Mercy Health CEO calls Spectrum Health expansion 'self-serving'

Two Grand Rapids, Mich.-based health systems are sparring over construction projects in the Muskegon-Grand Haven, Mich.-area market, according to MLive.

Both systems have several projects in the area, but specifically at issue is a proposed $50 million Spectrum Health facility in Grand Haven Township that is slated to break ground late spring or early summer, according to the report. The project includes an outpatient clinic and office building. What makes it controversial is its proximity to nonprofit North Ottawa Community Health System in Grand Haven, according to the report.

Among the critics is Mercy Health President and CEO Roger Spoelman, who wrote an opinion letter to the Muskegon Chronicle about his disapproval of the project. "While Spectrum Health had historically been an important collaborator in the community, their style has become aggressive and self-serving," he wrote.

"In an important era of stewardship, where nonprofit organizations are expected to help maximize community resources, it seems a bit disingenuous to propose a 120,000 square foot medical facility that jeopardizes NOCHS, the 900 healthcare jobs in the community, and the preservation of the essential health services it provides residents and employers throughout the Grand Haven area," Mr. Spoelman added.

Spectrum defended its proposed facility because it adds choice and competition to the market, according to the MLive report. The system is also not new to the Grand Haven area, according to the report.

Interestingly, the systems both have projects planned for the Muskegon area, but those are not of issue. Mercy Health has a $271 million medical center and consolidation project for its campus in Muskegon that it plans to begin in September, and Spectrum Health has a $13.8 million Integrated Care Campus slated to open this fall in Muskegon Township, according to the report.

 

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