Starting at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, there will be limited access points to our hospital for all faculty, staff, volunteers, patients, and visitors.

I fully acknowledge that this is inconvenient. It’s also necessary. These efforts are a necessary precaution to keep you and our patients safe while we fight the recently-announced community spread of COVID-19 in our state.

Designated staff entrances

UI Health Care employees and volunteers must use their UI Health Care ID badge access to open the following doors between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m.: 

  • From Parking Ramp 4, the tunnel into Lower Level Pomerantz Family Pavilion
  • South and north doors of the connector between UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital and John Pappajohn Pavilion
  • General Hospital West Entrance (across from Parking Ramp 1)
  • Shipping and Receiving dock, south door by mail room
  • Interior doors from the College of Medicine into General Hospital on Levels 1, 2, and Lower Level

To keep everyone safe, we are counting on our staff to not let in members of the public through these staff doors, and only exit through the approved doors. All other exterior doors not listed above or below will be locked. 

If you don’t have your badge, use a photo ID for employment verification. Bring your badge home with you each day so you can get through the lines faster.

Staff may also use designated patient and visitor entrances

Also starting tomorrow morning, there are two lanes at these entrances to the hospital, one for employees, and the other for patients and visitors:

  • Main Hospital Entrance, including skyway from Ramps 2 and 3 (Roy Carver Pavilion): 24/7 – Currently open for screening
  • UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital Entrance: 24/7 – Currently open for screening
  • Pomerantz Family Pavilion, Level 2 from Parking Ramp 4 Skyway – Starting screening at 5 a.m. Monday, March 16
  • Pomerantz Family Pavilion Entrance – Starting screening at 5 a.m. Monday, March 16

Patients are limited to these four entrances starting at 5 a.m. tomorrow as well. We continue to screen patients and visitors for symptoms of acute respiratory illness (e.g., fever, cough, difficulty breathing) before entering UI Hospitals & Clinics.

Prepare for employee screening

At this time, UI Health Care faculty and staff are not being screened. Please be prepared that this will change this week. Please use hand hygiene precautions, and if you develop respiratory symptoms, you should contact your supervisor before coming to work. More guidance on when to stay home due to illness will be shared soon.

Thank you for your flexibility and preparedness to get to work on time despite these and upcoming changes to access to our hospital. It’s the right thing to do to spread the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Suresh Gunasekaran
Chief Executive Officer, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Associate Vice President, University of Iowa Health Care