Emergency Treatment Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is going on in the Emergency Treatment Center?

A: We are initiating a major renovation and construction. The expanded ETC will occupy nearly 60,000 square feet more than double the size of our current facilities. In addition to expanded clinical areas, the new facility will accommodate trauma and emergency medicine administration, teaching areas including an auditorium, designated space for laboratory and radiology services, and the Emergency Medicine residency program

Q: Why expand and renovate the ETC?

A: In the first six months of 2004, the ETC saw a seven percent increase in patient volume. The ETC expansion and renovation will modernize the facility, enhancing the ability of the staff to provide family-centered care and helping patients and families access the ETC more easily. The project will enhance patient care and privacy, provide a more comfortable environment for their loved ones, and even increase the amount of available parking. When it’s all said and done, we will be better positioned to meet the needs of those we serve.

Q: How much will the project cost?

A:   The project is budgeted at $30 million. The funding is derived from operating funds earned by University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for proving patient care. No state tax monies will be spent on the project.

Q: When will it be done?

A: The project is scheduled for completion in 2009. Construction is taking place in multiple phases:

• The early phases involve building a temporary parking area, relocating utilities, and constructing a larger permanent parking area
• Middle phases of the project will include moving the entrance and constructing the upper and lower levels of the new ETC area
• In the final phases, staff will move into the new ETC area and workers will renovate the current facility.

Q: Will patient care be affected?

A: We will be open for business as usual throughout the entire construction process and will continue to work closely with emergency medical professionals to ensure that they are alerted about anything that might affect their interactions with us, such as traffic detours.

Q: How was the new design developed?

A: Before launching the project, the Department of Emergency Medicine organized conferences on emergency center design, reviewed literature, and conducted extensive discussions with consultants, architects, and staff and members of the community in order to identify its guiding principles and develop a “blueprint for success.”

Q: What will be some of the special features of the new ETC?

A:  Design goals included creating an environment that provides a personalizing, humanizing, and private experience for each patient. Large, quiet, non-threatening patient care areas allowing family involvement and patient confidentiality were a top priority. For the protection of patients and staff, the new facility will incorporate tracking devices, entrance and exit controls, and sophisticated security cameras.

As part of the patient-centered atmosphere, the facility will house the latest equipment and technology—all within a strategically arranged design that maximizes efficiency and patient accessibility. Design features include multiple rapid admission/registration and triage areas, with the sickest patients placed close to physicians; designated areas for fast track and pediatric patients; visible and accessible room layouts; wider hallways (10 feet compared to the current eight feet); and user-friendly work areas, including an expanded nursing station providing an unencumbered area for staff and specialty service consultations.

Efforts are also being made to move towards bedside registration. In addition, special accommodations are being made for evaluations of sexual assault victims and management of bariatric patients.

Q: Where can we find additional information?

For additional questions, contact Christopher Wierda, Project Manager, at 319-353-7569 or Christopher-Wierda@uiowa.edu.