The project is part of a $40 million investment in women’s and children’s services.
Munson Healthcare is excited to announce board approval for construction of a new 22,000 square-foot, 24-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Munson Medical Center (MMC) to begin this coming spring.
The new one-story building is part of a $40 million investment in women’s and children’s services that includes renovation of the maternity and pediatric units at MMC. Prior to the global pandemic in 2020, Munson Healthcare had unveiled a proposal to build a Family Birth and Children’s Center in Traverse City. Since that time, design of the project has been adapted to account for declining birth rates projected to continue in our region, state, and across the country, as well as a shifting regulatory and economic landscape.
“This investment reflects our commitment to enhancing the care, safety, and patient experience we provide our babies, moms and their families across Northern Michigan.” said Joe Hurshe, Munson Medical Center President and CEO. “We are grateful for the incredible support our providers, staff, donors, and the entire community have shown in moving this project forward to serve future generations of our region.”
Some key facts about the new plan include the following details:
- Nearly a quarter of this project is donor funded, a sum totaling $8.9 million.
- It’s anticipated that construction of the new NICU will take 18 months to complete with an opening targeted for late-2027.
- Renovations to nearly two-thirds of MMC’s 19-bed maternity unit are complete. We’ve invested $4 million since 2023 to enhance our OB unit with a safe, modern and aesthetically pleasing design.
- The planning phase for upgrades and enhancements to the pediatric unit is getting underway with a target of early-2026 to begin that project.
- Munson Medical Center is home to the only NICU in Northern Michigan which provides care to more than 325 babies each year from across the region.
- The new facility will be connected to MMC and located between the hospital and Cowell Family Cancer Center.
“Our clinical leaders and administration have put a great deal of time and thought into the design of this project,” added Hurshe. “The result of this tremendous work ensures our most vulnerable newborns will receive exceptional care with state-of-the-art technology in the years and decades to come.”