What's Happening in Farmington Hills, MI…

Farmington Hills' city council members have given the green light to an expansion project proposed by its local healthcare centers.

The new center was created by the merger of Beaumont Hospital, Oakwood Hospital, and Botsford Hospital. Botsford was one of the last independent hospitals left in Michigan. The new entity's proposed expansion will cost about $160m.

The council's approval means the new entity will be able to expand by increasing the number of patient beds and building a new pavilion. Nine new operating rooms will be located in the pavilion, and existing operating rooms in the hospitals will be repurposed. The money will also fund the building of a new parking structure. The improvements will be located on the 24-acre medical campus created by the mergers.

According to one report, Beaumont-Botsford is a Level I trauma center able to provide complete care for all aspects of injury. In addition, the hospital admits approximately 15,000 patients annually, and treats another 65,000 in an outpatient capacity.

Paul LaCasse, president and CEO of the hospital, said the expansion will allow the center to upgrade its physical plant, which it has wanted to do for the past few years. The improvements will allow the center to continue operating in Farmington Hills for the foreseeable future. Construction of all aspects of the project is expected to be complete in 2019.

Hospital officials might want to work with a brochure printing company to create a booklet about the improvements, and make it available in local doctors' offices.