IU Health to build West Lafayette's first full-service hospital, part of $214 million plan
The three-part Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project will bring the city's first hospital to West Lafayette, a news release said, along with a state-of-the-art cancer center to the Arnett Hospital campus in Lafayette and a substantial expansion to the number of specialty medical services available in West Lafayette.
Art Vasquez, president of IU Health's West Region, said in the release that the IU Health Board of Directors recognized the growth coming to Greater Lafayette several years ago, understanding the need for an increase in services.
"We planted our flag early, confident in the community's potential and committed to being part of its future,' Vasquez said in the release. 'Today, we're proud to announce the next bold step in that journey with the Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project. This is a major milestone, not just for our organization, but for our community.'
Johnna Dexter-Wiens, senior communications consultant for IU Health's West Region, said a location for the new West Lafayette hospital has been confirmed, but she declined to share more details as of Friday morning.
"We have secured a site in West Lafayette as part of our strategic planning process to expand access to high-quality care in the region," Dexter-Wiens said. "We are currently conducting thorough due diligence, and we look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks. Our priority is to build in the location that will best serve the community, both now and for generations to come."
The project builds on more than a century of commitment by IU Health in Greater Lafayette, the release said, beginning with the establishment of the Arnett-Crockett Clinic in 1922.
Dennis Murphy, IU Health president and chief executive officer, said in the release that IU Health has been responsible for bringing several "firsts" in health care to Tippecanoe County, including the first multi-specialty clinic, the first cardiology and pediatric departments and the first urgent care.
"Now, we're preparing to bring another milestone — the first hospital in West Lafayette,' Murphy said in the release. 'Throughout every era, IU Health has consistently followed through — investing in infrastructure, talent and innovation to meet the evolving needs of the communities we proudly serve.'
Construction on both the cancer center and hospital is expected to begin in 2026, the release said, with both facilities projected to open in 2028.
The Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project will relocate the existing IU Health Cancer Center in Lafayette from its current location on 26th Street in Lafayette to a new state-of-the-art facility on the Arnett Hospital campus, the release said.
The new 55,000-square-foot Cancer Center will have room to provide essential infusion therapies to 32 patients simultaneously, the release said, equating to a 23% increase over the current facility. The new center plans to create an environment that is intentionally designed to support whole-person care through integrative services such as art therapy, massage therapy, music therapy, support groups, yoga for relaxation and spiritual care.
The full-service IU Health West Lafayette hospital will offer a 24/7 emergency department, inpatient care, multiple operating rooms, a helipad for emergency transportation and advanced imaging and laboratory services, the release said.
"IU Health West Lafayette Hospital will expand access to preventive care, enhance specialty capabilities and improve outcomes across the continuum of care, bringing IU Health's leading-edge treatments and whole-person approach closer to home for residents of West Lafayette," the release said. "IU Health is the only health system with plans to offer inpatient hospital care in West Lafayette."
Alongside the new West Lafayette hospital, IU Health will also undertake an 8,000-square-foot renovation at the IU Health Medical Offices on Sagamore Parkway West in West Lafayette, the release said, bringing access to specialty medical care to West Lafayette through the establishment of a multispecialty clinic in the building.
IU Health will also establish a new rapid access cardiology clinic at the same location, the release said, as well as a walk-in orthopedic clinic for same-day evaluation and treatment.
The Greater Lafayette Community Growth Project will bring more than 210 new full-time health-care jobs to the community by 2030, the release said, including 29 physicians, 10 advanced practice providers and 69 nurses, along with 100-plus other essential health-care positions.
In April, officials with Purdue University and Ascension St. Vincent also announced plans to bring a new medical facility to West Lafayette, which is moving forward again after a delay of more than two years.
That facility will be at the intersection of Airport Road and U.S. 231, according to a news release. Plans include space for advanced urgent care, imaging, labs and primary care physicians.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: IU Health to build West Lafayette's first full-service hospital
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