Ball Brothers Foundation Hosts Tour Highlighting Healthcare Workforce Development Pipeline
More than 30 individuals gathered on June 11 for Ball Brothers Foundation's Optimus Primary Field Trip, a full-day exploration of the partnerships, facilities, and educational pathways helping prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals in East Central Indiana.
Representatives from local universities, healthcare institutions, youth-serving organizations focused on career and college access, economic development groups, and grantmakers participated in the immersive experience which highlighted how collaboration across institutions is strengthening the region's healthcare workforce pipeline.
The field trip was designed to provide participants with an up-close look at the innovative approaches several local organizations are using to attract, train, and retain future physicians, nurses, therapists, technicians, and other healthcare professionals.
Stops included:
Ivy Tech-Muncie
IU School of Medicine-Muncie & Janice B. Fisher Learning Center
Ball State University’s College of Health
Maplewood Guest House
Ivy Tech Community College Muncie
Ivy Tech’s John & Janice Fisher Building (the former headquarters of Ball Corporation) is home to the Ball Brothers Foundation School of Nursing and IU Health School of Health Sciences. State of the art facilities include simulation spaces that mirror hospital and surgical rooms at IU Health’s Ball Memorial Hospital and could be used as overflow spaces in the event of mass casualty events. Tour highlights also included a visit to Ivy Tech's popular sonography program and an update on new EMT training, sterile processing, and pharmacy tech programs that are meeting workforce demands across the region.
IU School of Medicine-Muncie & Janice B. Fisher Learning Center
Attendees visited IUSM-M’s classroom and anatomy lab spaces, located across the street from IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Medical students spend four years in the program, one of the state’s largest physician training programs. Joining us for the tour was a student in the new Bachelors to MD program, a partnership between BSU and the IUSM-M which allows Ball State students to gain provisional admissions to med school while still in college. The building is also home to the Family Medicine Residency Center, a health clinic staffed by medical residents as well as a simulation center used by hospital employees, medical residents, and medical students.
Ball State University’s College of Health
Attendees toured a variety of learning spaces including nursing simulation rooms and standardized patient rooms where volunteer actors provide opportunities for nursing, IU School of Medicine-Muncie medical students, and other students training for healthcare careers to interact. Attendees also toured the Healthy Lifestyle Center’s clinical space and mobile unit, seeing first-hand how the HLC provides services in urban neighborhoods and rural areas alike. From taking blood pressure, to measuring bone density, to providing hearing screenings, attendees saw the practical resources provided by interprofessional teams of BSU and IU School of Medicine-Muncie students.
Maplewood Guest House
The final stop of the day took participants to Maplewood Guest House, one of the historic homes built by the Ball brothers and now operated by Ball State University. The property serves as a home-away-from-home for visiting Indiana University School of Medicine students completing clinical rotations in Muncie, while also providing hands-on learning opportunities for Ball State hospitality and property management students. By helping students connect with the community and experience the region firsthand, Maplewood plays a meaningful role in broader efforts to attract, support, and retain the next generation of healthcare professionals.
The field trip reflects Ball Brothers Foundation's ongoing commitment to Optimus Primary, a collaborative initiative launched in 2016 to strengthen healthcare workforce development across East Central Indiana. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $3 million in support of Optimus Primary partners and related initiatives. Originally designed to boost physician training, the initiative has now expanded to include a wide range of healthcare professions.
Beyond those partners visited on this month’s field trip, other partners include Open Door, Taylor University, the Delaware County Health Department, and Meridian Health Services.
By bringing partners together to learn from one another, explore facilities, and exchange ideas, the Optimus Primary Field Trip aimed to spark new connections, encourage future collaboration, and build pride in East Central Indiana's growing reputation as a hub for healthcare education and workforce development. For many participants, the day also provided their first opportunity to see firsthand the impressive facilities and programs that are collectively preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.