A Much-Needed Expansion for Up North Healthcare
In a move that could revolutionize emergency care in the region, McLaren Northern Michigan's Cheboygan campus is set to undergo a significant transformation. With a $17 million expansion, the hospital aims to nearly double its emergency room capacity, addressing a critical need in the community.
But here's where it gets controversial: the bulk of the funding for this project comes from a $13 million state grant, recently approved in the 2025-26 state budget. This grant, according to the Cheboygan Daily Tribune, will enable the hospital to renovate its current 5,000 square-foot emergency room and add an additional 5,000 square feet through a new construction project.
The expansion is expected to commence in 2026 and will include 14 new private treatment rooms. But the real game-changer is the designation of these new ER suites for the comprehensive evaluation of behavioral health patients. This move comes at a time when the northern Michigan region is facing a severe shortage of resources for behavioral health care.
In 2020, McLaren Northern Michigan's two Emergency Departments treated a staggering 892 behavioral health patients. The hospital system has highlighted that patients often remain in emergency departments, awaiting availability in the 35 licensed adult beds across the 22 counties served by McLaren Northern Michigan.
McLaren Northern Michigan, part of the McLaren Health Care network, serves the lower northern Michigan counties and extends into the eastern Upper Peninsula. With a base in Petoskey and 202 beds, this regional hospital is taking a bold step towards improving access to emergency and behavioral health services.
And this is the part most people miss: the expansion of behavioral health services is not an isolated incident. In 2023, McLaren opened the 18-bed Pulte Family Foundation Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit on the Cheboygan campus. This unit provides specialized care for patients with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
The northern Michigan region's lack of behavioral health resources has put a strain on other services, highlighting the urgent need for such expansions. With this project, McLaren Northern Michigan is leading the charge in addressing this critical gap in healthcare.
So, what do you think? Is this expansion a step in the right direction for improving healthcare access in the region? Or are there other factors we should consider? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
