ZEELAND, Mich. — At a windswept construction site in Zeeland, leaders from Holland Hospital and University of Michigan Health took the first steps in a major expansion of healthcare services for West Michigan, celebrating the groundbreaking of the new Westpark Specialty Center.
The 63,000 square-foot facility at 8334 Westpark Way will serve thousands of local patients who previously had to travel outside the neighborhood for specialized care.
“What we’re celebrating today is the first major initiative coming out of that alliance, which is the development of the Westpark Specialty Center,” said Patti Van Dort, CEO of Holland Hospital. “It really is an opportunity for the leaders from both organizations to talk about how we make care better in our communities.”
The Westpark Specialty Center will soon become a state-of-the-art healthcare facility designed to meet specific community needs.
“We did an in-depth study and analysis on what patients who live in the Holland, Zeeland area needed to leave our market for, and so that list of services—there was a great need,” Van Dort said. “They had to travel to get those services. We think care is delivered best locally… really trying to fill that gap so people don’t have to travel.”
“The services that will be available, including pediatric services, some medical specialty services, OB/GYN services, are really represented to meet the needs of the community,” said David Miller, CEO of Michigan Medicine.
According to a press release, the facility will also offer a range of vital services from Holland Hospital, including spaces for specialty infusion therapy, laboratory testing, a specialty pharmacy, and comprehensive radiology services such as X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, and echocardiography.
Construction is slated to begin in early December, with completion anticipated in 20 months. Organizers expect the center to open to the public in 2027.
“This is just the beginning of our collaboration,” Miller said. “Who knows what the future will entail when it comes to expansion of medicine? While it is a windy fall day, we see a very bright future together in the partnership with Holland Hospital.”
Van Dort, a Zeeland native who has spent nearly 40 years at Holland Hospital, expressed personal excitement: “It’s a super exciting day to be able to be the leader of Holland Hospital. I [was] born and raised here, and that’s why I’m so passionate about ensuring excellent healthcare for this community.”
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