Enhancing Behavioral Health in Lansing

University of Michigan Health-Sparrow has a responsibility—and a plan—to improve access for our neighbors in need through the construction of a new, 120-bed behavioral health facility adjacent to our extended campus, which includes the former Eastern High School. These plans are subject to approval by the state and the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

The old EHS building is not appropriate or feasible for the state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital our community deserves, due to its aged infrastructure and layout. We understand that many feel a connection to EHS, and we will continue to work with the community to honor its legacy as we evolve the UM Health-Sparrow campus to offer these and other lifesaving services for our community long into the future.

After significant vetting, it’s clear that our extended campus, which includes the former Eastern High School building, is the only site in Lansing that is appropriate for the behavioral health facility our community needs. Importantly, the old EHS site on our extended campus is located directly next to the Sparrow Emergency Department, which is critical to providing best-in-class behavioral health care, because half of the patients who present with behavioral health concerns also have additional medical needs requiring treatment.

The site on our extended campus also meets additional criteria for a high-quality behavioral health facility, including proximity to public transportation, ample acreage for the outdoor programming and the footprint required to build an internal layout that supports the safety of patients and care teams, as well as the needs of patients requiring differing levels of care. No other site in Lansing or on the UM Health-Sparrow campus provides these crucial features.

We are already connecting with local elected officials, community leaders, mental health advocates, neighborhood groups and school alumni. We look forward to continuing to partner with all individuals who care deeply about behavioral health services and the legacy of EHS.

We invite community members to share your perspective on the community’s behavioral health needs and UM Health-Sparrow's proposed facility by reaching us at SupportingMentalHealth@umhsparrow.org.

We are still in the planning stage for this proposal, which is contingent on approval by the University of Michigan Board of Regents. We are committed to continuing an open dialogue with the community as the plans for this important facility develop.

University of Michigan Health has committed to investing $800 million in the coming years to meet the community’s health care needs. In addition to investing in behavioral health care, we are exploring other ways to improve the health of our community, including providing better access to cancer care, solutions to challenges and overcrowding in our emergency department, enhancements in our mother-baby facilities and more convenient surgical care.

Right now, the planned behavioral health hospital remains our top priority. We don’t have specific plans to share regarding additional likely investments, but we are confident in and committed to our plans to be good neighbors to our neighbors and look forward to delivering the health care solutions they deserve through the evolving UM Health-Sparrow campus.