University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Ionia will build a new 31,000-square-foot ambulatory clinic center adjacent to the current hospital, after approval Nov. 20 from the Board of Regents.
The new facility will improve patient access to healthcare services in the Ionia community. It will house services including primary care, imaging, oncology, orthopaedics and cardiology. The project reflects U-M Health’s commitment to providing care to our rural communities and the continued success of hospitals such as UM Health-Sparrow Ionia and Carson.
“In the last decade, our Ionia hospital has experienced tremendous patient activity growth in both inpatient and outpatient services. We need this space for both specialty and primary care physicians as well as to support further growth,” said Margaret Dimond, president of the U-M Health Regional Network.
“We are committed to meeting the need of communities like those in and around Ionia County, and other rural areas of Michigan, bringing the right care closer to home for more patients. This is a huge need in the Ionia community, and we are excited to grow to meet the demand.”
The regents approved an estimated cost of $28 million for the project. Design and construction is expected to take 30 months. Funding will be provided from UM Health-Sparrow resources.
The Ionia hospital at 3565 S. State Road was built in 2015. The facility is LEED certified and houses 22 beds.
“We are happy to expand our community-based services and provide even more access to the clinical expertise of U-M Health,” said Connie O’Malley, chief operating officer of the U-M Health Regional Network. “We are actively investing in the health care of the people of Ionia and expect this new facility will provide much-needed access to the best providers and best treatment options closer to their homes.”
