Medical campus proposals requested

IU is now accepting requests for proposals for its academic medical research campus in the greater Evansville region.

The IU School of Medicine is working with Ivy Tech Community College, the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville to bring their health science education facilities together into one location.

Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities Tom Morrison’s office will accept proposals through the end of January.

IU directed the planning process after the Indiana General Assembly appropriated a $2 million planning fund earlier this year, Morrison said.

The idea to combine centers began with a high level of community interest, Morrison said.

“Evansville being one of the largest cities in the state, they certainly have an interest in medical facilities,” Morrison said. “If you can consolidate all of that health, science and education into one location, it provides a good opportunity for health care in the community.”

External groups’ applications will propose design and building space plans. At the end of January, IU will review and analyze all received proposals.

Morrison says his goal is to present an analysis of the proposals to the Board of Trustees in April. If the Board gives a recommendation on a given proposal, IU will begin site-planning shortly after, Morrison said.

“This is a very prescriptive legal process,” Morrison said. “We are very purposeful and very careful in how we engage in the process so that everybody has a fair opportunity.”  
Plans must be approved by the state legislature before construction, which will most likely not begin until 2015, Morrison said. The center will take about two years to build and could open summer 2017, Morrison said.

An advantage of co-locating university centers in Evansville is the opportunity to maximize simulation center space, as opposed to operating multiple simulation facilities, Morrison said.

“Doctors in training and nurses could share the space,” Morrison said. “That makes some sense.”

IU will organize forums in the city of Evansville next Thursday and in January.

Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.