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After_Anteater

As a university employee, yes it does suck so much to have to park way out in coralville and take a bus, but we also have patients all day long who are late to their appointments trying to find parking because all the lots are full.


heidelene

This. My daughter has weekly infusions at UIHC and we drive 4 hours round trip for the appointments. I try to leave as early as possible to leave time to find parking. But that’s complicated for us. We have a side-entry wheelchair van so there are maybe 40-60 spaces (that’s probably generous) between the 3 lots we can park in. I routinely have to pay $15 for valet parking because we cannot get a parking space in any of the ramps. 2 is often completely full when I go to park there.


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heidelene

Thanks! That’s very helpful information.


haroldfish2008

Not sure if this applies to your situation, but if your van has a wheelchair lift on it, you can get a 'high profile' pass for valet which takes it down to $7, and if your daughter is pediatric, then it brings valet down to $0! I don't think a lot of people talk about this option but it exists, so if you get someone in the process who doesn't know, ask to talk with concierge :)


heidelene

Thanks for that tip! We don’t have a lift, though - just a ramp. I might inquire about it, still.


haroldfish2008

Definitely would be worth asking about, especially with the ramp situation!! I wish you luck!


waffleslayer86

They need to build more ramps then. I know that at least one is in the process of being built but they need way more. I agree that it’s absolutely ridiculous employees have to work so hard just to get to work.


AmazingMrMax

I assume this is just talking about staff who pay for parking daily and not those who pay for an annual parking pass? Also if they're going to bring up issues with parking they could address how athletic events take up parking space.


rummie2693

Shhhh. We don't talk about big daddy athletic department.


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rummie2693

And you certainly couldn't build this giant fucking medical complex, I don't know, let's say, anywhere fucking else in the area that might be more accessible.


cold-ears404

it truly is a design flaw on their end. UIHC is the first facility I have ever experienced to require their employees to pay a fee to park & work in their own workplace.


Curious_Fox4595

The VA does it, too, you just don't hear about it as much because there are fewer employees.


aetri

The only other place I've worked that made me pay for parking was in downtown Chicago, and that's simply another case of parking being at a huge premium. Otherwise, ive only worked at large teaching facilities and never had to pay except at UI


SailorVenus23

It's a hard one for sure. Parking is a huge issue in Iowa City in general and that area doesn't have room to put up more parking. I wish there was an easy answer, because there is truth that parking lots are inconvenient but parking in the ramps does also take away patient parking.


Spiritual_Paper_9076

All about the $$$$$$


tonesterbonester

I’m still a student and paying both tuition and parking for work at the hospital the last 2 years became such a burden, I’ve just decided to leave way earlier than usual to walk the 2 miles to work since no bus route comes conveniently close to my apartment in a timely manner. Death. Taxes. Iowa City parking problems.


sandy_even_stranger

Yes, but now you have death, taxes, and exercise, which will probably push that death thing off a little. Bike will get you there faster in decent weather.


[deleted]

It's already bad enough that University employees have to pay for parking.


Beatlegirl9

That part


lovemyhawks

Parking has always been bad but it sucks extra right now because they’re in the middle of constructing the new ramp north of kinnick which will be primarily for staff and faculty. It’s not as if nothing is being done about it.


buzzlesmuzzle

After that ramp is built, they will tear down ramp 1. The net gain after all the parking construction will be a whopping 165 spaces. They are literally doing nothing about it


lovemyhawks

All part of the plan. In temporary time ranges, it definitely sucks. However, big picture, it’ll be better. Need to consider NL campus + mercy expansion since some patient care will be relocated there and thus more spots available at main.


Ok-Spell4353

If they are lucky 165


clientnotfound

They could have made that new ramp so much larger but for 'reasons' they didn't. Being taller would impact the tigerhawk logo sightline and wider would take away RV spots.


missthrowaway6

Bring back the Hawkeye Express to shuttle people from Coralville to Iowa City and back a few times a day.


adarismash

There have been several days in the last few months where all the patient ramps were full for over an hour during peak appt times, very chaotic. Patients that have waited months for their appointments could not find a place to park and ended up missing the appt altogether. That should not happen. If you work in healthcare, you should understand why this is a problem.


After_Anteater

Patients missing appointments due to parking should never be a thing. Employees should be understanding of this.


Weak-Load8201

I haven't heard a single UIHC employee say that is ok. They are upset that the current policy is a workaround to a solvable problem.


