UIHC searching for new Downtown Campus, Children’s Hospital leadership
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 0 Replies
- Deborah Berini was hired in December to lead UIHC's integration with the former Mercy Iowa City campus.
- She is leaving UIHC May 10 to become president for SSM Health’s DePaul Hospital in St. Louis.
- UIHC is launching a search for a permanent chief administrative officer of its Mercy campus, which is called the Downtown Campus.
- The hospital is still in the "exploratory phase" for planning the future of the Downtown Campus.
- At the same time, UIHC is conducting a search for a new chief administrative officer at Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
IOWA CITY — Three months after hiring a leader for its complex integration with Mercy Iowa City, University of Iowa Health Care this week announced she has accepted another job and will be leaving in May — compelling UIHC to initiate a search for a permanent chief administrator of its new Downtown Campus.
Deborah Berini, former president of Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in December signed a one-year agreement to serve as UIHC chief integration officer and interim chief administrative officer of the former Mercy Iowa City campus — which UIHC rebranded its “Downtown Campus" after buying it in a bankruptcy auction for $28 million in November.
Had Berini — through her Pennsylvania-based Berini Consulting Group — stayed with UIHC through the agreement’s duration of Jan. 1, 2025, she would have earned $780,000 on the year.
Given her last day with the university will be May 10, Berini at a monthly rate of $65,000 will have earned more than $260,000 over her four-plus months helping to bring into the UIHC system about 1,000 former Mercy employees and 192 beds housed in facilities just two miles east of the main UIHC campus.
Berini’s contract with UIHC allowed her to terminate the deal after May 1 — so long as she gave 30 days notice. In announcing her departure, UIHC reported Berini has accepted the job of president for SSM Health’s DePaul Hospital in St. Louis.
SSM Health calls itself one of the largest integrated health systems in the nation, with 23 hospitals, more than 40,000 employees, and more than 163,411 inpatient admissions annually.
DePaul Hospital-St. Louis is a 523-bed general acute care hospital. With UIHC’s new 194 beds from the former Mercy site, plus the additional employees, it boasts 1,083 inpatient beds and nearly 20,000 employees.
Those numbers will grow once UIHC opens its new $525.6 million, 469,000-square-foot hospital campus in North Liberty next year — providing another 36 inpatient beds. Additionally, UIHC is planning a new $1 billion inpatient tower on its main Iowa City campus featuring multiple floors of 48 beds each.
Downtown campus future
With Berini’s departure, UIHC is launching a search for a permanent chief administrative officer of its downtown campus — which has maintained Mercy’s patient services during the transition.
“We needed an interim leader to help provide a smooth transition for employees, providers, and patients,” UI Hospitals and Clinics Chief Operating Offcier Emily Blomberg said in a Q&A published this week.
Now that UIHC has successfully maintained patient care and services through the transition, Blomberg said, "We see a permanent chief administrative officer for the downtown campus playing an important role in leading future phases.“
As for UIHC’s long-term vision for the former Mercy site, Blomberg and UIHC CEO Brad Haws said that’s evolving.
"We’re still in an exploratory phase when it comes to planning for downtown campus,“ Blomberg said.
Part of that is because, Haws said, “adding the downtown campus to our system was not part of the strategic plan.” The opportunity arose, he said, and UIHC was glad to be able to maintain patient access and jobs.
“We are very much in an exploratory phase, where every aspect of the downtown campus is being examined,” he said. “There are many things to be determined for the future, but right now we’re listening and we’re learning.”
In Haws’ recent Q&A published by UI Health Care, he stressed a “normal” time frame for absorbing another hospital is years — not months.
“We accomplished this in about 60 working days,” he said. “So we still have a lot of work to do as a team to set our strategic goals and vision as a system.”
In addition to the heavy lift of moving Mercy onto Epic — UIHC’s electronic medical record provider — the university is conducting an extensive evaluation of “everything from capacity needs to equipment to staffing, systems, processes, and more.”
Using a “full facilities and equipment assessment” to guide “decisions and priorities for the downtown campus and clinics from a structural standpoint,” Haws said teams are assessing each property to better understand what needs fixing and what's in good condition.
“The team is also assessing the spaces from a capacity planning perspective to understand what possibilities exist.”
Children’s Hospital search
Although UIHC didn’t give a specific timeline regarding its search for a new Downtown Campus leader, Blomberg said, “The job will be posted soon.”
