilities, including building a new UI Children’s Hospital, critical care tower, and off-site ambulatory care campus
• Continually improve quality and safety at every level throughout the organization
• Recruit more faculty and build more research space
• Incorporate more technological innovations into our medical education programs
• Improve our graduate education and hospital rankings, especially in cardiovascular care, neurosciences, pediatrics, and cancer
• Increase philanthropy

How would you assess the progress made so far?

We have accomplished a great deal. Our leadership team looks very strong with the appointment of Ken Kates as Hospital CEO and Dr. Paul Rothman as dean of the College. We have begun taking many steps to improve our commitment to patient-centered care and elevate our status as one of the nation’s truly premier academic medical centers.

IN THE NEXT PACEMAKER

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