The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics’ Eating Disorder Program is the only inpatient program in the entire state of Iowa and one of the only programs in the country that can accept high-risk, medically unstable patients.

A meeting was held on Thursday, September 1st with all staff and patients on the eating disorder service, who were told by upper management that the hospital decided to “phase out” the eating disorder program.

There are countless people within Iowa in need of services proved at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics who cannot afford to travel elsewhere, who won’t be accepted elsewhere, who will die before they can get admitted elsewhere. 

This is an emergency situation. According to NAMI, of the 154,000 adults in Iowa who did not receive necessary mental health care, 29.3% did not because of cost. Iowans are 2x more likely to be forced out-of-network for mental health care, making it more difficult to find care and making care less affordable due to higher out-of-pocket costs. Nearly two MILLION people in Iowa live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals.

Please help save this program. Do not let our loved ones die.