IUHealth has announced a combined $20 million gift from Sarah and John Lechleiter and Deborah and Randall Tobias to establish an innovation institute at the IU School of Medicine. The largest philanthropic gift ever to the IU Health Foundation will be matched by IU Health, boosting the impact to $40 million. The Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation aims to serve as a hub for disease detection and treatment. To that end, it will work to increase the number of Indiana residents participating in medical studies to 75,000 annually; enroll 300,000 patients in the Indiana Biobank over the next five years to help researchers understand the genomic risk factors of the state’s patient population; provide clinicians, researchers, and faculty with access to leading-edge work and resources, enabling them to publish findings and develop therapies; attract and retain leading faculty, fellows, and students; and accelerate the speed and impact of medical research across the state.\n\nJohn Lechleiter and Randall Tobias are both former executives of Eli Lilly & Co. Tobias served as president, CEO, and chair from 1993 to 1999 and Lechleiter served in those roles from 2008 to 2016.\n\n“ This gift highlights the strength derived from collaboration,” said IU School of Medicine dean Jay Hess. “From the combined philanthropic support of two visionary leaders to the two organizations that will innovate as a result of their generosity, this gift is a partnership at every level. This marks a new era for healthcare philanthropy in Indiana.”

IUHealth receives gifts totaling $20 million for innovation institute

IUHealth received a $20 million philanthropic gift from Sarah and John Lechleiter and Deborah and Randall Tobias to establish the Tobias-Lechleiter Institute for Clinical Innovation at the IU School of Medicine. The gift, matched by IUHealth, totals $40 million and aims to advance medical research, increase patient participation in studies, and build a biobank to study genomic risk factors in Indiana residents.