Purchase agreement signed for former ProMedica Herrick Hospital site in Tecumseh

TECUMSEH — Herrick Hospital in Tecumseh, which has sat vacant since it was closed in 2020, has a new medical calling after a purchase agreement was signed Thursday.

The former ProMedica Herrick Hospital at 500 E. Pottawatamie St. is expected to become a behavioral health solutions center affiliated with Behavioral Health Consulting Partners of North America (BHCPNA).

Herrick Hospital shuttered its operations in 2020 after being consolidated with Adrian’s ProMedica Bixby Hospital into the newly built ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian Township.

A purchase agreement for the former hospital was signed by 500 E Pottawatamie Street LLC and ProMedica, the city of Tecumseh announced in a news release.

500 E Pottawatamie Street LLC is affiliated with BHCPNA, whose managing partners, Kenneth Weber and Regina Flanagan, have decades of experience in developing and managing behavioral health centers, the release said. Previous BHCPNA projects include behavioral health centers in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Duval County, Florida.

The Tecumseh center's medical director will be Dr. Raymond Pomm, an addiction specialist board certified in psychiatry, neurology and addiction psychiatry, the release said. He also is an associate professor in psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine at Jacksonville.

“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,” Pomm said in the news release. “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 release said. 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.

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

ProMedica would not be involved in any future operations at the former Herrick Hospital site, the Toledo-based health system said in a statement.

“The transaction is subject to approval and expected to be completed by the end of the year,” ProMedica said in its statement. “Since the transaction is still pending, it would be premature to discuss specifics about the building’s future. However, what we can say is that we have been encouraged by discussions with the potential buyer.”

Kathryn Szewczuk, executive director of Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority (LCMHA), said she “looks forward to there being more direct treatment and providers in the county” when it comes addressing substance use disorders and mental health concerns.

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, the release said.

“The planned project has two key benefits for the city of Tecumseh,” Tecumseh City Manager Dan Swallow said in the release. “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.”

Up to 100 health care-related jobs are expected to be created during phase one of the project, according to Kelly Jo Gilmore, Tecumseh’s economic development director. There is also the “significant potential” for ongoing job growth and industry training through regional partnerships.

“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,” she said in the release.

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An additional collaboration with Tecumseh Public Schools is also moving forward that would provide 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, the release said.

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

A public meeting has been set for 6 to 8 p.m. July 18 at the former Herrick Hospital site to provide 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.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Purchase agreement signed for former Herrick Hospital site in Tecumseh