IHA plans to consolidate practices in new medical center building at Domino's Farms
An artist's rendering of a new three-story, 44,000-square-foot medical center that will be built by EP2 Investments for lease by IHA at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Township.
Courtesy of IHA
The new medical center will allow IHA to consolidate a number of its physicians that practice in other Ann Arbor facilities that IHA leases — including the eight doctors and licensed practitioners that work at IHA Internal Medicine on Commonwealth Boulevard in Ann Arbor.
“We’re always excited to bring a number of practices together in one location,” said Lowell Sprague, vice president of finance and CFO of IHA. “It creates synergies between providers.”
Sprague is also the managing director of EP2 Investment Holdings LLC, the developer that has built eight other buildings for IHA.
The Ann Arbor Township Planning Commission has approved a three-story, 44,000-square-foot facility, which is being built by a developer for lease by IHA. It’s located in the southeast corner of the intersection of Whitehall Drive and Earhart Road.
Construction will begin in April, and is expected to last from 12 to 14 months. The new medical center will open in 2014.
The new building will house multiple services: internal medicine, pediatrics, imaging, neurology, after-hours care and obstetrics and gynecology.
IHA is a medical service provider owned by Trinity Health and is operated by St. Joseph Mercy Health System. It encompasses 310 doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives in 36 practices across southeast Michigan.
IHA will be one of four tenants with lease agreements for space in the new facility. The others are a St. Joseph Mercy Health System lab on the first floor; Clinsite Research on the second floor, which will provide clinical lab and physical therapy services; and a tenant on the third floor that will provide physical therapy services.
The new facility will house IHA doctors and other providers that the organization is relocating from four other practices in the Ann Arbor area.
Sprague said IHA will be ending its leases for its IHA Internal Medicine services at 2090 Commonwealth Blvd., IHA Primary Pediatrics at 3055 Plymouth Road and neurology services at Domino’s Farms. Additionally, IHA will be moving its obstetricians and gynecologists from IHA Ann Arbor OB/GYN - Arbor Park at 4940 W. Clark Roard in Ypsilanti, to the new medical center.
Arbor Park is owned by EP2 Investments.
The Washtenaw County Road Commission recently approved a road improvement agreement with Domino’s Farms Land Development.
EP2 and Domino’s Farms will fund the addition of a turn lane on Plymouth Road at the Earhart Road intersection, Sprague said.
After the construction of the medical center building, the Earhart Road and Whitehall Drive intersection may receive a traffic signal if the developer deems it necessary.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
treetowntenor
Mon, Feb 18, 2013 : 4:59 p.m.
Another nice open field, with crops even, getting paved over. Sigh. All in the name of "coopetition" with their neighbors across Plymouth Road (UM East AA Medical Center).
jcj
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 4:31 p.m.
If they would consolidate the bill it would make everyone's life easier!ck of bills straggling in for months!
arborani
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 9:25 p.m.
But only if they clarify the service billings (who did what for me where and when). Can go crazy sorting out the IHA billings now.
Goofus
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 3:14 p.m.
McDoctor Inc. should move into an old McDonalds.
JMA2Y
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 3:02 p.m.
Consolidate and build where there's no bus service? Are patients to get off at Green Rd (the last stop on Plymouth Rd.) and walk a few miles to Dom Farms?
An Arborigine
Sun, Feb 17, 2013 : midnight
One might surmise that IHA doesn't deem bus riders as a good risk to pay their prices for healthcare.
JMA2Y
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 11:52 p.m.
Still extends a bus ride for a patient who might also not know where and how to get a UM bus or if they can.
Ken
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 5:20 p.m.
@JMA2Y, U-M's Intercampus route services this area every 20 minutes Monday-Friday from 650AM to 610PM. Fare is free, open to the public, and this route meets up with several AATA bus routes along the way allowing direct transfers; especially at the Green Rd Park & Ride www.pts.umich.edu Then click on bus schedules and go to the bottom of the page.
arborani
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 4:10 p.m.
Strongly agree.
Goofus
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.
Which begs the question, if the AATA can build new stations and do all this rehab work on their facilities, why can they never use commonsense to extend bus lines to major business centers like Domino's Farms?
Steve Hendel
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 1:32 p.m.
""We're always excited to bring a number of practices together in one location," said Lowell Sprague, vice president of finance and CFO of IHA. "It creates synergies between providers." Sprague is also the managing director of EP2 Investment Holdings LLC, the developer that has built eight other buildings for IHA." Amy, am I missing something here? What is EP2 Investment Holdings LLC, and what is it's connection with IHA? It seems odd that one person could hold a high-level position in both entities-i.e. both the landlord and the tenant.
A2comments
Sat, Feb 16, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.
One can hope that the consolidation, if they share staff, will result in improved customer service. We've been considering leaving IHA on Commonwealth due tons drop in servicethese past few years. Lab results not communicated without pursuing, messages left for doctor not returned for weeks due to slipping through the cracks...