“We would like to fill the position with a permanent leader as soon as possible,” a UIHC spokeswoman said in response to The Gazette’s question about whether another interim might be necessary.
That search comes as UIHC engages in a separate nationwide hunt for a new chief administrative officer atop its Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The university posted that job Feb. 29 to replace Pamela Johnson-Carlson — who left more than a year ago in January 2023 to become chief nursing officer at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Johnson-Carlson, making $426,703, joined UI Health Care in April 2020 and in December of that year added onto her responsibilities for a stint those of interim chief nurse executive.
Since her departure, Melissa Whisler has been serving as interim chief administrative officer of the Children’s Hospital and will continue in that capacity until a permanent hire comes in.
UIHC searching for new Downtown Campus, Children’s Hospital leadership
Three months after hiring a leader for its complex integration with Mercy Iowa City, University of Iowa Health Care this week announced she has accepted another job and will be leaving in May -- compelling UIHC to initiate a search for a permanent chief administrator of its new downtown campus.
www.thegazette.com
Indiana man who took wife hostage, shot himself in parking ramp could serve more than 40 years in prison
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 0 Replies
An Indiana man who shot himself in the Court Street parking ramp after a brief standoff with police has pleaded guilty and could face more than 40 years in prison.
Carldale Hunter, 34, was charged with six crimes following a December 2022 standoff when he took his wife, hostage, held a gun to her head, and threatened to kill her.
Hunter's guilty plea is on six counts which include:
As part of his plea deal, Hunter will not be eligible for parole for at least a decade. His sentencing is set for March 25.
The charges stem from a December 2022 standoff in which police say Hunter took his wife and children from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City the night prior. He planned to eventually take them to Chicago before he was confronted by police at the Trailways Bus Station.
Hunter's wife had managed to text someone about the kidnapping and said he had a gun — that person reported the incident, police said in their report.
Police say Hunter grabbed his wife after police approached him, pointed a gun at her, and fled on foot into the Court Street Transportation Center Parking Ramp.
Hunter eventually let go of his wife and shot himself after negotiations with the police. Authorities did not specify the nature of Hunter's injury in the wake of the incident.
The University of Iowa Department of Public Safety alerted students via a HawkAlert of a man with a gun and to avoid the area around the parking ramp. UI and Iowa City police closed off portions of East Burlington Street, South Dubuque Street, and East Court Street near the parking lot, redirecting traffic.
Carldale Hunter, 34, was charged with six crimes following a December 2022 standoff when he took his wife, hostage, held a gun to her head, and threatened to kill her.
Hunter's guilty plea is on six counts which include:
- Third-degree Kidnapping, a Class "C" felony
- Going Armed with Intent as a Felon, a Class "D" felony
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a Class "D" felony
- Domestic Abuse or Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness, a serious misdemeanor
- Child Endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor
- Second-degree Robbery, a Class "C" felony
As part of his plea deal, Hunter will not be eligible for parole for at least a decade. His sentencing is set for March 25.
The charges stem from a December 2022 standoff in which police say Hunter took his wife and children from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City the night prior. He planned to eventually take them to Chicago before he was confronted by police at the Trailways Bus Station.
Hunter's wife had managed to text someone about the kidnapping and said he had a gun — that person reported the incident, police said in their report.
Police say Hunter grabbed his wife after police approached him, pointed a gun at her, and fled on foot into the Court Street Transportation Center Parking Ramp.
Hunter eventually let go of his wife and shot himself after negotiations with the police. Authorities did not specify the nature of Hunter's injury in the wake of the incident.
The University of Iowa Department of Public Safety alerted students via a HawkAlert of a man with a gun and to avoid the area around the parking ramp. UI and Iowa City police closed off portions of East Burlington Street, South Dubuque Street, and East Court Street near the parking lot, redirecting traffic.
Indiana man who took wife hostage, shot himself in parking ramp could serve more than 40 years in prison
Carldale Hunter pleaded guilty to six counts connected to a 2022 shooting in the Court Street Parking Ramp. He was sentenced to 43 years in prison.
www.press-citizen.com
SIAP - ESPN networks to maintain exclusive rights to all CFP games through 2031-32
- Iowa Football
- 2 Replies
Looks like this was announced yesterday, but, well, Iowa had some other more pressing football news to deal with....
I personally think this kinda sucks. Was hoping that FOX, CBS and/or NBC would starting getting some of the pie.
