MUSKEGON, Mich. — Mercy Health Muskegon will end urgent care operations at the closed Hackley Hospital E.R. less than one year after beginning the service.
"Hackley Urgent Care will close as of 8 p.m. on Friday, April 23," Mercy Health Partners V.P. of Business Health Solutions Mike Weessies said Monday.
Over the next three weeks, the facility at 1550 Clinton Street will transition to a NowCare medical and mental health services site operated by Hackley Community Care.
"We'll start our new services May 10," said Hackley Community Care's Chief Executive Office Linda Juarez. "It's the right location and the right timing both for Mercy and us."
NowCare medical services include treatment for acute symptoms that require immediate care such as allergies, bites and stings, headaches, pink eye, pain, rash, insomnia, sprains, toothaches and more.
"Something that can be addressed quickly, you're in and you're out," said Juarez.
Hackley Community Care's mental health services will include counseling for depression, anxiety, recovery from sexual abuse or childhood abuse and neglect, and other specialized physical and emotional outpatient therapy.
In October of 2020 Mercy Health Muskegon transitioned services from the Hackley campus to the all-new Mercy campus, allowing the former E.R. to become an urgent care site.
Weessies said Mercy Health has five other urgent care sites in Muskegon, from Whitehall to Norton Shores.
"Urgent cares at about every other exit along US-31," said Weessies.
Mercy Health staff currently working at Hackley Urgent Care will be reassigned to the Lakes Village Campus and, according to Weessies, no jobs will be eliminated with the move.
The facility is around 30,000 sq. ft. of space which Hackley Community Care intends on using over time. Initially, the focus will be on providing NowCare medical services Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mental Health services hours will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Patients can make an appointment by calling 231-737-1335. Walk-ins are welcomed.
As the Clinton Street location is closed for redesign and renovations from April 23 to May 10, patients may seek Urgent Care at Mercy Health’s Sherman, Norton Shores and Lakes Campus (reopening April 26, 2021) locations, with all emergency and trauma care services at Mercy Campus, 1500 E. Sherman Blvd. in Muskegon. Mercy Health will continue to offer Behavioral Health, Primary and Specialty Care services on the Hackley Campus.
“When Mercy Health planned the hospital consolidation project years ago, the goal was to build a world-class medical center that would serve the needs of our community for years to come and to ensure that seamless health care services remained available for the residents who live near Hackley Campus,” said Gary Allore, president of Mercy Health Muskegon. “Now that all acute care services have transitioned to Mercy Campus, we are proud that Hackley Community Care, a longtime partner, will build upon a legacy that that started there over 115 years ago.”
“Our humble beginnings began on the Hackley Hospital campus in a little brown house,” said Juarez. “We are now coming full-circle, and we are humbled to be returning to our first home, to continue and enhance the health of our community.”
Hackley Community Care (HCC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center that has been providing quality health care services since 1992. Services include full primary care, OB, dental, mental health, pharmacy (Community Care Pharmacy), home-based and school-based health services and other supporting programs such as Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Komen Breast Health and BCCCNP services. All of their services are designed to meet the needs of the underserved in our community.
Additional changes are expected to happen in 2021 at the closed Hackley Hospital campus. Muskegon Public Schools are expected to build a new middle school after portions of the closed hospital are razed.
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