UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS EXPANDS HEALTH SCIENCES PROGRAMS TO GREATER LAFAYETTE
A donated builidng, an anonymous gift and a shortage of trained imaging workers brought the Fort Wayne university back to its founding city
By Shelby White | Photos by Jennifer Boss
May 12, 2026
The University of Saint Francis opened a new health sciences facility in Lafayette on Tuesday, marking the Fort Wayne-based university’s return to the city where it was founded in 1890 and expanding access to medical imaging training that regional employers say has been difficult to find locally.
Franciscan Health donated the former Bill Long Medical Building at 1450 Salem Street to the university. The site, now called Our Lady of Lourdes Hall, will house associate degree programs in radiologic technology, diagnostic medical sonography, magnetic resonance imaging and health sciences, along with bachelor’s degree completion programs in medical imaging and health services. An anonymous donor contributed $3.5 million to Saint Francis to support the expansion.
The opening comes at a critical moment for health care workforce pipelines across the country. According to the 2025 American Society of Radiologic Technologists Staffing and Workplace Survey, vacancies in multiple imaging modalities are nearing all-time highs, with unfilled CT positions representing the highest vacancy rate — a trend that has risen steadily for several years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6 percent employment growth for radiologic and MRI technologists from 2023 to 2033, with the field expected to need roughly 16,000 new professionals each year over the next decade.
Diagnostic medical sonography is among the fastest-growing specialties, with a projected 15 percent increase in employment opportunities. In Indiana, the state reported 300 projected annual job openings for radiologic technologists through 2032.
For Lafayette-area health care employers, the shortage is the daily reality.
“This amazing new facility has many pathways that are not offered from other training resources in our region,” Kara Webb, workforce development director at Greater Lafayette Commerce said. “This is very exciting for our future workforce and for our new and existing facilities that will need to hire for these hard-to-fill positions. For many years, imaging has been a regional issue for us to fill since we do not have any local training opportunities for students or adults.”
Applications are open for students to begin prerequisite online coursework this fall. In-person labs and clinicals in Lafayette are scheduled to begin in 2026.
The site will also serve as a second location for the Leffler Academy, a nursing and allied health program founded in Gas City, Indiana, pending approval by accrediting bodies.
Franciscan Health and Saint Francis share a common institutional sponsor in the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. University president Dr. Lance Richey said the partnership reflects both a historic and ongoing bond with Lafayette.
“Saint Francis is excited about our partnership with Franciscan Health, a sister ministry of our sponsors — the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration — and looks forward to being back in the city where the then-St. Francis College had its start,” Richey said. “This is a fitting expansion since we have a 135-year bond with Lafayette in carrying out the mission of our foundresses.”
The expansion carries the support of Bishop Timothy L. Doherty of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, whose backing Richey also credited. “This growth will also come to fruition because of Bishop Doherty’s support to expand Catholic education for all people in the Lafayette Diocese and because of our strong partnership with the Leffler Academy,” he said.
Saint Francis enrolls approximately 1,800 students and offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs across campuses in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online.
