That’s what you’ll find at our North Liberty campus—a new hospital and medical office building and home to the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation.
One year in, UI Health Care’s North Liberty campus exceeds expectations
Plans are underway to expand orthopedic surgical and clinical services as demand grows with improved access for Iowans
UI Health Care orthopedic surgeon James Nepola, MD, examines the shoulder of Martha Widmer of rural Wayland, Iowa, during a recent clinic appointment. Widmer noticed pain and stiffness in her shoulder while “doing my chores and mowing the yard,” she says. “I didn’t think too much of it, but eventually it got to the point where I couldn’t raise my arm up. I knew then I was in trouble.” Nepola specializes in treating patients with all types of shoulder-related conditions at UI Health Care’s North Liberty campus.
Dean Moore considers himself a “regular customer” at University of Iowa Health Care’s Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, having undergone numerous treatments and surgeries over the past few years. He calls it the cost of doing business: operating a landscaping and storage facility company for 45 years and raising cattle and horses on his farm outside Oxford, Iowa.
“Try replacing your shoulder, shattering your pelvis, splitting your sacrum, needing elbow work done, and having a rod put in from your hip to your knee after breaking your femur — all after you’re 70 years old,” Moore says.
His femur procedure was performed in Nevada, yet Moore sought follow-up care and consultation at UI Health Care from orthopedic surgeon Matthew Karam, MD, who performed Moore’s pelvis and sacrum surgery in 2024.
For Moore's shoulder joint replacement surgery at UI Health Care’s university campus, orthopedic experts designed a custom implant to address significant bone loss in his shoulder socket.
“Years of wear and tear,” Moore says, “but Dr. Patterson [orthopedic surgeon Brendan Patterson, MD] did a great job. I'm able to ride and throw a rope again.”
Having had orthopedic surgeries and nonsurgical procedures at UI Health Care’s university campus and the now 1-year-old North Liberty campus, Moore is quick to describe his experiences as a patient.
“In terms of expertise, the doctors and staff are always top-notch. I had my elbow operation at North Liberty. Couldn’t be happier,” Moore says. “The North Liberty location is state-of-the-art and really convenient. It’s great.”
Dean Moore of Oxford, Iowa, is one of tens of thousands of patients who have received orthopedic care and expertise at UI Health Care’s North Liberty campus since it opened in late April 2025. The medical center has treated patients from every county in Iowa, 49 states, and several countries.
Moore is one of tens of thousands of patients who’ve received personalized orthopedic care and expertise at UI Health Care’s medical center on the North Liberty campus over the past year.
And as the campus marks one year since opening in late April 2025, UI Health Care leaders anticipate continued growth in caring for patients throughout the community and across the state and region — to the point where plans are underway to complete and fill the facility’s existing shell space designated for future expansion.
First-year impact
The North Liberty campus “has exceeded our expectations in terms of providing high-quality orthopedics care that Iowans want and need,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “And it’s not just orthopedics. With physical therapy and rehabilitation, plus an emergency department, a full-service pharmacy, diagnostic imaging, and lab services on-site, the North Liberty campus has delivered a level of access and convenience that's brought patients not just from the community and area but from across Iowa.
“It’s worth emphasizing that from the beginning, the vision and plan for the North Liberty campus was to treat patients from every corner of the state. And the numbers we’re seeing bear this out.”
Over the first 11 months (April 28, 2025, through March 28, 2026), the teams at the North Liberty campus have recorded:
142,300+ outpatient visits to the orthopedic clinics
2,500+ admissions for inpatient orthopedic care
8,000+ operating room cases
23,500+ physical therapy/rehabilitation therapy visits
9,000+ emergency department visits
"From the beginning, the vision and plan for the North Liberty campus was to treat patients from every corner of the state. And the numbers we’re seeing bear this out."
Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH
vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine
In addition, over 76,000 prescriptions have been dispensed, and more than 101,000 imaging procedures have been performed at the North Liberty campus since its opening.
Care for Iowans
Patients from across Iowa come to the North Liberty campus for care. This interactive map shows the number of patient encounters from each of Iowa’s 99 counties. Hover over (tap for mobile) each county to see how many patients were served.
In addition, patients from 49 U.S. states — and several countries — have received care at the North Liberty medical center.
