Construction Incident Injures Patient at University of Iowa

The University of Iowa has suspended a construction project at its hospital after a concrete panel fell through a window and injured a patient.

Spokesman Tom Moore said the patient received a minor injury from the broken glass Thursday afternoon and received immediate treatment.

Moore said engineers from Shive Hattery have been asked to investigate the cause of the incident, in which a pre-cast concrete panel being suspended by a crane fell. The construction involved an addition to the Ambulatory Surgery Center at the Pomerantz Family Pavilion, near Kinnick Stadium.

Moore says patient care and staff activities have been temporarily relocated away from the side of the building where the incident happened. He says the investigation will take until next week, and construction will not resume until concerns are resolved.