Improving Health

Partnering with the community to make Indiana a healthier place

We believe that a healthy community is a thriving one.

That’s why we’re committed to bringing a culture of health to the IUPUI campus, ensuring that our students, staff, and faculty have the tools they need to take care of their health.

IUPUI also helps to improve the health of the state of Indiana by being the primary trainer of health care workers in the state.

We also partner with a number of organizations to bring health initiatives to life, ensuring our neighbors throughout Indianapolis can get access to health care.

Students work to improve community health

IU School of Medicine students started the Student Outreach Clinic on the Near Eastside to bring health care services to underserved populations in this tight-knit neighborhood.

But what started as a primary care facility has grown to include much more.

By partnering with other schools at IUPUI, and other universities across Indianapolis, the clinic has been able to expand its offerings to include everything from occupational therapy and dentistry to legal and social services.

Learn more about the Student Outreach Clinic

A group of people in scrubs stand around a sign that says Free Medical Clinic, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bringing fitness to low-income neighborhoods

Physical fitness is an integral component to overall good health. But low-income neighborhoods don’t typically have access to the kinds of exercise facilities necessary to maintain optimal fitness levels.

To help solve this problem, the IU School of Physical Education and Tourism Management has partnered with community organizations to bring the Physically Active Communities and Schools (PARCS) program to Indy’s urban neighborhoods.

Run by students from Kinesiology and other IUPUI departments with help from community partners, PARCS offers low-cost fitness and wellness services in three key Indianapolis neighborhoods.

Explore PARCS

Advancing community health research

Research is another important part of the overall community health puzzle.

Research centers at IUPUI partner with the community to facilitate community-engaged projects and further research intended to improve health in our area.

Community Health Partnerships

Community Health Partnerships (CHeP) fosters partnerships between IUPUI faculty and community health leaders to facilitate community-engaged health studies.

CHeP connects people looking for research partners, provides pilot funding for projects, recruits patients for studies, and much more.

Explore all CHeP has to offer

Center for Urban Health

The Center for Urban Health focuses on the connections between behavior, health, environment, and climate change in urban environments.

It funds and supports interdisciplinary research projects that focus on the intersection of these fields, and helps projects to find grant money.

Learn more about the Center for Urban Health

Indianapolis Diabetes Impact Project

Eli Lilly and Company and the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI are collaborating on a neighborhood-based pilot in three Indianapolis neighborhoods with significant health disparities and high rates of diabetes: the Coalition of Northeast Neighborhoods, Northwest Neighborhood and Near Westside Neighborhood. The long-term goal of this $7 million, five-year program is to reduce diabetes-related complications and to ultimately reduce the rate of diabetes in three Indianapolis neighborhoods.

Learn more about the Diabetes Impact Project

Work with us to improve community health

Find out how to partner with us