Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council approved a $50 million investment into ASU Health, which will house ASU’s John Shufelt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering on the Phoenix Bioscience Core in downtown.
The Council’s vote—a unanimous one—pledges an additional $38 million from the City’s Sports Facility, Biosciences, and Tourism Fund, in addition to the $12 million in General Obligation Bonds approved by voters in November 2023. The total represents the largest direct investment the City has contributed to a single bioscience project.
“The Phoenix-ASU Health partnership will grow our place as one of America’s premier innovation and bioscience cities,” Mayor Gallego said. “ASU Health will mean more opportunities for students, cutting-edge medical research partnerships, better care for our community, and more cures.”
“Today’s action represents perhaps the most significant step yet in the partnership between the city of Phoenix and Arizona State University that has been built over the past two decades,” ASU President Michael Crow said. “The leadership of Mayor Gallego and the Phoenix City Council and the city’s investment in ASU Health will contribute significantly to our shared goal of creating better health outcomes for the people of Arizona. Located in the heart of downtown as part of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, this headquarters will be home not only to a new kind of medical school, but to an entire set of ASU schools, faculty members and students who will conduct research and master new ways of doing things while advancing the health care professionals of the future. We are grateful for the city’s support and look forward to the work ahead.”
As a part of its agreement, ASU Health will collaborate with the City on three key pillars, matching Gallego’s priorities: occupational health, including cancer that has afflicted many Phoenix city employees; women’s health; and urban public health resilience which will include research on heat, homelessness, and mental health, substance use, and addiction.
“Building out the Phoenix Bioscience Core strengthens the momentum we’ve built in the downtown corridor and ensures Phoenix remains a destination for innovation and opportunity,” Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington said. “Together we are supporting residents of Phoenix who face health challenges every day by adding more doctors, nurses and other health professionals.”
“Every one of us knows someone who couldn’t find a doctor, who drove too far to see a specialist, or who waited too long for care that came too late,” Councilwoman Ann O’Brien said. “Investing in ASU’s Health Headquarters will make a real and lasting difference in the lives of our residents. By bringing medicine, engineering, and technology together, we are training a new generation of healthcare innovators in Phoenix, and the result will be more providers, smarter care, and a healthier community.”
“I’m proud that the City of Phoenix is deepening its partnership with ASU Health,” Councilwoman Betty Guardado said. “The focus and investment on occupational health, women’s health, and urban public health challenges like heat and homelessness will bring real benefits to our residents and employees.”
“Bringing ASU Health to the heart of our City helps us meet people where they are,” Councilman Kevin Robinson said. “It strengthens our ability to address real‑world challenges and ensures better care, stronger services, and new opportunities that reach every Phoenix resident.”
First announced in October 2023, ASU’s new medical school will combine clinical medicine, biomedical science, and engineering. The school will build on and augment existing clinical partnerships between ASU and Mayo Clinic and will support research to improve patient health comes.
ASU’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and College of Health Solutions are already a part of the university’s downtown Phoenix campus.
