Our Hospital and Clinics
Iowa Lutheran Hospital
Serving central Iowa since 1914, Iowa Lutheran Hospital provides
inpatient care to more than 10,000 individuals each year and outpatient
services to nearly 100,000.
A full-service community hospital with 224 staffed beds, Iowa
Lutheran specializes in cardiovascular care, maternity and women's
services, emergency treatment, chemical dependency treatment, behavioral
medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, transitional care and critical
care.
Iowa Lutheran is also home to Iowa's largest private, hospital-based
mental health facility. Combining advanced medical care with psychiatric
diagnostic and treatment capabilities, it addresses mental illness and
emotional or behavioral problems alike.
The hospital's history has been filled with firsts. It founded
America's first polio clinic (1942), Des Moines' first kidney dialysis
center (1971) and Iowa's first multiple sclerosis center (1988). Education has always played an important role at Iowa Lutheran.
For physicians, the hospital's Family Medicine Residency Program was
established in 1973. This highly-regarded program has trained hundreds
of family medicine physicians who have gone on to practice in towns all
over Iowa and the Midwest . Iowa Lutheran's unique environment gives
these residents a wide variety of medical experiences through a tightly
knit, community-based program. The commitment of Iowa Lutheran Hospital
to the community it serves is illustrated in part by its support of
maternal and childcare services at La Clinica de La Esperanza.
Please enjoy the video tour of our hospital.
Learn more about Iowa Lutheran Hospital.
La Clinica De La Esperanza

We have a sister clinic, La Clinica de la Esperanza (The Clinic of Hope). La Clinica is comprised of a team of medical professionals that are
dedicated to serving the community as a consistent medical home for the
Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant families and for others in the
community without health insurance.
La Clinica was established in 1995 by UnityPoint Health - Des Moines
residency faculty and community organizers who recognized the need for a
rapidly growing and underinsured population of Latino women to have
healthcare. Today, La Clinica is a full service clinic that offers
culturally competent care by providing a bilingual staff.
La Clinica was recognized for being an outstanding community
resource with a nomination for the 2010 Aurora Award. La Clinica de la
Esperanza 2010 statistics include:
- 8,167 patients were cared for at the clinic.
- 78% of patients started prenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy.
- 82% of children visiting the clinic received immunizations on schedule.
- 100% of children visiting the clinic received developmental screenings.
- All families with children under the age of six were offered the H1N1 vaccine.
We provide OB clinics two afternoons each week and
through this experience, residents see how quality healthcare can be
provided at reduced cost.
Other community activities in which our residents participate on a regular basis include the following:
- Refugee physicals
- Health class presentations at our local grade school
- Nursing home rounds
- Patient home visits
- Medical back up for hospitalized mental health patients
In 2018, La Clinica was merged with UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine-East Des Moines.
UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine-East Des Moines

The UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine-East Des Moines (UPC FM-EDM) is the continuity clinic
for our residency program. It is conveniently located just across the
street from Iowa Lutheran Hospital .
The 36 exam rooms provide plenty of space for up to 20 residents and
seven full-time family physicians. The UPC FM-EDM team also includes a
clinical pharmacist, behavioral therapist and patient educator. The
clinic has laboratory and radiology departments with full-time
laboratory and radiology technicians. All of these professionals are
actively involved in resident teaching. Several community family
physicians also staff the clinic on a regular basis, providing more
diversified training to residents. Here, residents learn how to manage
and care for office patients in a productive and efficiently managed
clinic.
The average time spent in the clinic by a first year resident is five
hours per week. Second year residents spend an average of 10 hours per
week in the clinic, and third year residents average 15 to 20 hours per
week. Each resident has a workspace and is provided a laptop computer. We are fully implemented in a web based
electronic medical record. Other highlights of UPC FM-EDM include several
osteopathic manipulation tables, a DEXA scanner, point of care ultrasound, and a library with many
reference materials.
The UPC FM-EDM boasts a very diverse patient population, including
patients from every age group, varied ethnic backgrounds and a broad
socioeconomic range. We are located in a stable working neighborhood.
Many multi-generation families have been using our clinic for years. We
care for several immigrant groups such as Hispanics, Southeast Asians
and Somalians.
The UPC FM-EDM is a modern facility which teaches best practice in a real
life setting. Our strengths include solid procedural training, a
diversified patient population and a strong family physician staff.