Henry Ford Health System Plans $50M Behavioral Health Facility in West Bloomfield

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System has formed a joint venture with Tennessee’s Acadia Healthcare Co., a large health care company, to build a planned $50-million behavioral health facility in West Bloomfield.
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rendering of Henry Ford Health System's behavioral health facility
Henry Ford has partnered with Acadia Healthcare Co. to build a $50-million behavioral health facility in West Bloomfield. // Rendering courtesy of Henry Ford Health System

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System has formed a joint venture with Tennessee’s Acadia Healthcare Co., a large health care company, to build a planned $50-million behavioral health facility in West Bloomfield.

Acadia was selected as Henry Ford works to address a growing, unmet need for behavioral health services in the Detroit area. The new facility will be near Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.

“We chose Acadia because of its commitment to patient- and family-centered care, strong clinical outcomes, and proven track record of collaborating with health systems across the country,” says Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO of Henry Ford.

“Henry Ford has been a trusted health care provider in the Detroit area for more than 100 years and is committed to meeting the rapidly growing demand for behavioral health services in the communities we serve. Health care is one of the most important building blocks of a strong community, and every individual deserves safe, accessible, affordable, compassionate, and high-quality care.”

Construction will begin once all regulatory approvals are met. Slated to open in 2022, the hospital will have 192 beds with the potential to expand. Comprehensive inpatient treatment will be provided for adults and adolescents who struggle with acute symptoms of mental health disorders.

“This inpatient facility will provide a safe, modern care environment for our team members, patients, and families,” says Robert G. Riney, president of health care operations and COO of Henry Ford. “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.”

The hospital will also serve as an academic site for the training of inpatient psychiatry residents, medical students, nurses, and other health care professionals.

“Acadia is extremely pleased to be partnering with a premier health care provider like Henry Ford to provide these critically needed services in the Detroit area,” says Debbie Osteen, CEO of Acadia. “The new hospital will make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families throughout the region. This partnership is a strong example of one of our growth strategies to continue to expand our treatment network through strategic joint ventures with many of the country’s leading health organizations.”

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

A 2020 report by Mental Health America estimates that 47 million Americans struggle with mental health challenges, an increase of 4 million people since the 2018 report. Henry Ford has seen an upward trend in admissions and visits beginning in 2014.

In addition, the rates of major depressive episodes in youth ages 12-17 increased 52 percent during the same time period. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 24 percent of Michigan’s population will be 60 and older by the year 2030, accelerating the need for psychiatric inpatient geriatric units.

As of Sept. 30, Acadia operated a network of 582 behavioral health care facilities with about 18,300 beds in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. It offers behavioral health care and substance use services in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, treatment facilities, residential treatment centers, and outpatient clinics.

Henry Ford has six hospitals and more than 250 outpatient facilities.