Department of Medicine

Strategic Plan

Developed and released in 2025, this strategic plan is intended to be a roadmap for our department's next five years.

Our Mission

We improve the lives of all people through disease prevention, compassionate care, and transformative research—while training and retaining exceptional clinicians and leaders so that our work has national and global impact on health and disease.

Our Vision

The Department of Medicine is where science and innovation drive transformational care for all, while educating future healthcare leaders- making IU School of Medicine the best place to work and grow.

kathy miller and Harikrishna Nakshatri walk and discuss their work

Our Values

We strive for excellence in everything we do, treating others with respect, upholding the highest standards of integrity, fostering a spirit of camaraderie, and always placing patients at the heart of our mission.

The Principles that Guide Us

Excellence: That is reflected in the innovative conduct and advancement of education, research and patient care.

Respect: For all persons, including students, residents, fellows, faculty, staff, partners, communities, patients and families.

Integrity: A commitment to honesty, accountability,
and ethical conduct in all interactions.

Camaraderie: Fostering a spirit of connection, collaboration, and mutual support among all.

Patient-focused care: Prioritizing the needs, dignity,
and well-being of every individual, driving
compassionate care, informed decision-making, and collaborative research.

A Message from our Department Chair

I am pleased to introduce the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan for the Department of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Having a coherent and cohesive strategic plan is necessary to our success in advancing human health through education, clinical care, and discovery. It is one thing to hold a vision for the future and quite another to have the roadmap and resources to get there.

This strategy was not a work of any one person. It represents the product of more than a year of collaborative planning that was inclusive of voices within and outside of the department, including those from the medical school and our health care partners. Our department has a broad reach, being part of a large medical school with campuses distributed throughout the state. We made every effort to seek and include input from voices from every campus.

It is important to recognize those individuals who made an extra effort to create this strategic plan. Special thanks to all of these folks, including our Co-Champions: Tom Betley, Dr. Cynthia Brown, Tara Casey, Dr. Julie Clary, Dr. Mary de Groot, Dr. Nicole Fowler, Dr. Rakesh Mehta, Becky Reynolds, Dr. Sacha Sharp, Tessa Thorstenson, Nichelle Wilson, and Bridget Working. Dr. Krista Longtin from the IU School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development was a critical chaperone and facilitator for this process. Jalynn Evans served as a tremendous project manager throughout much of the process. Big thank you to our Dean, Dr. Jay Hess, and Dr. Neil Perdue, Executive Associate Dean for Strategy and Enterprise Alignment. A large amount of gratitude is directed to our Communications Manager, Caitlin VanOverberghe.

Lastly, we thank all the people in the Department of Medicine, whose hard work makes such a difference for our patients, our community, and all whom we have the privilege of serving.

David Aronoff, MD, FIDSA, FAAM, FRCP

John B. Hickam Professor of Medicine, and Chair of the Department of Medicine

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Review & Download the Strategic Plan

The full five-year plan is presented in a 35-page booklet that outlines goals, strategies, measurable outcomes, and, ultimately, the results of our work for each of the four pillars and three cross-cutting themes. You may access the booklet on OneDrive. A 10-page summary of the plan is also available for review and download.

View the full Strategic Plan

Download a 10-page summary

At the heart of the Department of Medicine’s strategic plan is a commitment to fostering an environment where every faculty member, staff member, and learner is empowered to engage fully, thrive professionally, and experience wellbeing.

Decorative illustration shows the pillars of the Department of Medicine’s strategic plan as clinical care, education, research, and financial health and its three cross-cutting themes of faculty and staff development, strategic engagement, and wellness.

Our approach to clinical care, education, research, and financial health is guided by three cross-cutting themes of faculty and staff development, strategic engagement, and wellness.

By embedding these principles into every facet of our work, we ensure that our department is a place where innovation flourishes, collaboration is the norm, and every individual can contribute meaningfully to our shared mission and vision.

Be part of the Plan!

