Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has announced a $2.5 million donation to Wichita State University’s Biomedical Campus, which is under construction.
There will be a $1.8 million gift that will go toward the remaining $16 million project cost and will ensure that clinical space is included in the $222 million Phase 1 of the Wichita Biomedical Campus construction in downtown Wichita. Blue Cross and Blue Shield officials said the inclusion of a clinic within the campus is an important element of providing applied learning for students while also increasing access to medical services.
The remaining $700,000 of the donation will create two endowed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas nursing scholarships in the WSU College of Health Professions.
Wichita State president Dr. Richard Muma said in a press release that the donation “will provide clinical space in the same building that contains our labs and classrooms and puts hands-on learning opportunities right in front of every student in the College of Health Professions. It’s a direct application of our university’s vision to provide impactful applied learning experiences.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas president and CEO Matt All said, “Most of the biggest moments in our lives are tied to health care in some way. The Wichita Biomedical Campus will help make those moments better for Kansans by training the health care workers of the future and empowering them with the best tools and research. We’re thrilled to be a part of making it happen.”
The Biomedical Campus is a project of Wichita State, WSU Tech and the University of Kansas. Construction on Phase 1 is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.
