GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The state of Michigan this month cleared a certificate of need request that will expand Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ pediatric in-patient and outpatient care.

The $80 million project will add the state’s first pediatric mental health urgent care to Pine Rest’s campus on 68th Street in Cutlerville and add 40 additional beds.

“In hospitals, beds are the asset,” Pine Rest Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Nykamp said. “They are what allows you to improve access. To have these beds, this will now allow us to confidently build the facility knowing that we will have the beds.”

The Pediatric Behavioral Health Center, which is expected to be complete by fall of 2025, is projected to serve an additional 3,000 children and families per year for in-patient needs and 10,000 children with its outpatient services.

“If your child today was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, how long would you wait for them to see that specialist? I’m assuming it would be days that you would want to get started on a treatment plan,” Nykamp said. “Today, children with psychiatric illnesses can wait up to five months to see a specialist. That’s just something our community can no longer stand for.”