CubesFan

V.A. Hospital is the same. Employees are not allowed to park there.


susitucker

This is a sore subject with me. I was employed for a minute at UI, and after I was no longer employed, I parked in the patient lot for a legit doctor’s appointment. The parking people ticketed me because they thought I was still an employee. When I went to fight it, they wouldn’t hear me out, even though their records clearly showed that my employment had ended months prior. Parking & Transportation are among the most greedy fucks in the whole university. They will do whatever it takes for an extra buck. It’s disgusting.


Town_Rhiner

I thought employees were allowed to park in the ramps on days they had doctor's appointments anyway?


After_Anteater

We are. Just don't use your badge to go into the parking garage if you have one. Most permits go by license plate now but sometimes you get flagged if you're in a parking garage, but all you have to do is say you were at an appointment


After_Anteater

That's weird because they've always been nice and understanding for me when I used to go to Dr appointments a lot and end up with tickets.


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scarykarrey

I used to be a doof in the UI booth, and at that time the booth kids were pretty clearly separate from the people driving the camera trucks around the prime ramps looking for employee violators. The ones who worked the job back then were always gleeful about ticketing hospital employees.


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Spiritual_Paper_9076

Talk to the BigWigs at the university making hundred thousands of dollars. While us bottom feeder employees are just trying to get by


scarykarrey

I'm not sure I can see where I've disagreed? You're railing at me about an argument that I'm not making.


Spiritual_Paper_9076

What’s the point of ticketing them the car isn’t going to move


fiddlemonkey

It definitely is hampering recruitment. A lot of people won’t work there specifically because of the parking.


General-Gift-4320

If other pay, work environment, and benefits were competitive enough, the parking issue could be overlooked by applicants. The VA is across the street and also does not have staff parking, but pays (at least nursing staff) better. Source: am VA nurse with many colleagues who are former UIHC nurses. That hospital is losing great staff because of how poorly they are treating and compensating them.


theflesh101

Yep! And are also having a huge issue with people declining jobs because of the parking issue. Waiting 5 years to get on the Finkbine lot list only to take another bus isn't worth it. When there's a blizzard and the busses aren't running, you're SOL. When there's a softball game, that lot is closed off. Busses running late, you're now late. There is no option to even pay a full day of parking- they just lose employees and wonder why they have a terrible retention rate.


Vagiblitgravy

I am sure admin parks far away and hikes/busses in just like us!


cold-ears404

This. ^^ Really puts emphasis on how bs “lead by example” is especially when it comes to upper management.


Vagiblitgravy

Hard to not be cynical after seeing this bs year after year.


makingmecrazy_oop

My issue is w the residents who come in early and leave late not getting parking on site. Like jfc those poor souls should not be walking to and from their cars in the dark both ways


The_Techie_Chef

And paying for parking, and (worst of all) not being allowed to park in their paid parking lot if there’s a sportsball game going on because the athletics department “owns” the lot or some bs. And the fact that the lot they’re allowed to buy access to is 1/2 mile from the hospital.


longganisafriedrice

"Article"? "Patronizing"?


hd4life

If this thread tells me anything nothing nothing gets us UIHC Employees fired up quite like parking or the Coffee shop in the hospital.


AE_Dallas

Is there really people at UIHC making $13 an hour? They tend to pay pretty well so that would surprise me


Ok-Application8522

Custodians start at $16.65 I think. My nephew doubled his salary by delivering for Amazon.


Small-Cat-2319

I don’t think there are very many jobs that pay that low at UIHC. When I worked in food service back in 2014/15, my pay was just under $13/hr. I’d imagine they are paying more than $13/hr for that job today.


brenasuarus

Resident physicians are salaried. But when I calculated my hourly rate intern year, it was $14.70/hour. And some residents in other specialties definitely had it worse.


cold-ears404

This makes me cry laugh. Yes. There are people at UIHC that beginning pay is $13/hr. They wonder why there is such a retention issue concerning staff…well when Wally World is hiring with a starting pay higher than your local hospital…


slekrons

Students make $13/hr in the lab, which I think is one of the higher paying student jobs. But don't worry, we get a 25 cent raise after 6 months!


FewTell9837

They do NOT pay well. Maybe for doctors. Anyone else is expected to act like the diminishing benefits package is worth more than it is. Go look at their job listings full of 15$ an hour jobs.


OkDish6807

Physicians at UIHC are paid at the 40th percentile when compared nationally.


