The governing board of the University of Iowa is reviewing the school's practice of raising private donations from patients at its hospital.
The Iowa Board of Regents said Monday that its leadership met with UI President Sally Mason to share concerns about practices described in recent articles by The Des Moines Register. Board leaders say Mason has arranged for them to meet with University of Iowa Foundation officials to review fundraising policies and practices.
The newspaper reported this month that the university's hospital shares a variety of information with the foundation about patients unless they opt out, and patients are sometimes solicited for donations from doctors who helped them.
Critics say some may feel compelled to give because of the doctor-patient relationship. The university has defended the practice as ethical.
