Iowa City-based University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics received approval from the state's board of regents Jan. 12 to make plans for construction projects on its campus, which could increase capacity by 30 to 50 percent over the next decade, Iowa City Press-Citizen reported Jan. 12.
Changes include a new patient tower, a teaching and research building, an ambulatory care center and renovations to outdated spaces.
The system needs about 400 new beds over the next decade in order to meet the population needs, UIHC CEO Suresh Gunasekaran told the regents, according to the Press-Citizen.
"I think we've been long out of space," Mr. Gunasekaran said. "There's been consistent media attention for the last decade on various different times that we've not been able to care for as many Iowans as we'd like simply because we don't have the space."
The cost of the project has not been planned yet, according to the report.