IU Health unveils plans for $1.6B downtown Indy hospital
INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — Indiana University Health has announced plans for a $1.6 billion hospital in downtown Indianapolis that will consolidate its two existing adult hospitals. The health system says the hospital will be part of an expanded campus that will also include research and education facilities for the IU School of Medicine. IU Health says the move is the largest in its history and will eliminate the “costly duplication of high-acuity services” while furthering its mission to provide high-quality care.
IU Health has filed plans with the city to request a Central Business District classification, which it says will provide zoning flexibility to “develop the diverse uses proposed for the 44-acre medical campus expansion.”
“The time has come to move ahead on this transformative project to revitalize our downtown facilities,” Dennis Murphy, chief executive officer of IU Health, said in a news release. “It has taken us several years to imagine, analyze, and decide how best to proceed. Together with city officials, neighbors and other partners, we are designing a campus with a destination hospital to provide state-of-the-art care for future generations of Hoosiers.”
The expanded campus will be located just south of the existing IU Health Methodist Hospital campus. At its core will be the new hospital, which will feature three glass-fronted towers about 10 stories tall with a rooftop helipad and enclosed walkways to nearby buildings and a parking garage.
The hospital will have the ability to hold up to 576 private patient beds and expansive outpatient care areas.
“The coronavirus pandemic has critically influenced the design of the new hospital and campus, reinforcing the need for a flexible design with acuity-adaptable spaces, including sufficient intensive care units to handle surges of ill or infectious patients,” said Dr. Ryan Nagy, president of
IU Health Methodist and University hospitals. “The new hospital will enhance the patient experience and our workforce will benefit from a design that supports more efficiency in care delivery and operations.”
IU Health says the construction on the new hospital will take place over the next six years. Once complete, the health system will consolidate operations from its Methodist and University hospitals into the new facility. Much of the Methodist hospital complex will then undergo renovations and connect to the new hospital to provide additional beds, exam rooms and other clinical space.
The health system says it also aims to award 25% participation on design and construction projects to certified veteran, women, and minority-owned businesses, while also achieving 50% local business participation as it develops the new hospital and campus.
Riley Hospital for Children will not be part of the new campus, but the health system says it will continue to be an “integral part of its care mission.”