Iowa Hospital Plans $600,000 Upgrade to Wave Floor
University of Iowa Health Care will update the 12th floor of Stead Family Children's Hospital, a space known for patients waving to Kinnick Stadium crowds.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Children’s Health
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University of Iowa Health Care plans a $600,000 upgrade to the 12th floor of Stead Family Children's Hospital, according to construction bid documents. The project will update finishes and design elements that reflect the floor's tradition of "The Wave" to Kinnick Stadium.
Why it matters
The 12th floor is used daily for patient activities and hosts more than 350 events each year, including trainings, conferences and visits from legislators, donors and other VIP groups. The renovation keeps a long-standing Iowa City tradition central to the hospital's space.
The project carries a $600,000 cost according to construction bid documents, and the 12th floor hosts over 350 events each year. Construction timing and the full scope beyond finishes and design elements were not detailed in the available documents.
The players
University of Iowa Health Care
The academic health system that operates Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City and oversees the planned floor upgrade.
Stead Family Children's Hospital
A pediatric hospital in Iowa City whose 12th floor is known nationally for its patient-to-stadium Wave tradition at Kinnick Stadium.
The details
The upgrade will refresh finishes and design elements on the 12th floor, which features a "press box," a mediation room and a healing garden. The renovation is meant to reflect the tradition of "The Wave," in which patients wave to fans at Kinnick Stadium during home football games.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: University of Iowa Health Care announced the planned upgrade.
Legacy Tradition
The planned upgrade extends the Wave tradition at Kinnick Stadium into the physical design of the 12th floor of Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City. It keeps a stadium-linked patient ritual visible as the building itself is modernized.
Families receiving care at Stead Family Children's Hospital will see the 12th floor updated in its finishes and design, though the bid documents do not specify when the work will take place. The floor's patient activities and visits from families and visitors will continue to be part of the space during the project.
The takeaway
Patient spaces tied to community traditions can be redesigned without losing their connection to the events that made them meaningful. Readers following hospital renovations in Iowa City can watch for future announcements on project scheduling.
Further reading
Explore more on Children’s Health coverage from across Iowa City.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Mighty 1630 KCJJ.
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