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The hospital on Dequindre Road just north of 11 Mile Road in Madison Heights is currently run by Henry Ford Health, but it will soon be retrofitted by Trillium Health as a state-of-the-art inpatient behavioral health facility. However, Henry Ford Health will continue to manage its 24/7 emergency department.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
MADISON HEIGHTS — Starting this spring, the hospital at Dequindre and 11 Mile roads will undergo a retrofit converting much of the building to an inpatient behavioral health facility.
Henry Ford Health recently announced the transfer of the hospital to Warren-based Trillium Health Care Management, which will oversee renovations that will take about a year to complete.
Henry Ford Health, based in Detroit, will still operate and staff the emergency department as a standalone site for 24/7 emergency medical care. The rest of the building will be managed by Trillium Health as a state-of-the-art, 75-bed inpatient behavioral health hospital, with plans to quickly expand to more than 100 beds. The new facility has not yet been named.
Denise Brooks-Williams, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Henry Ford Health, said the partnership with Trillium Health is a way to shore up access to psychiatric care in the tri-county area.
“We look at what services are needed in the communities we serve, and there is definitely a behavioral health need throughout the region,” Brooks-Williams said. “This provided a great opportunity to provide and maintain those needed services. That includes continuing our 24/7 emergency department (in Madison Heights), and we’d also love people to know our Warren campus is within 5 miles and will continue to provide full services. So, Henry Ford is still an option for the community, and now we can add behavioral health services by partnering with Trillium.”
A request for an interview with officials at Trillium Health went unanswered at press time.
Brooks-Williams described the difference wider access to mental health services could make in eastern Oakland and western Macomb counties. She also said it’s a statewide issue.
“There are more than 3 million Michigan citizens who already have a behavioral health diagnosis of some sort, and they need access to the whole continuum of services,” she said. “This (collaboration with Trillium) will bring those services closer to the metro Detroit community.
“Mental and physical health go together. If both are doing well, you can better participate in all the things that help us to have a high quality of life,” she said. “If people are not feeling like themselves and they’re not participating in their usual activities, they should reach out to their primary care, which can be a great resource to help them identify services available to them. And if it’s a crisis, our emergency rooms are always available to help.”
Corey Haines, the mayor of Madison Heights, said he is pleased by the new arrangement.
“I am very happy that Henry Ford will continue to manage the 24/7 emergency care,” Haines said. “When I initially heard about this, I was very concerned that our residents would be without a close hospital for emergency services. Many times, minutes and even seconds can count when emergency treatment is necessary, and having Henry Ford right here in Madison Heights can save lives.”
He also shared his perspective as the former police chief of Madison Heights on how a behavioral health hospital could help first responders and the people they serve.
“As we all know, mental health treatment is in high need,” Haines said. “Having a facility that specializes in mental health treatment will be a great addition to our community and will benefit our police and fire by having a local facility that they can turn to for assistance.”
