Crowding and capacity needs continue to stress the main University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, compelling administrators to expand the emergency department, reorganize existing services and — now — open a new “short-stay unit.”
UIHC opened a new 30-room short-term unit aimed at freeing up beds for sicker patients; streamlining the hospital experience for short-term patients requiring observation before heading home; and allowing providers to focus on either critical-care or short-term needs, The Gazette reports.
Examples of UIHC patients who might require a short hospital stay are those needing further evaluation to determine whether they’re stable enough to be released or should be admitted; patients recovering from surgery; or ER arrivals requiring observation, like those with chest pain, for example. Read more.
