Pappajohn
Pavilion
Maternity
Expansion
The renovation of Level 7 in the Pappajohn Pavilion advances a comprehensive expansion of maternity services designed to more than double the hospital's current mother-baby capacity.
The project reimagines postpartum care environments while establishing the operational and infrastructural framework for the subsequent renovation of triage and labor and delivery spaces on Level 6, all within a fully functioning academic medical center where clinical services remain in constant motion.
The expansion is rooted in elevating the patient experience through personalized care, family support and seamless technology integration.
RDG's design reconfigures postpartum rooms as adaptable, resilient healing environments that balance comfort and privacy with clinical performance. Updated layouts accommodate family presence and extended stays while preserving clear caregiver sightlines and efficient staff workflows. Prefab headwalls equipped with medical gas delivery and monitoring systems are integrated to support evolving clinical standards and flexibility without overwhelming the room environment. Finishes, lighting and spatial organization work together to create a setting that feels calm and restorative while maintaining the rigor required in a high-acuity hospital.
The project's defining challenge lies in executing this transformation without disrupting one of the hospital's most essential service lines. Maternity services remain operational throughout construction, requiring a phased approach that carefully sequences renovation zones while safeguarding life-safety systems, infection control standards and patient privacy. Work areas are isolated, and infrastructure is rerouted in tightly coordinated intervals, with every adjustment aligned to clinical operations and daily patient flow. The team is working in constant collaboration with hospital leadership and facilities staff to ensure that care continues uninterrupted, even as walls shift and systems evolve behind the scenes.
This disciplined phasing approach establishes the template for the forthcoming Level 6 labor and delivery renovation, anticipated to unfold in as many as 28 distinct phases. The sequencing demands precise coordination among design teams, contractors, facilities staff and clinical leadership to balance construction access with sensitive adjacencies, vertical circulation and continuous emergency preparedness. Every intervention is choreographed to protect patient safety while advancing long-term capacity goals.
Rather than treat expansion as a straightforward increase in beds, the project positions maternity care as a strategic investment within the broader health system by recognizing that future family care choice is often established by the mother. By integrating patient-centered design with disciplined phasing, infrastructure upgrades and operational alignment, the effort enables Iowa Health Care to transform its facilities while care continues uninterrupted, demonstrating that in complex healthcare environments, thoughtful programming and design must perform as seamlessly as the medicine delivered within them.
The 7th floor program currently includes:
23 Post-Partum Rooms
Support spaces
14 On-Call Rooms
Well-Baby Nursery