IU Health Foundation has announced the public launch of “All the Difference: The Campaign for Indiana University Health.” This $200 million statewide fundraising effort will support a multi-pronged approach to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the country.
The campaign will fund IU Health hospital-based initiatives to help Hoosiers avoid and treat illness and injury, as well as programs outside hospital walls that address social factors that contribute to poor health, such as housing, education, employment, and access to healthy food. These efforts complement IU Health’s nationally ranked clinical programs, including specialties in cancer, neurology, cardiovascular health, transplant and many more. IU Health’s unique partnership with the largest medical school in the U.S., Indiana University School of Medicine, enables patients to access the most innovative solutions for a variety of complex conditions.
The campaign, which runs through 2027, will benefit Hoosiers throughout the state, with many programs addressing local healthcare priorities identified by leaders at IU Health’s 15 hospitals.
“As an academic health system, IU Health plays a unique and indispensable role in supporting the state’s health delivery ecosystem,” IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy said. “We want to partner with other institutions to address all the factors in our communities that present social impediments to good health.”
While the campaign coincides with key construction projects including the $2.31 billion medical center in downtown Indianapolis, the campaign is centered on raising funds for programs and initiatives that contribute to individual and community well-being.
“In the past, healthcare fundraising campaigns focused heavily on building new hospitals or funding operations. Our campaign instead focuses on programs and services that help people access resources to improve their overall health and wellness,” said Crystal Miller, IU Health Foundation president and IU Health chief philanthropy officer. “All the Difference will play a key role in helping Hoosiers all across Indiana live healthier lives.”
Statewide funding priorities to be supported by the All the Difference campaign include:
- Community Health: Improving the lives of IU Health’s neighbors by addressing social determinants of health and eliminating health disparities. Ways to do this include efforts aimed at improving food insecurity, food as medicine, behavioral health, social isolation, maternal and infant health and health equity.
- Destination Medicine: Helping patients heal and thrive through access to premier, innovative specialty care. This effort builds on nationally significant institutes in cancer, neuroscience, and cardiovascular care, which are joint initiatives between IU Health and the IU School of Medicine and bring highly skilled physicians, researchers and educators into close collaboration to provide world-class care and improve the health of patients and communities across Indiana.
- Innovation: Pursuing and implementing big ideas that bring new approaches to care delivery. These involve advances in remote patient monitoring, expansion of virtual care, robotic therapies, precision genomics and the use of AI to improve patient care.
- Emerging Opportunities: Applying nimble and timely resources that meet the changing needs of caregivers and communities. Emergent needs could include a pandemic, health issues unique to a particular geographic area, and mental health services in response to a natural or manmade disaster.
- People: Equipping and attracting people dedicated to improving health. This includes providing professional development, community workforce development and patient aid through such avenues as nursing excellence recognition, transportation assistance for patients, and more.
- Indy Health District: Cultivating community-informed initiatives, programs and places focused on improving health outcomes for people who live, work, learn and play near the new downtown Indianapolis hospital. It will serve as a pilot project for similar districts statewide. Two initiatives underway include the Mosaic Center for Work, Life and Learning, as well as the IU Health Fellowship at Crispus Attucks High School.
Gary Henriott, chair emeritus of the Lafayette-based Henriott Group and chair of the IU Health Foundation board, and his wife, Shelly, have contributed to the campaign.
“I have been involved in the community, including IU Health, for more than 50 years, so I have first-hand knowledge of IU Health’s commitment to making Indiana one of the healthiest states in the country,” Henriott said. “IU Health reaches into all parts of the state to tackle local healthcare needs. I am especially familiar with programs that benefit my hometown of Lafayette and the rural areas around us, addressing issues such as behavioral health, early childhood development and patient assistance. Programs like these help people throughout the state.”
Scott Davison – who is chairman, president and CEO of OneAmerica, and served on the IU Health Board of Directors from 2011 through 2022 and was chair 2018 to 2022 – noted the importance of IU Health to the state’s economy.
“For Indiana to maintain its competitive edge, the state needs to be a place where people want to live, work and play – and a strong healthcare infrastructure is needed for all three,” Davison said. “The All the Difference campaign funds programs that will attract top clinicians, develop career paths for all levels of workers needed to operate a healthcare institution, and help companies like mine offer a higher quality of life as part of our recruitment and retention efforts.”
Dr. Aleesia Johnson, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, the largest district in Indiana, notes that philanthropy is critical in fueling the partnerships that are needed to create and execute innovative programs, including the IU Health Fellowship program.
“The fellowship program sets up our students for a lifetime of financial security and career satisfaction – an important contributor to overall wellness,” she said. “This didn’t happen in a hospital or in a doctor’s office – it happened because creative people came together to look at overall wellness from all perspectives, including our young people. I am grateful to our partners and look forward to seeing this program replicated around the state.”
About Indiana University Health Foundation
IU Health Foundation leverages the power of philanthropy to support the IU Health mission of making Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states. When you give to IU Health, you aren’t just making a donation – you’re making all the difference. To learn more, visit iuhealthfoundation.org.