Nearly a year after debuting its multi-million-dollar hospital in the relative healthcare desert of North Liberty, University of Iowa Health Care is eyeing a significant expansion.
The 469,000-square-foot, $525 million University of Iowa Health Care North Liberty Campus opened in April 2025. The hospital boasts an expanded emergency department, additional space for clinical lab testing and diagnostic imaging, and a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year drive-thru pharmacy.
UIHC received approval from the Iowa Board of Regents for a $24 million buildout to fill 11,700 square feet purposely left vacant after the original project. The additional construction will bring the project’s total cost to $550 million, nearly $160 million more than the initial projected cost of $395 million in 2021.
What is included in the North Liberty hospital expansion?
The project will expand surgical and clinical capacity due “to higher-than-anticipated patient demand,” according to board documents…