Southfield’s Beaumont, Pennsylvania’s Universal Break Ground on $40M Mental Health Facility in Dearborn

Southfield-based Beaumont Health and Pennsylvania’s Universal Health Services broke ground today on a $40 million mental health hospital in Dearborn. The two organizations formed a joint venture in an effort to address the state’s growing unmet need for mental health services.
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Beaumont and Universal mental health hospital
Beaumont Health and Universal Health Services formed a joint venture to break ground on a $40 million mental health hospital in Dearborn. // Rendering courtesy of Beaumont Health

Southfield-based Beaumont Health and Pennsylvania’s Universal Health Services broke ground today on a $40 million mental health hospital in Dearborn. The two organizations formed a joint venture in an effort to address the state’s growing unmet need for mental health services.

Construction is slated to begin in early 2020. The hospital will have 150 beds and be located across the street from Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn on eight acres of vacant land on Rotunda Drive near the Southfield Freeway. It is expected to open by mid 2021.

The facility will cover more than 100,000 square feet and double Beaumont Health’s current capacity for inpatient mental health care.

“Our mental health plans extend beyond the walls of the new facility,” says John Fox, CEO of Beaumont. “The new hospital will help us coordinate the entire continuum of services for comprehensive inpatient and outpatient mental health care, clinical training, and innovative new approaches to accessing care. Beaumont Health and UHS will provide specialized care for patients, along with medical residencies, clinical training, and the latest telehealth technology. Beaumont Health remains committed to highly specialized academic training programs, including the addition of graduate medical education programs in psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and other clinical training opportunities.”

Beaumont selected Universal as its partner because of its longstanding commitment to patient and family centered mental health care, strong clinical outcomes, and proven track record of partnering with academic, regional, and community-based networks. It operates more than 200 behavioral health hospitals serving more than 600,000 patients annually across the country. It will be the majority owner of the joint venture and oversee the day-to-day operations and management of the new facility.

“UHS is proud to partner with Beaumont Health in bringing these needed services,” says Matt Peterson, executive vice president and president of the behavioral health division at Universal. “Integration of behavioral health and physical health care services can decrease unnecessary emergency department visits, reduce unnecessary inpatient admissions, and enhance patient compliance with treatment leading to better clinical outcomes and higher patient satisfaction. As we continue to increase awareness and change the conversation about mental health and addiction issues, we remain committed to our top priority of saving lives and improving communities.”

Features will include multidisciplinary teams of psychiatrists, internal medicine physicians, other specialists, certified clinical pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, therapists, and other clinical support staff; an integrated assessment and referral center to support the community and Beaumont Health emergency centers; and substance use disorder treatment for those who are also receiving care for a mental health diagnosis.

Beaumont plans to eventually transition its current inpatient mental health services to the new location, which will have expanded programs that serve adult, pediatric, and geriatric patients.

The joint venture also plans to implement a telemedicine program to support its nine emergency rooms and other patient care settings across the system.

Nearly one in five Americans, or 43.8 million adults, have a mental health condition. Between 1999 and 2016, suicide rates in Michigan increased 32.9 percent. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the state, according to the National Institute of Mental Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This is an exciting day – not just for the people of Dearborn – but for all of southeast Michigan,” says U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn. “I know what it’s like to talk to a loved one who needs care but has nowhere to turn or providers are far away. Expanding treatment options in the community allows patients to remain close to friends and family, which provides a stable base that will result in better outcomes. I thank Beaumont, UHS, and the city of Dearborn for making this groundbreaking a reality.”

Beaumont has a total net patient revenue of $4.7 billion and consists of eight hospitals and 145 outpatient sites.

Universal has grown to a Fortune 500 company and has annual revenues of more than $10 billion. It operates 26 acute care hospitals, 327 behavioral health facilities, 40 outpatient facilities and ambulatory care access points, an insurance offering, a physician network, and related services in 37 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom.