WICHITA — Governor Laura Kelly today joined higher education leaders from Wichita State University (WSU), the University of Kansas (KU), and WSU Tech to break ground on the new $302 million Wichita Biomedical Campus.
“The Wichita Biomedical Campus will revolutionize health care education and put Wichita on the map as a hub for health care and innovative scientific research,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The ripple effects of this campus include better health outcomes for everyday Kansans and, for the people in the region, access to superb health care in their own backyard.”
The new campus will become a central location for the WSU College of Health Professions and Speech Language Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program, and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy. It will join a string of health care facilities in downtown Wichita, including the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ascension Via Christi, and the new COMCARE facility being constructed for the mental health services provider.
“As we celebrate the beginnings of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, we’re celebrating the future of our city and our state,” said Wichita State University President Rick Muma. “This facility will truly revolutionize the way health care professionals learn, research, innovate, and care for patients, and it sets Wichita up to become a premier health care hub in the nation.”
“When you think about the opportunities that this presents our students for the future, to be co-located with the people who they’ll be working with every single day, it really gives us a leg up,” said University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod.
The biomedical campus is expected to bring 3,000 students, 200 faculty and staff, and 1,600 related jobs to the city’s core with future growth opportunities.
“The Kansas Framework for Growth, our state’s economic development strategic plan, calls for targeted investments in community assets that can help deliver prosperity,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Wichita Biomedical Campus will propel our state forward as a leader in healthcare innovation and is a perfect example of how the Kelly-Toland Administration is committed to making Kansas the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.”
“The Wichita Biomedical Campus is transforming downtown Wichita and creating incredible industry depth and diversification,” said Partnership President Jeff Fluhr. “Today marks a remarkable moment in our city’s history, and the Partnership is honored to support this critical investment in the future of our city, region, and state.”
