$20M gift establishes The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation

The transformative gift from the Lechleiter and Tobias families to IU Health and IU School of Medicine aims to advance healthcare discovery to benefit patients in Indiana and around the world.

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis residents Sarah and John Lechleiter and Deborah and Randall Tobias have partnered on a $20 million gift commitment to establish the Institute for Clinical Innovation at Indiana University Health. Working within the new IU Health downtown Indianapolis hospital and across the state, the institute will serve as a hub for groundbreaking disease detection and treatment.

This commitment represents the largest philanthropic gift in IU Health Foundation’s history and one of the largest gifts ever shared by the health system and the medical school, further strengthening the collaborative philanthropic partnership that is unique to Indiana’s only academic health system.

IU Health will match the gift, bringing the total impact of the commitment to $40 million.

“The Lechleiter and Tobias families could have made this gift anywhere in the world. Choosing IU Health and IU School of Medicine demonstrates immense trust in our researchers and caregivers,” IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy said. “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 healthcare.”

“Our families share a commitment to advancing the future of healthcare for our Hoosier neighbors,” the Tobiases and Lechleiters said in a joint statement. “This gift will support IU Health and IU School of Medicine in their joint efforts to expand clinical trial participation in our state for the benefit of patients in Indiana and around the globe.”

The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation aims to:

• Increase the number of Hoosiers participating in groundbreaking medical studies to 75,000 patients each year – giving patients access to trail-blazing care, life-saving drugs and pioneering interventions.
• Enroll 300,000 patients in the Indiana Biobank initiative over the next five years to serve as the foundation for transformative research by understanding the genomic risk factors of Indiana’s patient population.
• Provide clinicians, researchers and faculty access to leading-edge work and resources, allowing them to publish findings and pioneer novel therapies.
• Attract and retain leading faculty, fellows and students.
• Accelerate the speed and impact of medical research across Indiana.

With their expansive statewide presence, including over 4.6 million annual encounters involving more than 1.2 million patients, IU Health and IU School of Medicine are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful impact. Their large patient demographics closely reflect national demographics, making this data valuable to the broader life sciences community.

“This gift highlights the strength derived from collaboration,” said Jay Hess, Executive Vice President for University Clinical Affairs and Dean of IU School of Medicine. “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. This marks a new era for healthcare philanthropy in Indiana.”

“The generosity of previous generations has played a critical role in the growth and achievements of IU Health since the founding of the three hospitals that formed its original core,” said IU Health Senior Vice President and President of IU Health Foundation Crystal Miller. “That tradition of leading through philanthropy continues with the Tobias and Lechleiter families and others who will be inspired by their generosity.”

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About IU School of Medicine

The IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 13 in 2023 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.

About IU Health

Indiana University Health is dedicated to offering highly-skilled, patient-centered care. Named the “#1 Hospital in Indiana” by U.S. News & World Report, IU Health Medical Center is the only academic medical center in the state. The distinctive partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine – one of the nation's leading medical schools – equips our highly-skilled physicians with access to innovative treatments using the latest research and technology.

About IU Health Foundation

IU Health Foundation leverages the power of philanthropy to support the IU Health vision of making Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states. When you give to IU Health, you aren’t just making a donation — you’re making All the Difference. To learn more, visit iuhealthfoundation.org.