Room to grow
In fall 2025, UI Health Care leaders received approval from the Iowa Board of Regents to begin planning to fill existing shell space at the North Liberty medical center. The plan for a two-phase project includes:
- A first-phase build-out of approximately 5,300 square feet on the facility’s second level to construct four operating rooms, four post-anesthesia care unit rooms, and eight surgery prep/recovery rooms.
- A second-phase build-out of approximately 6,400 square feet on the fourth level to construct a clinical exam pod consisting of 12 exam rooms, a treatment room, an X-ray room, office work area, and supply room.
“Since opening in late April 2025, the number of patients seen at the North Liberty campus has far surpassed our initial projections,” says Brad Haws, MBA, associate vice president for UI Health Care and CEO of the clinical enterprise. “Providing greater access to outstanding care is important to us, and we are making great progress. By finishing the existing shell space, we’ll be better equipped to accommodate the continued — and increasing — demand for our care and expertise in orthopedic surgical and clinical services.”
The total budget for the project is $24 million. First-phase construction on the operating rooms and related spaces is expected to begin in late 2026, pending approval of the project description and budget by the Regents at their April board meeting.
"Providing greater access to outstanding care is important to us, and we are making great progress. By finishing the existing shell space, we’ll be better equipped to accommodate the continued — and increasing — demand for our care and expertise in orthopedic surgical and clinical services."
Brad Haws, MBA
chief executive officer of UI Health Care’s clinical enterprise
Facilitating greater access to orthopedic care
Brian Wolf, MD, MS, professor and interim chair of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, attributes much of the first-year success of the North Liberty campus to the ease of access to the department’s services.
“It's a much smoother process for patients to be seen in our clinics, undergo surgery, and receive physical therapy,” Wolf says. “For patients with acute orthopedic injuries, our Orthopedic Injury Walk-In Clinic offers a great alternative to going to an emergency room or a walk-in care location. We also have quicker access to radiology services, as some of these imaging units are just steps away from our clinic exam rooms.”
The Orthopedic Injury Walk-In Clinic, which treats patients with muscle, tendon, ligament, and joint injuries that have occurred within the previous seven days, offers weekday, evening, and weekend hours:
- Monday – Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friday 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wolf adds that the North Liberty facility includes a surgery and arthroplasty skills teaching area that enhances the department’s ability to train future orthopedic specialists.
“This includes teaching anatomy in addition to the skills needed for the variety of surgeries our students and resident and fellow physicians are learning,” he says.
Brian Wolf, MD, MS, professor and interim chair of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation.
Emergency department sees efficiencies in seeing and transferring patients
In the emergency department, patient census over the past year has exceeded initial projections by more than 50%, says Hans House, MD, clinical professor and medical director of emergency medicine services at the North Liberty campus.
“We anticipated this,” House notes, “and we expect things to get busier by summer 2026.”
He credits the emergency department team with establishing effective workflows and adapting as needed to continually improve processes.
“The patient flow has been so efficient that we can treat patients quickly with minimal wait,” House says.
The emergency department at the North Liberty campus sees patients of all ages with all types of serious injuries and illnesses. Given that inpatient care at the North Liberty campus is dedicated to orthopedics, patients who need to be admitted for non-orthopedic medical issues are transferred to UI Health Care’s university or downtown campuses. Despite the additional time needed to complete the transportation and transfer steps, House says the process has gone smoothly.
Hans House, MD, clinical professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and medical director of emergency services at the North Liberty campus.
“As with the emergency departments at our other campuses, there's a strong sense of teamwork and support. Everyone is committed to helping one another and providing the best possible care,” he says.
Education is also a key aspect of the emergency department. Resident physicians and physician assistants training in emergency medicine rotate through the North Liberty location, with a focus on orthopedic-related procedures and managing the flow of patients.
Preparation, teamwork reflected in employee engagement
Front-end planning and anticipating patients’ and staff members needs long before the North Liberty campus opened were instrumental to its first-year success and have contributed to the recruitment and retention of staff, says Emily Ward, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CCRN, associate chief nursing officer and director of nursing services at the North Liberty campus.
“There was a lot of work to ensure we’d planned good, solid workflows before we ever saw our first patient,” Ward says. “Our clinical teams huddle each morning, followed by a leadership huddle at 8:15 a.m. There is an incredible amount of productivity that comes from these interdisciplinary huddles.”
Across the North Liberty campus, efforts such as cross-training staff across multiple patient care units, operational problem-solving, and proactively identifying challenges and opportunities for improvement are reflected in staff members’ job satisfaction. Ward notes that employee engagement surveys of staff at the North Liberty campus rank at the 88th percentile nationally, with an employee engagement score that is above the national average.
