Henry Ford Health partners with Acadia Healthcare to build new mental health hospital

Henry Ford Health System formed a joint venture with the nation’s largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company Acadia Healthcare Company to build a new 192-bed behavioral health hospital in metro Detroit.

Under the plan, the two organizations would partner to create the inpatient treatment facility for behavioral health needs on a parcel of land already owned by Henry Ford Health. Earlier this week, West Bloomfield Township Board approved a rezoning request for the parcel which is adjacent to its Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital campus.

The partners must now seek Certificates of Need (CONs) from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Construction will begin once all regulatory approvals are met with a goal to open the facility in 2022, officials said. 

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“This inpatient facility will provide a safe, modern care environment for our team members, patients, and families,” said Robert G. Riney, president of healthcare operations and chief operating officer of Henry Ford Health. “This is a natural extension of services we currently provide on the campus and the hospital will be built on land we already own. We look forward to expanding our operations through this progressive joint venture model to provide an essential resource in a fiscally responsible way.”

Henry Ford Health is a non-profit, integrated health system with six hospitals in Michigan, more than 250 outpatient facilities, Henry Ford Pharmacy, Henry Ford OptimEyes, and the non-profit Health Alliance Plan which provides coverage for more than 540,000 people. 

If approved by regulators, the facility will be focused on providing comprehensive inpatient treatment for adults, seniors and adolescents experiencing acute symptoms of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. The hospital will also serve as an academic site for inpatient psychiatry residents, medical students, nurses, and other healthcare professionals and serve as a "center of excellence" for comprehensive inpatient services. 

As part of the agreement, Henry Ford will consolidate inpatient services from its Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital and the inpatient psychiatric units at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital – Mt. Clemens. Officials said the facilities are aging structures and no longer able to support technology upgrades including the infrastructure needed to support the expansion of virtual care. 

“Acadia is extremely pleased to be partnering with a premier healthcare system like Henry Ford to provide these critically needed services in the Detroit area. The new hospital will make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families throughout the region,” said Acadia Healthcare CEO Debbie Osteen in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with Henry Ford to expand the quality treatment programs in these communities.”