Four years after breaking ground, the $4.74 billion Indiana University Health Medical Center campus in downtown Indianapolis has entered its last stages of construction.
Portions of the hospital building are nearing completion, with some floors starting to be stocked with furniture and equipment. Other areas, such as the first floor, are still in earlier construction stages with nothing more than the basic structure in place.
The new 44-acre IU campus is located along 16th Street and Capitol Avenue. There will be three 16-floor interconnected towers that will provide inpatient, oncology and emergency care.
It will also house the healthcare provider’s cancer, cardiovascular care, neuroscience and clinical innovation institutes that research new treatments and medical advancements.
Dr. Michele Saysana is the president of IU Health Metro Region and IU Health Methodist and University hospitals.
“This building is designed in a very thoughtful and intuitive way, and it’s meant to bring world-class care combined with research, medical education, and innovation in one space,” Saysana said.
The hospital is set to open in December 2027 and officials said it will turn the page to the next chapter of healthcare, not just for Indianapolis but the state, too.
A new era of healthcare in Indy
Throughout the process, healthcare providers have given feedback on what they want to see in the new hospital. On the ninth floor, those ideas have come to life. In the nearly complete inpatient rooms everything from the location of the bathroom to a panel for medical gas and equipment at the head of the bed has been meticulously planned.
Amanda Noth-Matchett is the chief nursing officer at IU Health Methodist and University hospitals.
“We see this as our legacy for the next 100 years, and so we wanted to create a design that could be adapted and that could evolve as healthcare continues to evolve,” Noth-Matchett said.
The layout took almost a year of planning. A cardboard mockup of the room was used to simulate situations and make improvements to find what works best for not only the patient but also nurses and medical providers. Noth-Matchett said some changes were simple but contributed to more streamlined care overall.
“There’s a glove box close to the bathroom and close to the patient and family zone,” she said. “Originally, we only had one glove box over here by the sink, but as we were running that simulation to get the patient to the bathroom, they said, ‘Hey, what if I need to grab gloves? I need another glove box over here.’”
Leaders said the hospital is built not only for today but also with the future in mind. As healthcare changes, the inpatient rooms can be modified as needed.
During a recent tour of the space, IU Health Vice President of Design and Construction James Mladucky stood beside a 3D model of the new campus and pointed to a plot of land next to where the hospital is being built. Mladucky said the foundation has already been built for if the hospital decides it needs to expand.
“We learned that lesson from UCLA, the Ronald Reagan Hospital. That’s what they did,” Mladucky said. “I’m not saying we’re going to build the next 15 years, but we’re set up to do just that if needed.”
Consolidation of locations
When the hospital opens in late 2027, services from two longtime locations in the city will be consolidated there: The more than 50-year-old University hospital location on the IU Indianapolis campus and the century old Methodist hospital across the street from the new campus will wind down operations.
Liz Linden, the hospital's chief financial officer said this will not only help patients get more streamlined care but also benefit their employees.
“You may have a physician that today is doing a surgical procedure at Methodist campus, but then has to go over to University campus or somewhere else to see a patient,” Linden said. “When we designed this building, we really wanted to focus on the experience that our patients and families would have, but then also our team members.”
The new IU Health campus will have 860 inpatient beds, fewer than the 1,440 listed in hospital online records: 1,000 at Methodist and 440 at University Hospital. The new hospital will also have 50 operating rooms and 110 care spaces in the emergency department
Dr. Michele Saysana, president of IU Health Metro Region, said the online figures do not reflect current operations: Right now between the two locations the number is closer to about 770 inpatient beds in use.
Saysana said the new hospital inpatient beds will all be private rooms
“It functionally increases the capacity that we use every day,” she said.
Part of a larger health initiative
The new IU medical campus is a part of the Indy Health District — a 1,500-acre area on the near northside of Indianapolis. The district was officially established in 2024 to address the health inequities neighborhoods in the area have historically had, including food access and a lack of greenspaces and safe bike paths.
A community quality of life assessment will be released Nov. 11 with a public presentation at the Indianapolis Children's Museum from 6-8 p.m.
Indy Health District Executive Director Jamal Smith said that, with the transformation of the area, the nonprofit has worked with the hospital to make sure the growth supports nearby residents.
“You’ll see cases of this across the country, where large investments, institutional investments, were made in communities, and folks were displaced because of that investment,” Smith said.
Even before construction of the new hospital is complete, IU Health has been involved in the district. To help with food access the Indy Health District created a farmers market where IU Health participated by offering free health screenings to residents.
“That becomes great because in that partnership, we provide food vouchers to the folks that come so that they can expand their purchase power,” Smith said.
Smith said the new medical center has the potential to bring more opportunities to partner with the healthcare provider.
After all services are moved to IU Health Medical Center and it opens, the University hospital property will be returned to Indiana University. The future of the Methodist Hospital site is still under review to determine a plan.
Contact WFYI health reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05