I personally think this kinda sucks. Was hoping that FOX, CBS and/or NBC would starting getting some of the pie.
ESPN, College Football Playoff extend media rights agreement through 2031-32
ESPN will remain the exclusive media rightsholder of the College Football Playoff through the 2031-32 season, it was announced on Tuesday.
fbschedules.com
Trump burned $230,000 in legal fees everyday in February
Trump’s PAC Burned $230,000 a Day on Legal Bills in February
Even by the standards of Trump’s legal slush fund, February was a brutal month that underscored the historic financial pressure on his 2024 campaign.
www.thedailybeast.com
More Iowans approve of this state official's job performance than they do the governor's
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 7 Replies
The state official who more Iowans think is performing their job well isn't the governor or attorney general — it’s Auditor of State Rob Sand, the sole Democrat holding statewide elected office, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows.
Fifty-five percent of Iowans approve of the job that Sand is doing as auditor, compared with 15% who disapprove. Another 31% say they aren’t sure.
This is the first time the Iowa Poll has asked about Sand’s job performance. He was first elected in 2018 and is often discussed as a possible candidate for governor.
The poll of 804 Iowa adults was conducted by Selzer & Co. Feb. 25-28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Other state government leaders, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, Attorney General Brenna Bird, and the Republican-led Iowa Legislature, also poll more positively than negatively on job approval, but they trail Sand.
For Reynolds, 49% of respondents approve of her performance, compared with 48% who disapprove, her slimmest approval margin in the Iowa Poll since March 2021, when she was 1 point underwater.
Bird, who recently marked her first year in office, has 40% approval to 28% disapproval, with 32% not sure, the poll found.
But her disapproval rate jumped 8 percentage points from March 2023, when she was at 20%, while her approval rating grew only 4 points from 36%. Thirty-two percent had no opinion.
The Iowa Legislature, where Republicans have controlled both houses since 2017, has a 47% approval rating, little changed from previous Iowa Polls since 2021. But 39% of Iowans disapprove of the Legislature’s performance, the highest figure since at least 2003.
The poll also found that 44% of Iowans believe the state is going in the right direction, compared with 50% who think it’s on the wrong track.
Fifty-five percent of Iowans approve of the job that Sand is doing as auditor, compared with 15% who disapprove. Another 31% say they aren’t sure.
This is the first time the Iowa Poll has asked about Sand’s job performance. He was first elected in 2018 and is often discussed as a possible candidate for governor.
The poll of 804 Iowa adults was conducted by Selzer & Co. Feb. 25-28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Other state government leaders, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, Attorney General Brenna Bird, and the Republican-led Iowa Legislature, also poll more positively than negatively on job approval, but they trail Sand.
For Reynolds, 49% of respondents approve of her performance, compared with 48% who disapprove, her slimmest approval margin in the Iowa Poll since March 2021, when she was 1 point underwater.
Bird, who recently marked her first year in office, has 40% approval to 28% disapproval, with 32% not sure, the poll found.
But her disapproval rate jumped 8 percentage points from March 2023, when she was at 20%, while her approval rating grew only 4 points from 36%. Thirty-two percent had no opinion.
The Iowa Legislature, where Republicans have controlled both houses since 2017, has a 47% approval rating, little changed from previous Iowa Polls since 2021. But 39% of Iowans disapprove of the Legislature’s performance, the highest figure since at least 2003.
The poll also found that 44% of Iowans believe the state is going in the right direction, compared with 50% who think it’s on the wrong track.
More Iowans approve of this state official's job performance than they do the governor's
A larger share of Iowans approve of state Auditor Rob Sand’s job performance than of Gov. Kim Reynolds, Attorney General Brenna Bird or the Legislature
www.press-citizen.com
About to get on a plane
- By NDallasRuss
- Off Topic
- 45 Replies
To head home.
Hope it doesn't crash.
Ts & Ps in advance!
Hope it doesn't crash.
Ts & Ps in advance!
*****Kansas St vs Iowa Game Thread*****
- By QChawks
- Iowa Men's Basketball
- 583 Replies
Oh boy, how excited are you??
8pm ESPN
Iowa -5.5
O/U 156.5
I have no idea what to expect tonight, most likely more crappy play from Pmac and Perk.
I’ll say 89-80 hawks
8pm ESPN
Iowa -5.5
O/U 156.5
I have no idea what to expect tonight, most likely more crappy play from Pmac and Perk.
I’ll say 89-80 hawks
