West Des Moines Health Clinic Similar to PCI Plans for CR Medical Mall

Phyllis Mott of Pleasantville helps her husband Corwin Mott into the car after an appointment at the Iowa Clinic in West Des Moines on Thursday, July 29, 2010. The clinic features a drop-off and valet parking area. (Liz Martin)

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Aug 16, 2010 at 9:54 AM CST

Story Updated: Aug 16, 2010 at 9:54 AM CST

WEST DES MOINES — Look to the west if you want a feel for the dimensions and concept behind a “medical mall.”

The size and style of The Iowa Clinic in West Des Moines attracted the attention of Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, which plans to build a similar structure in southeast Cedar Rapids.

CEO Mike Sundall said he and other PCI leaders have made four visits to the West Des Moines clinic.

Sundall said PCI’s footprint along 10th Street SE would be the same as The Iowa Clinic, with the exception of its parking. Half of PCI’s parking — 450 spaces — would be in a ramp, as opposed to surface parking, he said.

“If you build it, they will come” would be a fitting motto for The Iowa Clinic.

Built in an Iowa farm field, the medical mall-style clinic paved the way for subsequent development. Hospitals, medical offices, pharmacies and other stores have sprung up around the 180,000-square-foot building since it was built in 2002.

“When we built, it was like we lit a fuse,” said C. Edward Brown, CEO of The Iowa Clinic. “Suddenly, medical buildings popped up all around us.”

Brown said the group of medical specialists is similar to PCI.

The group, formed in 1994, was spread throughout the Des Moines area in various locations before centralizing at the West Des Moines site. Brown said the central location helps to contain costs and is more convenient for patients.

He noted that the building did not receive much in the way of incentives. The city provided a park that The Iowa Clinic maintains, which helped the clinic meet its green space requirements, Brown said.

Proposed incentives for PCI include the city paying for its $8 million parking ramp and covering PCI’s additional cost of building in Cedar Rapids compared to undeveloped land elsewhere.

Like The Iowa Clinic, PCI plans to have its specialty clinics, a lab, imaging center, testing services, cafe and other offerings in its $36 million medical mall.

Built in phases, The Iowa Clinic now has 161 exam rooms, 18 procedure rooms and 34 offices. Its assessed value for property tax purposes is $25.8 million.

Originally two stories, it added a third floor two years ago, facilities manager Renita Brand said.

Dr. Kevin Cunningham, The Iowa Clinic’s medical director, said the building itself doesn’t necessarily make a difference in recruiting specialists, but “what it represents,” including efficiencies and coordination of care between doctors, does.

Physicians have a separate corridor in the clinic where they can meet to discuss patient care.

The group has about 130 doctors, up from 80 when it began, and averages 1,400 patient visits per day. PCI predicts 2,000 patients daily at its new site.

Because data systems are standard, patients don’t have to fill out information at each doctor’s office or lab, Brown said.

Its location between two hospitals also is convenient for doctors who practice there, he said.

PCI plans to build between St. Luke’s Hospital and Mercy Medical Center, but Sundall said the group is considering a move to green space in Hiawatha should the city not agree to close part of Second Avenue SE.

Sundall said the closing is needed to provide a circle drive for valet parking, an amenity seen at The Iowa Clinic.

Corwin Mott, 83, of Pleasantville, found the parking system “very convenient” on his first visit to The Iowa Clinic last month.

His daughter, Pam Goering, 57, of Pleasantville, dropped off Mott and his wife, Phyllis, 80, at the entrance door before parking in the clinic’s lot. The clinic provided a wheelchair for Corwin Mott.

“All of it was very accessible,” Goering said.

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