IU Health breaks ground on West Lafayette hospital

Indiana University Health broke ground this week on IU Health West Lafayette, which will be the city’s first full-service hospital when it opens in 2028. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on Wednesday, June 3, with IU Health leaders, local officials and community partners in attendance.

IU Health West Lafayette is one part of the three-part Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project, a $214-million investment in expanding healthcare access in the community. In addition to the West Lafayette hospital, the project also includes the construction of a state-of-the-art cancer center on the Arnett Hospital campus in Lafayette and a substantial expansion to the number of specialty medical services available in West Lafayette.

“This groundbreaking is an important milestone not only for IU Health, but also for the West Lafayette community,” says Christopher Mansfield, MD, chief operating officer and hospital administrator for IU Health Arnett hospital and leader of the Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project. “We are proud to be the first healthcare system to break ground and follow through on our commitment to bring a full-service hospital to West Lafayette.”

IU Health West Lafayette will offer a 24/7 Emergency Department, inpatient care, multiple operating rooms, advanced imaging and laboratory services, with emergency transportation available when higher level of care is needed.

Construction is expected to continue through 2027, with the hospital scheduled to open in 2028.

Growing with the community

Tippecanoe County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, with Greater Lafayette driving that growth as the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States.

“This project reflects the growth we’re seeing across Greater Lafayette and the need for accessible, high-quality care across the healthcare continuum, close to home,” says Mansfield.

Together, the Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project will bring more than 210 new full-time healthcare jobs to the community by 2030.

IU Health is the region’s most comprehensive healthcare provider, serving a 10-county area and delivering care close to home in more than 40 essential specialties and subspecialties — from primary care to cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, infectious diseases and urology.