Community Service

UI Hospitals and Clinics sponsors and/or its individual staff members support many non-profit organizations, agencies, and events, including:

• Alcoholic's Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous; Alzheimer's Association; American Cancer Society; American Diabetes Association; American Heart Association.
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Celebration of Excellence and Achievement Among Women; Iowa Cancer Control Consortium;Community Health Charities; Community Mental Health Center for Mid-Eastern Iowa; Crisis Center; Cub Scouts.
• Eagle's Flight Minority Health Fair; Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair; Englert Theatre; Girl Scouts of the Mississippi Valley, Inc.; Habitat for Humanity; Hancher Auditorium.
• Iowa Arts Festival; Iowa City Free Medical Clinic; Iowa City Hospice Inc.; Iowa Gym-Nest; Iowa City Jazz Festival; Iowa Lions Foundation; Iowa Shares; Iowa Medical Society Scholarship Program; Iowa Women's Foundation.
• Johnson County Cultural Alliance; Johnson County United Way;Johnson County Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; March of Dimes; National Alliance for the Mentally Ill; The Nest of Johnson County; 10,000 Hours Show.
• Ronald McDonald House, Run for the Schools; Shelter House Community Shelter and Transition Services; Special Olympics Iowa; Thanksgiving in July Food Drive; Win With Wellness.

Economic Impact

Research by the Iowa Hospital Association documents the following about UI Hospitals and Clinics:

• Well over 7,000 health care jobs
• $338 million in worker salaries

These jobs fuel the economy through:

• 12,404 total jobs impact
• $458 million in total economic impact
• $165 million in retail sales
• $8.3 million in sales tax revenue

The hospital also:

• Ranks as one of the state's 15 largest employers
• Attracts thousands of visitors annually, adding to the local economy through purchases, accommodations, dining, and entertainment.

Donors and Volunteers

• Following Hurricane Katrina, hospital staff collected 45 pallets of supplies and goods and donated $21,000 to assist relief efforts.
• When several tornadoes struck Iowa City last April, hundreds of hospital volunteers pitched in to help.
• The Johnson County United Way campaign, chaired by Donna Katen-Bahensky, director and CEO, raised a record $2 million during 2005.
• UI staff are first-in-line to volunteer when the DeGowin Blood Center experiences a special need. Employees also contributed generously to 24 blood drives last year; countless others are monthly platelet donors.
• Many employees are registered donors/supporters of the Iowa Marrow Donor Program. During FY 05-06, the program sponsored five campus-wide marrow donor drives, resulting in 316 new members willing to give the gift of life.
• 1,366 hospital volunteers contributed over 88,911 hours worth $1.6 million in time and talent.
• Hundreds of employees voluntarily participate in our research trials.
• 158 University of Iowa Health Care faculty and staff are members of the UI Presidents Club, the most generous philanthropic contributors to the university.

Education

• The hospital's clinical departments collaborate to conduct multiple accredited health professional education programs.
• The hospital provides supervised clinical settings for Kirkwood Community College (and virtually every community college in Iowa) programs in nursing education, surgical technology, and respiratory therapy.
• The hospital's Cancer Information Service managed over 6,000 contacts to help Iowans better understand cancer and their options in seeking cancer care.
• Cancer-related materials were exhibited at 51 conferences, health fairs, and exhibits.
• The Cancer Information Service created the Iowa Cancer Web Portal (www.canceriowa.org), a project of the Iowa Consortium for Comprehensive Cancer Control. The Web portal informs Iowans about screening, risk factors, cancer types, clinical trials, and supportive resources available in each county.
• The Iowa Statewide Perinatal Program provides updated perinatal education to every hospital in the state that delivers and cares for babies.
• Iowans receive the latest information on health-related topics during free "Health for Your Lifetime" seminars.
• The Iowa Emergency Medicine Residency program supports state efforts to increase the number of board-certified emergency medicine specialists.
• The Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center offers emergency medicine educational programs for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, EMTs, and paramedics at the hospital and throughout Iowa and the nation. The new Emergency Medicine Patient Simulation Center mannequins talk, breathe, have heart sounds, and a pulse and enable learners to practice life-saving skills under realistic conditions.
• The Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center offers emergency medicine educational programs for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, EMTs, and paramedics at the hospital and throughout Iowa and the nation.

Emergency Preparedness

The hospital:

• Participates in state, regional, and county-wide emergency preparedness drills.
• Participates/leads statewide, regional, community and UI bio-emergency preparedness planning groups and manages grant/purchasing activities for bio-terrorism preparedness for hospitals across the region.
• Sponsors a Disaster Medical Assistant Team to respond to any disaster statewide; a smallpox response team is available should the need arise.
• Participates in the development of plans for treating mass casualty victims of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive incidents.
• Participates in Iowa Partnership for Homeland Security workshops and preparedness exercises.
• Is a member of the National Disaster Medical System, which ensures that our nation is prepared to respond to mass casualties.
• Has adopted the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System for responding to major bio-emergencies, natural disasters and major biological, radiological, nuclear, or chemical incidents

IowaCare Program

• One of two hospitals in the state, and the only tertiary health care center, participating in the IowaCare program serving low-income Iowans ages 19 to 64 who lack health insurance and are not eligible for Medicaid.
• The hospital now operates a pilot pharmaceutical and durable medical equipment program to help IowaCare beneficiaries access these products without cost.

Health Advocacy

The hospital:

• Provides input to legislative leaders to help shape health policy.
• Participates through the American Hospital Association, the Iowa Hospital Association, and the Association of American Medical Colleges, among others, in providing input to federal legislative leaders.

Integrated Call Center

• Provided free health information to 815 callers seeking assistance from UI Health Access nursing staff.
• Triaged 12,347 contacts in which callers were assisted in making informed health care decisions.
• UI Consult was used 52,068 times by referring providers.

• Hospital staff participate in student career days and offer insights into topics such as diabetes, burn prevention, and fire safety.
• Outreach clinics support the community-based health care system by providing 222 specialty and subspecialty clinics in 63 Iowa communities.
• The Burn Treatment Center offers a free, interactive puppet program that teaches third-graders how to prevent burn injuries and keep their families safe.
• Thirteen UI Family Care clinics offer health care services for people of all ages in their home communities throughout eastern and central Iowa.
• Renal dialysis outpatient units serve needs of many Iowa children and adults.
• UI HealthWorksTM partners with employers and other medical care providers to improve the health status of workers and to lower work-related health care costs.
• Hospital job shadow program for high school students.
• Career seminars (summer Junior Volunteer Program).
• The Workplace Learning Connection in partnership with Kirkwood Community College, introducing school children to potential careers in health care.
• Sports medicine seminars that educate active people about important issues relating to sports performance and health.
• Ophthalmology partners with Lions Clubs of Iowa to provide free vision screening for children under the age of four in 352 Iowa communities.
• Free health screenings are provided to Iowans attending the Johnson County and Iowa State fairs, and at various health fairs.
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children provides free information on nutrition, healthy foods and referrals for other services.
• Girls Scout "Grow Strong, Live Long" and "Women in Science" programs.

Project Art

• Conducted multiple art activities and services to promote healing and respite, including a permanent collection of over 3,600 original works of art and 2,200 reproductions, 15 temporary exhibits, and 69 performing arts events.
• Over 38,000 people toured the Medical Museum to learn more about medical history and current issues in health care.