$40 million investment establishes The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation

The biggest ideas are rarely generated by a single person. They require collaboration, shared talents and contributions from multiple parties. A record-setting gift to establish the Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation at Indiana University Health offers a shining example of this principle at work.

Central Indiana residents Sarah and John Lechleiter and Deborah and Randall Tobias have partnered on a $20 million gift commitment to establish the institute, which will leverage the enterprise of IU Health and Indiana University School of Medicine to create an infrastructure for groundbreaking disease detection and treatment.

A dollar-for-dollar match from IU Health increases the gift’s impact to $40 million.

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 philanthropic partnership unique to Indiana’s only academic health system.

“It’s humbling to be part of such a big effort, and to be able to play a role in this,” said Deborah Tobias. “Worldclass healthcare and education – it was a no brainer for us.”

Initially, the Tobiases were approached about the idea of supporting the development of the new institute, but as the vision took shape, they were so excited, they shared it with their friends John and Sarah Lechleiter. Because Randall and John both previously served as president and CEO at Eli Lilly and Company, the couples share the experience of having a front row seat to the impact clinical trials can have on medical advances.

“When this was proposed to us, it took seconds for us to sign on,” Sarah Lechleiter said.

John added, “While there are many other worthy causes, some of which we support, this one has the potential to have the greatest impact.”

The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation aims to:

• Triple the number of Hoosiers participating in groundbreaking medical studies to give patients access to trailblazing care, life-saving drugs and pioneering interventions.
• Enroll 300,000 patients in the Indiana Biobank initiative over the next five years to facilitate transformative research through the study of genomic risk factors in 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.

“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.”

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.

“It’s almost impossible to quantify the impact, because this will live beyond all of us,” said IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy.

“The tradition of leading through philanthropy continues with the Tobias and Lechleiter families,” said IU Health Senior Vice President and President of IU Health Foundation Crystal Miller. “Through this gift, for generations, we know more and more people will have access to some of the most cutting-edge research. That’s going to change lives we can’t even imagine.”