A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday to begin construction on a new medical education facility in downtown Wichita.
The Wichita Biomedical Campus is a joint project of Wichita State University, WSU Tech, and the University of Kansas. The $300 million facility will be constructed at the corner of Broadway and William, with completion in 2026 and the first students beginning classes in 2027.
The ceremony was attended by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and a number of elected officials and educators from Wichita and Sedgwick County.
Governor Kelly said the project is a considerable step forward in the development of a robust health corridor. She said it will revolutionize health care education and put Wichita on the map as a hub for health care and groundbreaking scientific research. She said it will create countless opportunities for nurses, physicians, physician assistants and medical students to collaborate, learn together and form new partnerships, and that will mean better health outcomes for everyday Kansans.
WSU president Richard Muma said the project will lay the foundation for a brighter future for generations to come, and it will be at the epicenter of a thriving health care ecosystem. KU Chancellor Doug Girod expressed thanks to the Kansas Health Foundation, the state of Kansas and civic and business leaders who helped move the project forward, and he said as the new Wichita campus expands it will provide the ability for KU to expand its medical education programs further.