“This is directly reflective of the culture we have,” Ward says, “which has enabled us to successfully recruit and retain staff.”
Of the approximately 700 employees at the North Liberty campus through the end of March 2026, 290 employees (new hires and staff transfers from other UI Health Care campuses and locations) joined after the April 2025 opening.
Seven orthopedics faculty have joined the North Liberty campus since April 2025, specializing in physical medicine, foot and ankle, oncology, trauma, sports medicine, and spine. Two additional orthopedic surgeons, in joint replacement and hand surgery, will arrive this fall.
Emily Ward, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CCRN, associate chief nursing officer and director of nursing services at UI Health Care’s North Liberty campus.
Greater public awareness, easy access drive pharmacy growth
Pharmacy prescription services have increased steadily over the past year, says Courtney Gent, RPh, PharmD, director of pharmacy services at the North Liberty campus.
“We’re currently dispensing about double what we did when we opened,” Gent says. “We anticipate continued growth as more community members become aware that the pharmacy is open to the public for all their prescription medication needs and that we offer a 24/7 drive-thru service.”
The pharmacy lobby, located just inside the North Liberty medical center’s main entrance, provides a convenient option for prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and durable medical equipment. The drive-thru pharmacy is the only drive-thru service in the area open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We’re fortunate to have excellent pharmacy team members who have done a great job working together to serve patients and the public,” Gent says.
Pharmacy services at the North Liberty campus include the area’s only 24/7 drive-thru pharmacy.
Convenient option for radiology services
Offering a full complement of advanced diagnostic imaging services at the North Liberty campus has attracted patients with a wide range of medical conditions.
“Imaging services at North Liberty go beyond orthopedics and are available to all patients, including on the weekends,” says Bruno Policeni, MD, MBA, professor and chair of the UI Department of Radiology. “Patients who choose to schedule their scan at North Liberty receive the same level of care and expertise that’s available at our other campuses. It’s a convenient option, which is reflected in the more than 100,000 imaging procedures we’ve performed at the North Liberty campus.”
The North Liberty campus offers extended hours for outpatient imaging services:
- Weekdays 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for MRI and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for CT, ultrasound, and X-ray
- Weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for MRI and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for CT, ultrasound, and X-ray
Department of Radiology faculty members Howard O’Rourke, MD, clinical associate professor and medical director of musculoskeletal radiology, and Mikhael Sebaaly, MD, clinical assistant professor, in the radiology reading room at UI Health Care’s North Liberty campus.
The North Liberty campus is also the primary training site for the Department of Radiology’s musculoskeletal radiology fellowship program. Radiologists in the program receive comprehensive training, including procedural exposure to spine pain injections and tumor biopsies, along with image interpretation from state-of-the-art CT, MRI, and ultrasound machines.
The program recently became one of approximately 15 musculoskeletal radiology fellowship programs nationwide to receive certification from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
‘People feel connected’
Amy O’Deen, MHA, BSN, FACHE, chief administrative officer at the North Liberty campus, attributes the medical center’s success to “the world-class orthopedic clinical expertise, the remarkable team that has been assembled across all disciplines, the positive and collaborative culture, and the facility’s layout, proximity of services, and access and convenience for patients.”
The design of the building is “special,” O’Deen notes.
“There’s a lot of natural light, which patients and staff enjoy, and the patient care clinics, rehab spaces, ORs, and inpatient rooms are designed with the optimal patient experience in mind,” she says. “It’s an easy location to access care, whether it’s orthopedics or rehab, emergency services, lab work, or imaging services.”
Patient satisfaction scores have been outstanding, with inpatient care ranked in the 90th percentile nationally for likelihood to recommend. Ambulatory surgery patient scores have consistently been in the mid to upper 90th percentile, and the scores for both adult and pediatric patient experiences in the emergency department have also been stellar.
Amy O’Deen, MHA, BSN, FACHE, chief administrative officer at UI Health Care’s North Liberty campus.
“People feel connected to this place,” O’Deen says. “Patients are so grateful for the ‘one-stop’ premier orthopedic expertise we offer in a beautiful and accessible location. And our faculty and staff appreciate how our services are planned and delivered in a cohesive, coordinated manner. These things matter, and they’re a big reason why we’ve done so well and are ready to take it to the next level.”