Okemos May Be Getting A New Medical Facility

We all hope to stay healthy and not have to see a doctor unless it is for a checkup. Going to the hospital is never fun, unless you are just visiting someone, and it is still not a good way to spend your day. . When I move to a new city or neighborhood I may check to see that there is a good hospital for a doctor nearby.  When I moved from the Detroit Area to Lansing my Doctor and Dentist were in Farmington Hills and since it is only about an hour's drive it was easier just to keep them.

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How Far Is The Drive For Medical Care?

So right now, say you live in Okemos,  The drive to downtown Sparrow Hospital is about 15 minutes. About 20 minutes from Williamston. If you live there it does not seem far, but if it's a life-threatening emergency every minute counts.   I live in Downtown Lansing and I am only a few blocks away.  I kind of like being that close in case. Well according to fox47news.com Sparrow wants to go to Okemos and open mid-Michigan's first freestanding emergency medical facility. In case your wondering a freestanding emergency department is an emergency department that doesn’t have a hospital nest to it.

You literally pick up your emergency room doctors, your emergency room nurses, your cat scanners, your laboratory, your ability to dispense medication, and you put them in a community that doesn’t have as good of access. This facility will have imaging equipment like CT scans, x-rays, and ultrasounds. It will be open all day every day. While some urgent cares in the area are also open 24/7, this clinic is different from those facilities says Chief Medical and Quality Officer Dr. Karen Kent VanGorder.

 

What Needs To Happen in Okemos For New Facility

I am all for more hospitals and doctors in the area, it's a great way to make sure everyone has good access no matter where they live. This plan still needs to be approved by both the Meridian Township Board and Planning Commission. Then the township will need to review the site plan before construction begins. we will keep you posted. In the meantime stay healthy.