TERRE HAUTE —
A vibrant, revitalized neighborhood between Union Hospital and Indiana State University is one of the goals of the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative.
A planning process to turn the vision into reality has begun, but an important component involves getting feedback from those who already live, work and have an interest in that area.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, RHIC partners will sponsor neighborhood planning workshops so that those most directly affected have a say in what happens.
No prepared plan yet exists, but facilitators will present revitalization projects done in other urban areas near universities or medical complexes, said Jackie Turner of Ratio Architects, which is working with two other consultants to develop a master plan for the proposed RHIC district.
Those attending also will be asked to complete a survey.
“It’s a totally open, transparent process and we’re in the early stages looking for input,” Turner said.
Ratio will use the information and feedback as it prepares a master plan for the area. Turner described it as a seven- to nine-month process which has been under way for about 21⁄2 months.
Proposed boundaries for the RHIC district are Eighth Avenue to the north, Tippecanoe Street to the south, Third Street to the west and 13th Street to the east, although 13th Street is considered more on the periphery, Turner said.
Three workshops, which are open to the public, will take place at the Landsbaum Center for Health Education at 1433 N. 61⁄2 St.
The sessions are scheduled for 1:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and then again from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Wednesday. The sessions are informal, and those interested can stop in at any time and stay as little or as long as they want.
The workshops are more one-on-one, and people will have an opportunity to interact and ask questions, Turner said.
Area residents, business owners, students and property owners are welcome to attend and share their opinions, experiences, and ideas. “The master plan will evolve in this workshop,” Turner said.
There will be a short presentation at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday to summarize the comments and ideas generated during the workshop.
Ratio Architects, Development Concepts Inc., and VS Engineering are consultants for the project and will facilitate the workshop. They also will meet with some invited stakeholder groups.
RHIC, announced in December 2008, is a partnership aimed at addressing health care worker shortages in the Wabash Valley, particularly in rural areas.
Part of the initiative involves neighborhood revitalization between ISU and Union Hospital.
When RHIC was first announced, officials described their vision for a transformed neighborhood that would include educational and research centers in keeping with RHIC’s mission. They envisioned new housing, retail establishments, green spaces and entertainment venues, creating a neighborhood where people can “live, work and play.” Another component involves economic development and attracting new businesses to the area, including, but not limited to, health care and life science companies.
After the workshops are concluded, the consultants will put together a draft document, Turner said. When it is complete, another public meeting will be conducted.
Additional information is available at www.CommunityCollaborate.com.
RHIC partners are Indiana State University, Union Hospital’s Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Ivy Tech Community College-Wabash Valley, the City of Terre Haute, Terre Haute Economic Development Corp. and Vermillion-Parke Community Health Center.
In addition to the master planning process, RHIC partners have been pursuing other initiatives related to education and economic development, including grant-writing.
RHIC received funding for a feasibility study earlier this year related to potential economic development in the district.
“We’re looking at business support services and how we might grow a cluster of businesses around the mission of RHIC,” said Chris Pfaff, director of business support at ISU.
One possibility is a business accelerator that would work with emerging companies ready for the next stage of development, rather than startup companies, Pfaff said.
The accelerator, which could involve a standalone facility, would work with companies not only in the health care and life sciences fields, but other areas as well, Pfaff said.
RHIC partners also are planning for a simulation center, in which high-tech simulators, or mannequins, would be located in one facility and used to train future and current health care professionals.
“This is a really exciting opportunity,” said Sarah Snider, RHIC facilitator and interim executive director. Now, the simulators are located in separate facilities, or partners may be in the process of acquiring them.
The goal is to have the simulation center operating by Jan. 1 in renovated space at Union West, said David Doerr, president and chief executive officer of Union Hospital.
High-tech, computer-controlled mannequins can mimic everything from childbirth to heart attacks, he said.
In the next session of the Legislature, ISU plans to request $40 million in state funding for renovation of the Health and Human Services (Arena) Building used by the expanding College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. The college also has received state approval to offer new programs: doctoral degrees in nursing practice and physical therapy as well as a master’s degree in physician assistant studies.
In other developments:
• A new partner has been added the Vermillion/Parke Community Health Center.
• There has been much planning related to “interprofessional education,” in which future health care professionals from various disciplines — nursing, medicine, psychology, social work and others — take classes and train together.
“We tend to train in silos,” Snider said. When these future health professionals go out into the real world, “We want them working as a team.”
• RHIC been approved as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
More information about The RHIC is available at www.therhic.org.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
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