Fort Wayne Community Schools kicked off its annual Kids Caring & Sharing fundraising event Wednesday for Riley Hospital for Children at Wayne High School.A building on Parkview Hospital’s Randallia campus will be the home of Manchester College’s School of Pharmacy in 2012, officials announced Friday.
The office of Fort Wayne Cardiology, at 1819 Carew St., will be transformed into a satellite campus after the practice moves to the new Parkview Regional Medical Center on the Parkview North Campus.
Mike Packnett, president and CEO of Parkview Health, said at a news conference Friday it’s “destiny” that the building would be vacant at the same time Manchester is ready to start its graduate program.
“It is not too large. It is not too small. It is just right,” Manchester President Jo Young Switzer said.
Parkview will still own the building but lease it to Manchester for more than 10 years, Switzer said. She did not know the exact length of the lease or how much money Manchester would pay, saying it was being negotiated.
Manchester officials toured 12 sites in Fort Wayne, including the now-vacant Taylor University campus on Rudisill Boulevards, Switzer said. They liked Parkview’s building because of the layout and size, she said.
Beginning next summer, administrative offices for the pharmacy school will be in Parkview’s Carew Medical Park office. Manchester will temporarily share space with several offices and clinics.
The pharmacy school is expected to enroll 265 students and have 30 faculty members and 10 staff members.
Manchester officials hope to raise $10 million for startup costs before launching the program.
State and local officials commended Manchester officials for choosing to house their program in Fort Wayne.
Mayor Tom Henry said the influx of “highly educated people” will be a boon for the neighborhood and the city.
“We see in Fort Wayne the opportunity to work with people who are looking to the future,” Switzer said.
