Indianapolis philanthropists Sarah and John Lechleiter and Deborah and Randall Tobias have committed $20 million to establish the Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation at IU Health.
This initiative, based at the new IU Health downtown Indianapolis hospital, will focus on cutting-edge disease detection, treatment and clinical research to benefit patients across Indiana and beyond.
The gift, the largest ever received by the IU Health Foundation, will be matched by IU Health, raising the total impact of the commitment to $40 million.
“The Lechleiter and Tobias families could have made this gift anywhere in the world,” said Dennis Murphy, IU Health president and CEO. “Choosing IU Health and IU School of Medicine demonstrates immense trust in our researchers and caregivers. Thanks to this commitment, our patients will get early access to life-saving treatments and The Institute for Clinical Innovation will become a destination for leading-edge health care.”
The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute will serve as a hub for medical advancement, with key objectives including:
- Increasing the number of Hoosiers participating in clinical trials to 75,000 annually, providing access to pioneering drugs, interventions and care.
- Enrolling 300,000 patients in the Indiana Biobank initiative over five years to advance research on genomic risk factors unique to Indiana’s population.
- Empowering clinicians, researchers and faculty to innovate, publish findings and develop novel therapies.
- Attracting and retaining top faculty, fellows and students to Indiana.
- Accelerating medical research with a focus on addressing statewide and national health challenges.
“From the combined philanthropic support of two visionary leaders to the two organizations that will innovate as a result of their generosity, this gift is a partnership at every level,” said Jay Hess, executive vice president for University Clinical Affairs and Dean of IU School of Medicine. “This marks a new era for health care philanthropy in Indiana.”
The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute’s work will leverage IU Health’s expansive statewide presence, which includes more than 4.6 million annual patient encounters and a diverse demographic that mirrors the nation.
“That tradition of leading through philanthropy continues with the Tobias and Lechleiter families and others who will be inspired by their generosity,” said Crystal Miller, IU Health senior vice president and president of IU Health Foundation.
To learn more, visit iuhealth.org.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