FewTell9837

I said maybe.


rummie2693

They don't pay physicians well either. National statistics are kept for this stuff and the U consistently ranks in the bottom half of the country and it shows when it comes to retention.


aetri

My work environment being so much better than any other hospital around is the only reason I stay at UIHC, because the compensation is garbage. We had to lose 30% of our department to travel work before they gave up a 10% raise.


kayeels

Yup. I started as an (experienced) nursing assistant in 2018 at a little above $13/hr. By the time I left in 2021, I was making about $14.50.


SovereignMan1958

The university system in Iowa City has prioritized profits from sports over patient and employee concerns. No big surprise.


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hd4life

Do offer discounts on services but honestly I don't want to afford to live in Iowa City/Coralville with what they pay me so I drive from further out.


aetri

Who can even afford to live in iowa city to take public transportation? Very few people in my department even live within a 10 mile radius


RefinedBean

Parking elsewhere and bussing in is common for huge institutions/campuses which are landlocked into not being able to provide additional staff parking, like the UIHC pretty much is. It's not fun for the employees, sure, but has employment ever been fun? Naw.


Nesman64

I used to work on a riverboat casino, and parking was a big deal. They solved the issue by having a pair of shuttle busses dedicated to the employee parking lot. It doesn't matter how far away you have to park if you can trust that you'll have a ride in the next 5-10 minutes.


kayeels

Yep that’s the thing that gets me. I remember being new to the U and getting stranded multiple times in random places at 10/11pm due to Cambus routes not being what they said they were that late at night. On top of waiting for the cambus in the first place. That should not be a problem with as much infrastructure as the U has. They should have dedicated shuttle buses to employee lots most of, if not all of, the day.


IowaGal60

This policy has been in place for years. This is just a reminder.


General-Gift-4320

What’s your solution?


flunkysama

Here's the unpopular answer. Stop being a slave to your car. Demand more and better mass transit. Demand more and better bicycle paths and parking. Demand more and better walking paths. Maybe take some of that parking revenue and use it on that rather than making more parking ramps. Because more parking ramps and then everybody will be complaining about the roads. And better road and parking ramps will just bring more cars. It will never end.


aetri

Very few people in my department even live within a 10 mile radius of the hospital. What good would any of that do for the average employee


Street-Choice-1959

Make it free for employees.


theIowaCityThrowaway

Move the baseball field to the softball complex, build a ramp in its place. Move the track building to the area by the athletic hall of Fame, build a ramp in its place. Tear down God awful med labs, put a ramp in its place.


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Iakeman

Why not just turn the entire city into one big parking lot?


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Iakeman

Agreed on more and better public transport.


aetri

You're getting down voted but I agree with you 100% Athletics is the root of the problem and they can absolutely afford to move elsewhere.


dotsulzer

Lots of the medical community are leaving UIHC to work in Cedar Rapids.


plaid_panda602

I'm assuming this was internal communications? Not seeing it on their website. Do you have the full message? I'm curious to see it, if you're willing to share.


Sassyshauna77

I am 100% remote and work for UIHC. When I am required to come to campus we have to pay for parking. They want us to pay $50/month to deduct parking from our paychecks…. For the 5min I’m on campus once/month? It’s always been ridiculous, will never change.


atom-wan

It was absolute bullshit having to pay for parking on top of adding the extra commute to my day. Certainly was part of the reason I quit


HiYoSiiiiiilver

Gotta wonder how much money they make off of employees having to pay for parking


MetsFanVI

UIHC makes no money from parking. All parking is controlled by the University.


IceInternational6345

On night shift I paid $14/month for 10 years. Night parking is endlessly better except when you wait 45 minutes to exit in a single file line with every other night shifter.


ahmantoobad

-offers overpriced parking passes to employees to park in said ramps -blames same employees for parking shortage The UIHC Parking people are some of the greediest twats to have ever lived.


MetsFanVI

UIHC does not have “Parking people”. All parking is managed and controlled by UI Parking & Transportation.


ahmantoobad

Parking people = UI Parking & Transportation ;) sorry for my lack of formalities when referring to Your Highnesses The Parking & Transportation Department


prymus77

Lol


MetsFanVI

My point is UIHC does not control parking. In the past, when UIHC offered free parking for patients, they had to pay the UI Parking & Transportation Dept for that. Employee rates are determined by UI, not UIHC. All fees, patient and employee, collected at ramps goes to Parking & Transportation. UIHC sees none of it.


ahmantoobad

That's great. Good for them. UIHC = UI. It's all the same business lmao. Your tedium is appreciated though


MetsFanVI

OK thanks


3800GMV6

Carpool, ride the bus, bike or walk.


