IU Health has begun recruiting 270 nurses for its new Fort Wayne hospital, which remains on schedule to open May 1, 2027. Hiring covers intensive care, progressive care, medical surgical, operating room, cardiac catheterization, and emergency roles, with additional postings expected in the months ahead.
IU Health has entered the staffing phase of its first hospital in Fort Wayne, roughly nine months out from a scheduled May 1, 2027 opening. Leadership at the northeast Indiana campus confirmed in mid August that the project remains on its original timeline.
Recruitment has become the governing schedule item. IU Health is hiring 270 nurses to staff intensive care, progressive care, medical surgical, operating room, cardiac catheterization, and emergency departments. Postings for additional clinical and support positions are expected in the coming months.
Staffing a de novo hospital differs materially from opening a replacement facility. Where a replacement campus transfers an existing workforce, a new hospital must draw clinical staff from competing regional systems or recruit from outside the market entirely. IU Health has paired its hiring campaign with pipeline programs, including tuition support through a Nurse Scholars initiative and a residency structure covering a new graduate’s first year of practice. Coordination with IU Fort Wayne and other regional nursing programs is intended to convert local students into local hires.
Physician recruitment runs on a parallel track. Leadership has committed to sourcing half of the campus physician roster as net new additions to the community rather than reassignments from practices already operating in the region.
Portions of the campus remain unprogrammed. IU Health has been in discussions with area organizations and corporations regarding potential uses for available land, with stated attention to preserving green space. Reporting on the project update came from WPTA in Fort Wayne.
Construction started in July 2024, followed by a groundbreaking ceremony that September and a topping out in July 2025. The facility is owned and operated by Indiana University Health. Brian Bauer serves as president of IU Health Fort Wayne, and Angie Powell serves as vice president and chief nursing officer.