Public Meeting Information and Purchase Agreement Signed For Former Herrick Hospital

PUBLIC MEETING - JULY 18, 2023
Public Meeting Presentation
Behavioral Health Consulting Partners of North America (BHCPNA) Website

Other Facility Websites:
Recovering Champions Inc located in Falmouth Massachusetts
Project Saves Lives in Duval County, Florida

Contact Information:
Online Contact Form - Kenneth Weber, MSF at BHCPNA
Dan Swallow, City Manager
Kelly Jo Gilmore, Economic Development Director

PRESS RELEASE - JUNE 29, 2023
A purchase agreement has been signed between ProMedica and 500 E Pottawatamie Street LLC for the property known previously as Herrick Hospital. The LLC is an affiliated entity of Behavior Health Consulting Partners of North America.

Behavioral Health Consulting Partners of North America (BHCPNA) and its managing partners, Kenneth Weber, MSF, and Regina Flanagan, MS, have decades of experience in developing and managing behavioral health centers. BHCPNA partners with Raymond M Pomm, MD, an addiction specialist, board-certified in Psychiatry, Neurology and Addiction Psychiatry, and Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine at Jacksonville. Dr. Pomm will serve as the Medical Director for the Tecumseh facility. Previous BHCPNA projects include Recovering Champions Inc. located in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Project Saves Lives in Duval County, Florida.

“Life is such an interesting experience; after decades of training and experience in the behavioral health field, I am returning to the area where I grew up,” stated Dr. Pomm. “I am very excited, not just to return home, but to also bring my passion and expertise to Tecumseh and Michigan. Working with BHCPNA will allow our healthcare professionals to bring critically needed behavioral health services to you and your healthcare system through educating, supporting, and treating all those, throughout the life cycle, who are suffering with substance use and mental health disorders.”

The proposed behavioral health solutions center in Tecumseh will provide community-based mental health and substance use disorder services. The facility will give residents and families an alternative to hospital waiting rooms and out-of-state facilities. The initial phase of the proposed facility would offer adolescent inpatient for dual diagnosis as well as adult outpatient care for the prevention, intervention, and treatment of substance use disorders and mental health concerns.

“The planned project has two key benefits for the City of Tecumseh,” stated Tecumseh City Manager, Dan Swallow. “First, it revitalizes a large, currently vacant facility near the center of our City and ensures the investments that our community has made over the years will continue to benefit Tecumseh. Second, this proposed facility addresses the growing need for quality mental health care options in our communities.”

“Having a behavioral health center located in Tecumseh will provide our community with a local, mental health care option that will keep families together and part of the recovery process,” said Kelly Jo Gilmore, City of Tecumseh’s Economic Development Director. “It will also provide up to 100 health care related jobs during phase one of the project, with significant potential for ongoing job growth and industry training through regional partnerships.”

BHCPNA is currently developing collaborative partnerships with local and regional health care service providers including Michigan Hospital Association (MHA) to provide referrals from nearby hospitals, providing relief to local hospital Emergency Departments by utilizing the facility’s certified professionals for treatment.

A relationship with the University of Michigan Medical School is also in discussion that would allow the proposed facility to be a training site for fellowships in medicine and psychiatry, building a qualified workforce of licensed professionals at the community level.

A collaboration with Tecumseh Public Schools is also moving forward that would provide valuable resources to the school district by providing in-service training for staff as well as the creation of a crisis team formed by trained and licensed professionals to efficiently respond to situations that may occur.

"More than ever, schools need to connect with mental health resources to support students' needs,” said Richard Hilderley, Superintendent of Tecumseh Public Schools. “Having that resource right here in Tecumseh will benefit our school district greatly!"

A public meeting has been set for Tuesday, July 18, 2023, from 6 PM – 8 PM at the former Herrick Hospital site, providing the Tecumseh community an opportunity to speak directly with representatives from BHCPNA and learn more about the proposed facility’s services, the 18-month project timeline, community partnerships, and the benefits for the City of Tecumseh.

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For more information contact City of Tecumseh’s Economic Development Director Kelly Jo Gilmore at kgilmore@tecumsehmi.gov or call 517-424-6003.