Why is the Parkview Health system expanding into central Indiana?

On July 27, public officials in West Lafayette joined local business leaders and executives from the Fort Wayne-based Parkview Health system to break ground on the site of a planned $200 million hospital and medical office building expected to create 250 health care jobs. The Lafayette/West Lafayette area already is served by two hospitals in the IU Health and Franciscan Health systems, but the leaders assembled said the area’s growth made clear the need for the new facility.   Meanwhile, Parkview has been working through an agreement with Lebanon-based Witham Health Services, which provides medical services to residents throughout Boone County, to join Parkview later this year. That would bring Witham’s hospital under Parkview’s purview, as well as several clinics across the area. Parkview is also building a freestanding emergency department and urgent care facility in Marion. And Parkview and Noblesville-based Riverview Health are nearly a year into a managed-services agreement aimed at getting the struggling county-owned hospital system’s finances in order.   Parkview started growing outside of the Fort Wayne area in 1995 and now counts more than a dozen hospitals, medical centers and health institutes across northern Indiana and northwest Ohio. And It’s looking to continue to expand. In this week’s podcast, Dr. Greg Johnson and John Bowen, two Parkview executives leading the system’s growth, discuss the push into central Indiana and what makes it attractive for expansion. They also cover how they determine demand for another market player, what they think differentiates Parkview from other systems, and how they plan to staff the West Lafayette hospital.