A new health care facility is to be built and opened on Eastern Michigan University’s campus in the summer of 2019.
The project is in collaboration with Saint Joseph’s Mercy Health System (SJMHS) in Ann Arbor and Integrated Health Care Associates.
EMU’s Board of Regents announced their plans for the new health center at a meeting and subsequent press conference on Feb. 9. The building is set to provide urgent care, counseling and psychological services (CAPS), X-Ray services, and an online patient portal for appointment booking. The building itself as well as all the equipment inside will cost $6.6 million, contributed to by Saint Joseph’s and their IHA. EMU will pay $1.8 million for the roads and pathways leading to the building. The building will be 25,700 square feet, and located on the northwest end of campus on open land off Huron River Dr. and Oakwood St.
Board Chair James Web stated this project has been in formation over the past two to three years.
The new center will be replacing Snow Health Center (SNH), the campus’s primary source of health care services for students. SNH will be evaluated between now and the spring when the new center is being built for possible alternative functions it can serve.
“Snow Health has a long history of being a building that probably has needed to be revised and remodeled and we are now to that point where we can go to a new facility that will be very convenient for our students, our faculty and staff. But also important for the community,” said EMU President, James Smith.
The new center is planned to provide healthcare not only to the students on campus but also members of the Ypsilanti community. Appointments will be open via online scheduling to anyone seeking care.
It has yet to be decided the fate of the current employees of SNH. Walter Kraft, the vice president of communications at EMU, said it’s likely they’ll all be offered positions at the new center, but the final decision is still being considered.
Smith mentioned that, between EMU and SJMHS, they have access to a simulation center, an anatomy lab, and resident training, which will all continue at the new center. He expressed his excitement for the collaboration with SJMHS and IHA to ensue.
“New ideas, new possibilities, new ventures that three units working together certainly will be able to come up with that one unit alone may not be able to,” said Smith.
David Brooks, President of SJMHS, said, “We have collaborated with EMU many times and we have EMU graduates doing a wonderful job at St. Joe’s. We are very proud of the heritage.” He mentioned EMU currently has several programs involved with SJMHS.
CEO of IHA, Dr. Mark Lepage said, “We are pleased to bring high quality to the students, staff and faculty of EMU.”
Mock-up pictures of the design of the new health center have been placed on EMU’s website.
