$6 million gift will support cardiovascular research, education and patient care

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 the institutions' 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."

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.

If you are interested in supporting cardiovascular care at IU Health or the Cardiovascular Institute, please contact Con Sullivan, senior director at IU Health Foundation, 317.797.1545 or csullivan14@iuhealth.org.