The new Trinity Health Livingston hospital was built with the patient, community, and growth in mind. On April 19, the new facility at 7555 Grand River Avenue will open with 56 beds and the expectation that more will be added quickly.
“Trinity, seeing how we’ve been operating and how we’ve been full for so long at the existing facility, approved us adding 24 more beds now,” said John O’Malley, president of Trinity Health Livingston and Trinity Health Medical Center Brighton. “We won’t be bringing those online until probably April of next year.”
The new facility has the ability to expand to 96 beds.
The big move from Trinity’s legacy hospital in Howell to the new facility takes place on Sunday, April 19. There will be extra staff in place at both the old facility in Howell and the new location in Brighton to meet the needs of all patients and to ensure medical personnel are available for anyone requiring additional assistance.
Beginning at 4 a.m., all ambulances will be directed to the new Emergency Department in Brighton, while Howell will remain open for walk-in emergency care until 1 p.m. The transferring of patients will start at 8 a.m. Anyone walking in for care in Howell before 1 p.m. will receive a medical screening exam; but after 1 p.m., all emergency care will be provided at the new hospital as the old facility closes.
The new facility is designed to elevate the patient experience. There are high ceilings, lots of windows allowing natural light to stream in, as well as a cafeteria and cafe.
Rooms for patients have space for visitors, as well as extra attention with nurse stations between each.
The location of the new facility — near I-96 and U.S. 23 freeways — means that as a Level 4 trauma center, it will provide 24/7 advanced trauma life support, stabilization, and diagnostic services before transferring patients who need care at higher-level facilities. Level 1 facilities nearby include Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Health – Sparrow in Lansing, and Hurley Medical Center in Flint.
“The hospital allows us to bring medical specialties and surgical specialties to this community and then achieve our goal, which we set back then, was to try to keep as much local care, local,” O’Malley said.
The new hospital came from wanting more primary care physicians to serve the community. There have been technology updates with three CAT scans, two MRI machines, mobile docs and new CT equipment. The imaging machines are also easier on patients, use less radiation, provide more specific and precise information, and will help with scheduling for patients.
“We didn’t look at it from a want, we looked at it from a need,” O’Malley said. “We evaluated the community, the age of the population, and what would best serve those needs.”
The decision to not rebuild the existing hospital came down to the cost of adding new technology to the old infrastructure. At one point, the floors would have had to be reinforced to add new machines. By creating a facility from the ground up, there was the ability to put more thought into layouts and design.
The surgical floor has 13 bays for prep, and rooms with multiple screens to show x-rays and any visuals needed during operations. There are currently three operating rooms in the hospital, with the ability to add more.
No matter what the level of care a patient needs, the hospital will keep them in the same room and rotate the skill set of the nurses to fit the needs. Rooms are equipped with a patient lift, as well as a couch that can fold out to a bed for family members staying overnight.
“You never have to move. It’s for the patient’s comfort,” said Michelle Weiss, associate chief nurse officer. “Patients don’t have to be shuffled around, they don’t go to a different unit, they stay in one room. Their family will know what room they’re in. They can come into this room and stay in this room their entire stay, and be discharged from the same room.”
Each patient room detail — from the blinds to the width of the doors to how the doors open, as well as the ability for nurses to see monitors from certain viewpoints — were designed to add productivity and improve care.
Photos by Bridget Janis
