Proposed downtown medical school moving forward after receiving candidate status

Project will revitalize five historic buildings in downtown Wichita and aligns with Project Downtown master plan

An important step in realizing a state-of-the-art medical school in downtown Wichita has been completed. The proposed Kansas Health Science Center - Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KHSC-KansasCOM) has been granted candidate status from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). More information can be found in a recent press release.

This important step in the accreditation process allows the $75 million proposed KHSC-KansasCOM to move forward in the heart of downtown Wichita.

00:00

The proposed KHSC-KansasCOM integrates three key priorities for economic development

Enhancing our region’s quality of place through realizing the vision in Project Downtown

This year marks 10 years of implementation for Project Downtown, which has spurred over $1 billion of investment in the urban core. The proposed KHSC-KansasCOM will renovate five historic buildings in the district and aligns with the vision in Project Downtown.

Currently under construction, the proposed $75 million training facility for osteopathic physicians will sit at 230 E. William and 130 S. Market, in the historic 90-year-old building once home to Henry’s, Macy’s and Innes department stores. The campus will include an osteopathic skills training center, standardized patient teaching rooms, large lecture halls, small group study rooms, a virtual anatomy lab, and much more.

Diversifying our region’s healthcare industry

The Regional Growth Plan identifies expanding the region’s training capacity for graduate physicians as one of the top 32 key initiatives. The proposed KHSC-KansasCOM will enhance our network of support systems and resources within our state and region’s healthcare industry. The proposed KHSC-KansasCOM development is expected to open in 2022 with the goal to positively impact the health landscape in Wichita and the state of Kansas.

Increasing our region’s competitiveness for talent attraction across the nation

Creating a forward-thinking medical school in an urban center is the type of live/ work/ play environment that today’s talent is looking for. The world-class training hub expands our region’s existing post-secondary education offerings, creating new opportunities to attract talent to our region.

Discover how the proposed medical school enhances key initiatives:

The master plan for downtown Wichita – Project Downtown

Our region's economic strategy for growth – Regional Growth Plan

One of our seven key industry sectors – Healthcare