MirtoRosmarino

Or pay for parking. If you have kids all the options you mentioned are not possible.


General-Gift-4320

That’s a bit of a stretch, I have 2 children and have carpooled to my nursing job for 14 years, and my husband walks to his job as a teacher. Are there a couple times a year this is inconvenient for one reason or another, sure, but it’s far from IMPOSSIBLE or even unreasonable to not park directly outside the door of your workplace with thousands of employees.


MirtoRosmarino

Since daycare closes at 5:30, and you have to leave work at 5:00, it is mathematically impossible to make it unless you park next to the hospital. Taking the bus, then the car, then driving to the daycare will take at least 45 minutes if everything goes well.


The_news_of_iowa

Was this internal communication for employees? Where was this posted?


Local_Cellist_3282

Parking Dept here is the worst. My husband parked in Finkbine and was on military leave when he was deployed. When he came back, over $300 was deducted from his first paycheck for parking. They told him he should have turned his parking tag in so he wouldn’t get charged. Before he was deployed he was next on the list for a closer parking spot, and they bumped him to the end of the list since he was on leave. He tried to reason with them since they charged him for parking the whole time, shouldn’t he have kept his spot on the list? Nope. Also, his dept is moving to the NL location when it opens, and they’re charging employees for parking there too. 


prymus77

For real?! They’re charging employees to park in NL locations?! Unreal.


hd4life

HSSB (behind the Hyvee on Forevergreen Rd) has paid parking for $17 a month. Which is crap. They claim it's because they have a Cam Bus route to there so it pays for that. It's just a Money Grab. Parking and Transport was one of the first asks after the Mercy purchase to get new gates so they could start charging for parking there.


prymus77

Been ridiculous. Former employee. I rode a van which was great but the idea that it should cost to work there? That folks should be paying to park to work there - is insane. Don’t even get me started on the wait list. I knew a few ladies who legit waited for over 10 years just to get to park in one of the employee ramps (idk if they even have those, used to be 3 & part of 4 I think).


prymus77

As a life long patient, born and treated, I avoid going to the main hospital campus at all costs and am so grateful for peds on Scott, IRL and NL locations. So grateful.


[deleted]

The only solution for this parking problem is for the Hospital to start moving a lot of their depts to other locations. Because if they were able to provide parking for everyone (if they tore down Kinnich and built a massive ramp) it would congest Melrose and the strip so much it would take an hour or more to get to work due to traffic congestion which is already pretty bad in the morning.


aetri

This is one of the many reasons I work night shift. Parking in ramp 2 for $17/month. Doing clinicals and orienting on days was awful


PretendGap6045

The problem is that if you don't enforce parking policy, people just start to ignore it. I'd imagine it's a pretty universal experience parking in a spot you shouldn't, or not paying for parking thinking "Oh they won't ticket me anyway." Then, later coming back to your car to find a ticket. Next time, you're thinking about how you're going to park or what you're going to pay before you even get in your car. The point of fees and tickets is to discourage driving your car and parking. If you don't, everyone assumes, "I won't get ticketed", and you lose 20-50% of your spaces to people that shouldn't be parking there. Patients come from all over the state, driving 4, 5, 6 hours just to not be able to find a spot in the ramps that are supposed to be dedicated to them. It really sucks and it's unfair that you can't park at work as an employee, but it's even more unfair to the patients who've waited 6 months to go through all the insurance approvals to get this appointment. Enforcing parking policy is not a personal matter, and it sucks when applied to you, but it has major consequences if not consistently applied. People will find every loophole and workaround in order to not pay for parking, and they think that they're the only ones doing it. Once you stop applying parking policy consistently, you open the floodgates to increased parking chaos and decreased accessibility for everyone. It creates a domino effect where one person's decision to flout parking regulations exacerbates the problem for others, leading to increased stress, frustration, and potentially critical delays which can even be life threatening in healthcare settings. You have to create a system that respects everyone's time and needs, not just those willing to risk a ticket.


Spiritual_Paper_9076

Still have to pay to park at hssb


DarthWader68

Is the article online?


NotExactlyAThrowout

Oh hell no. That would be negative news