A new hospital in Battle Creek where people can receive treatment for a variety of mental health issues is one step closer to opening its doors as the $35-million development recently reached a milestone.
Bronson Behavioral Health Hospital at Glenn Cross Road and M-66 reached its "topping out" stage Aug. 22 when the final steel beam was put into place by crews from CSM Group. The beam, which signifies a building's metalwork is complete, carried the signatures of Bronson Healthcare employees, including President and CEO Bill Manns, along with community board members.
“It’s exciting to reach this construction milestone and know that we are one step closer to meeting a critical community need,” Manns said in a release. “This project reflects our commitment to the Battle Creek community and to expanding behavioral health services and making them more accessible in our region.”
The 96-bed inpatient hospital is scheduled to open in spring 2023; it's a joint venture between Bronson Healthcare and Acadia Healthcare.
The facility will serve adult patients and offer a range of inpatient health care services, including treatment for those who struggle with acute symptoms of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
MORE: Bronson Behavioral Health Hospital breaks ground in Battle Creek, eying 2023 opening
New neighborhood of 162 apartments sprouting up near future Bronson site
First Step 24-hour psychiatric urgent care center 'to be a gamechanger' for Calhoun County
Acadia Healthcare operates a network of 228 behavioral health care facilities in 40 states and Puerto Rico, and is the largest stand-alone behavioral health care company in the U.S.
Bronson Battle Creek Hospital will transition inpatient behavioral health services and staff from its Fieldstone Center, at 165 N. Washington St., to the new facility in 2023.
According to a Bronson spokesperson, no decisions have been made regarding the future use or sale of the Fieldstone Center, which currently houses Bronson Battle Creek Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, along with Bronson at Home, Bronson HelpNet and the Historical Society of Battle Creek archives.
The four-story, 45,322-square-foot building was built in 1970. Battle Creek Health System, now Bronson Battle Creek, took over the building in 1994 and renamed it the Fieldstone Center to reflect the site's historical roots. The original Battle Creek Sanitarium annex fieldstone building at 197 N. Washington Ave. was built in 1900 and demolished in 1985.
Bronson Healthcare has announced it is closing its Bronson Beckley Road Imaging Center, effective Friday, due to its lease expiring at 5352 Beckley Road in Battle Creek.
Patients who need X-ray testing can visit local walk-in locations at Bronson Battle Creek Outpatient Testing at the hospital campus or at Bronson Imaging in Marshall. For more information, visit bronsonhealth.com.
Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley