U of M Health Sparrow, Sheppard Pratt Announce Behavioral Health Hospital for Lansing

LANSING, MI — A new behavioral health hospital is in the works for Lansing as U of M Health Sparrow partners with national psychiatric provider Sheppard Pratt. The facility is slated for development at the former Eastern High School site, pending final approval from the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

The project aims to expand access to psychiatric care in mid-Michigan, with Sheppard Pratt not only overseeing construction but also managing Sparrow’s existing psychiatric services. If approved, the new hospital is expected to be completed in 2028.

In other local developments:

• Lansing Police Department conducted a K9 training exercise at Everett High School today. The session, closed to the public, began at 3:30 p.m.

• A dramatic river rescue took place on the Grand River in Ingham County on Monday. A 78-year-old woman became lost while kayaking alone. First responders used a geolocation app called what3words, which helps pinpoint locations with unique three-word combinations. A drone was deployed and located the woman in under four minutes. She was safely pulled from a steep riverbank.

• The Ingham County Health Department hosted a "Good Trouble" protest today from 4–6 p.m., part of a national day of action aimed at challenging the policies of former President Donald Trump and honoring the late civil rights icon John Lewis. Around 1,600 protests took place across the country, with at least 60 in Michigan.

• A proposed semiconductor plant near Flint will not move forward. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the unnamed company exploring a site in Mundy Township has scrapped plans for a U.S.-based facility, citing national economic conditions.

• And for Michigan campers, a heads-up: the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will increase overnight lodging fees starting August 1.