After years of court battles and being denied a Certificate of Need, McLaren may be moving to Plan B by purchasing two portions of Clarkston Medical Building.
McLaren previously said Plan B included a 30-bed “short-stay” hospital with an emergency room, a $30 million-$50 million project.
Current negotiations include purchasing the CMG urgent care and imaging center off Sashabaw Road.
When that closes, local residents fear will mean bigger costs and longer waits.
“This is really upsetting because people will be forced to go to the emergency room for urgent – not emergent care,” said Erica Halsey. “Patients will be paying more and clinicians will be overloaded with cases that don’t require emergency care. This just means long wait times and frustrated people all around. Hope someone is drawing up plans now for Clarkston’s newest 24/7 Urgent care,”
Cherie Montpetit-Burns said she is not happy the urgent care center will close and she fears McLaren will just cut staff.
“They are taking over everything. They fire most people in the current positions and then rename them with lower pay,” she said.
Earlier this year Greg Lane, senior vice president and chief administrative officer, said McLaren revised plan includes a smaller, phased approach.
McLaren had fought to build a $300 million hospital campus, but those plans were denied by state officials.
McLaren officials said $100 million had already been invested, and the planned emergency room would be fully staffed.