Download posters, summaries and stickers to show you're part of the plan!

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Summary of Results

In our strategic plan, we have set a series of goals within each pillar and theme, and we have outlined the results we will achieve. Our Strategic Planning Champions carefully crafted these ideas after months of conversations that aimed to conceptualize our brightest future. While our strategic plan is intended to be a roadmap for the next five years, we will revisit and revise these outlines after three years and as needed elsewhere along the way.

Below, you will find a summary of those results for each pillar of our plan.

Heartbeat illustration on a red background

Clinical Care

We will have three or more specialties providing virtual care for outpatients across the regions and at least three additional IU Health hospitals throughout the state
We will implement a novel recruitment/retention program for residents/fellows transitioning to faculty
We will develop a scorecard and implement recognition based upon this scorecard
We will launch at least one additional concierge medicine panel
We will help create at least two destination/specialty services

Discover illustration on a orange background

Research

We will increase NIH funding to place our department within the Top 20 nationally
We will increase the total number of industry-sponsored clinical trials by 5%
We will increase industry trial revenue by at least 30%
We will create a process for capturing faculty publications in high impact journals and cross division collaborations
We will systematize the resident research rotation curriculum and evaluation
We will create and initiate a research mentoring “playbook” for the department

Scholarly illustration on a yellow background

Education

We will identify at least five educational development gaps of our statewide teaching faculty
We will deliver a suite of educational resources to Medicine faculty at all campuses
Our faculty will have increased confidence in evaluating medical learner performance
The department will expand our GME recruitment strategies to reflect the unique needs of communities statewide

Finance

The department will have a balanced budget without dependence on financial reserves
We will simplify faculty compensation plans so physicians can understand their division’s compensation model
We will increase faculty referrals to philanthropy by 5%
We will improve total philanthropic fundraising by at least 5%

Associate Vice Chair for Finance and Budget

Associate Vice Chair

Mary de Groot, PhD

Associate Vice Chair for Wellness

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Research Administration

Becky Reynolds

Director of Medicine Research Administration

Human Resources

Bridget Working

Director of Human Resources & Academic Administration

Advanced Practice Providers

Tessa Thorstenson

Director of Advanced Practice Providers

Medical Education

Nichelle Wilson

Clinical Education Leader

How did we get here?

Strategic Plan Project Timeline

It was important for our strategic plan to reflect the collective vision for the Department of Medicine. To accomplish this, we sought input from our faculty, providers, staff, trainees and other stakeholders in a variety of ways, including surveys and town halls. Below, you can find a general project timeline with notes on how we incorporated our community into the process.

two students work together on a laptop during class

Phase 1: Survey

Our strategic planning process began in January 2025 with a department-wide survey. At this time, we also announced the names of our Strategic Planning Champions. Data from the surveys was analyzed and released in early March.

Department of Medicine Strategic Planning Decorative Graphic

Phase 2: Town Halls

We held a series of town hall meetings throughout the Spring. In these meetings, our Strategic Planning Champions engaged the department's faculty, providers, staff and learners in some early drafts of goals. Everyone had the opportunity to share ideas and ask questions.

Phase 3: Retreat

In May, the Strategic Planning Champions and other stakeholders - totaling around 50 people - gathered for a day-long retreat where we workshopped the ideas generated in our survey and town halls. This process helped us to strengthen our mission statement, and to visualize where the goals of our focus areas overlapped.

student works on a laptop outside the iu indianapolis campus center

Phase 4: Release

After further discussion and collaboration by the Strategic Planning Champions, our Strategic Plan took its final form in the Fall. The official document was finalized and approved by IU School of Medicine leadership in December.

Review Indiana University's Strategic Plan

In April 2023, Indiana University launched a strategic plan that serves as the vision for IU’s third century in higher education. It outlines the university's commitment to student success, research and service in the State of Indiana. The Department of Medicine's goals align with these commitments, as well as those outlined in IU School of Medicine's 2030 Strategic Plan.

Review IU 2030