$6 million gift to support cardiovascular research, education and patient care at IU Health, IU School of Medicine

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis residents Sarah and John Lechleiter are giving $6 million to support cardiovascular care, research and physician training at Indiana University Health and the Indiana University School of Medicine.

The Lechleiters’ commitment represents the largest single philanthropic gift ever shared by the health system and the medical school, an indication of their continued collaboration. Its focus on cardiovascular disease takes aim at a public health threat that kills more Hoosiers than the next three causes of death combined.

“Having personally experienced the exceptional care and expertise of the IU School of Medicine and IU Health, Sarah and I understand firsthand the profound impact their collaboration can have,” John Lechleiter said. “The strength of their partnership has been evident not only in my own journey but in the remarkable strides they continue to make in cardiovascular health. Our gift is a testament to our confidence in their shared mission to transform the status quo and improve lives.”

The Lechleiters’ gift will support:

• Improvements to patient care and physician training
• A new faculty chair in cardiovascular innovation
• Research, quality and innovation work in the Cardiovascular Institute

IU Health and the IU School of Medicine have a storied history in cardiovascular care. The state’s first open-heart surgery and first heart transplant were performed in IU Health hospitals. IU School of Medicine faculty physicians developed new cardiac devices and pioneered the use of the echocardiogram. The Lechleiter gift will build on that foundation.

For IU Health, with 15 hospitals in Indiana and one of the highest-volume heart and vascular programs in the country, the Lechleiter gift is a welcome boost to its ongoing efforts to improve care.

“We are grateful to John and Sarah for their visionary gift to address one of Indiana’s greatest challenges: cardiovascular health,” said IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy. “Their generosity will strengthen preventive and clinical care options, expand access so more Hoosiers can receive that care, and ensure that we have top clinicians in place to deliver it.”

For the IU School of Medicine, the Lechleiter gift will establish a chair to help recruit a leader to accelerate innovation in cardiovascular care. Their gift also supports new research at a school that’s already challenging paradigms in areas such as the treatment of patients recovering from heart attacks.

“This generous gift from Sarah and John will enable us to recruit an outstanding innovator in cardiovascular care and expand our research to improve the health of Hoosiers,” said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, Dean of the IU School of Medicine and IU’s executive vice president for university clinical affairs. “We are deeply grateful for their support, which will have a lasting impact in cardiovascular care.”

Sarah Lechleiter serves on the board of Newfields and is an emeritus member of the board of the Indiana Repertory Theatre. She was a founding member and served as chair of the United Way of Central Indiana’s Women United, among her many civic and philanthropic roles.

John Lechleiter, PhD, chairman emeritus of the board of Eli Lilly and Company, retired in 2016 as its president and chief executive officer after more than 37 years at the company. He began his work there as an organic chemist in 1979.

John Lechleiter said the visionary leadership at both institutions is driving forward crucial advancements in patient care, research and education.

Hess arrived as Dean at IU School of Medicine in 2013, the same year Murphy came to IU Health as chief operating officer. Two years later, Murphy assumed leadership of the system. Together, the pair has forged a strong working relationship that has brought the two institutions closer together.

In 2020, they formed a new Cardiovascular Institute, aligning their leadership and resources more closely to strengthen assets for student and physician training, faculty recruitment, research and development. The aim was to foster innovations in areas ranging from early heart disease detection to the development of new treatments and cures for patients. Together, their goal is to become one of the top 10 cardiovascular centers in the country. The Lechleiter gift helps the institutions take another step in that direction.

Hess said both institutions realize that the success of one is dependent on the success of the other. “As a medical school and a health system, we’ve built a strong partnership,” he said. “This collaboration will benefit Hoosiers far into the future.”

Murphy said the Lechleiter gift will accelerate the institutions’ shared commitment to cardiovascular medicine programs. “As an academic health system, IU Health works with the IU School of Medicine to translate research into solutions that advance patient care and begin training future doctors on best practices for delivering that care,” he said.