The Munson Healthcare board has given approval to move forward with the construction of a new 22,000 square-foot, 24-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City next spring.

The new one-story building is part of a $40 million investment in women’s and children’s services that also includes renovation of the maternity and pediatric units at Munson Medical Center. "Prior to the global pandemic in 2020, Munson Healthcare had unveiled a proposal to build a Family Birth and Children’s Center in Traverse City," according to a Munson release. "Since that time, design of the project has been adapted to account for declining birth rates projected to continue in our region, state, and across the country, as well as a shifting regulatory and economic landscape."

The NICU building is expected to take 18 months to complete. An opening is targeted for late 2027.
Renovations to nearly two-thirds of MMC’s 19-bed maternity unit are already complete. Munson has invested $4 million since 2023 to enhance its OB units "with a safe, modern and aesthetically pleasing design," according to the release. A planning phase is underway for upgrades to the pediatric unit, with work planned to begin in early 2026.

Munson Medical Center is home to the only NICU in northern Michigan, providing care to over 325 babies annually. The new facility will be connected to MMC and located between the hospital and Cowell Family Cancer Center.

"Our clinical leaders and administration have put a great deal of time and thought into the design of this project," says Munson Medical Center President and CEO Joe Hurshe. "The result of this tremendous work ensures our most vulnerable newborns will receive exceptional care with state-of-the-art technology in the years and decades to come."