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Richard O. Jacobson Foundation gives UI $70M to expand health care for Iowans

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HR King
May 29, 2001
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The Richard O. Jacobson Foundation has committed a transformational $70 million gift to the University of Iowa to support a new patient care building for UI Hospitals & Clinics.

The gift, the largest in the 175-year history of the UI, will help UI Health Care expand service to Iowans by increasing patient capacity while modernizing its care facilities. The new building will help UI Health Care meet the complex care needs of all Iowans, allowing them to receive high-quality care without leaving the state.

The new patient care tower, planned for UI Health Care’s main campus across from Kinnick Stadium, will be named in honor of the late Richard O. Jacobson and his philanthropic legacy, pending approval from the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. The building is part of the university’s 10-year revitalization plan that encompasses academic, health care, and research buildings on its central campus.

“We are proud to serve Iowa with our state’s only comprehensive academic medical center, providing life-saving and life-changing care to people from across the state and beyond,” said UI President Barbara Wilson. “Richard Jacobson’s commitment to the UI was extraordinary, and this latest and very generous gift on his behalf will allow our exceptional health care team to deliver the highest level of care to all Iowans.”

Featuring single inpatient rooms, state-of-the-art operating rooms, and intensive care unit beds, the new tower will help resolve capacity issues, rising health care demands, and aging facilities. UI Hospitals & Clinics is consistently at, and often above, full capacity, which affects UI Health Care’s ability to fulfill its commitment to care for all Iowans.

“Over the next decade, Iowa will face a health care crisis related to an aging population with complex care needs,” said UI Vice President for Medical Affairs Brooks Jackson. “This new facility is an important piece of a larger plan to meet these needs, and this visionary gift will positively impact the lives of Iowans throughout the state for generations to come.”

Read more about the gift here.
 
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