On Sunday, Nov. 23, University of Michigan (U of M) Health opened the patient floors of the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion, the newly built hospital on 1315 E. Ann St., transporting over 200 patients from the University Hospital.

“I am grateful and inspired by the incredible commitment and collaboration of our team members that has allowed us to achieve this milestone,” said David Miller, the CEO of Michigan Medicine. “And I am excited for our opportunity to provide world-class care for even more patients facing complex health conditions.”

The new hospital has 12 floors with 264 patient beds and 20 operating rooms total. With the addition of this hospital, U of M will have a total of 1,176 beds. The D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion project started over 10 years ago and is a 920 million dollar investment in the future of patient care.

“It’s a beautiful building with the latest technology, including surgical robots and intraoperative imaging to give patients the best care they need, while features like all private rooms allow patients and families to recover in a comfortable environment,” said Dr. Jules Lin, Associate Chief Clinical Officer for the Cardiovascular and Neurosciences Services helping to oversee the opening of the Pavilion and a thoracic surgeon. “I’ve already had patients asking if they’re going to have surgery in the new building and that are willing to wait so they can have a private room.”

In addition to the greater capacity the new hospital provides, there are many other exciting features for patient families, who are important in supporting patients as they heal, including a sleeper couch and small refrigerator in each room, shower facilities on each floor, and private rooms – which are a significant improvement over traditional double occupancy rooms. The building also has smart elevators that can intelligently group people into different elevator cars by their destination, making travel faster and more efficient. 

“We are deeply grateful to the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation and other generous donors for their extraordinary vision and generosity that made the Pavilion possible,” Miller said. 

These donations will have a huge impact on the care that U of M can provide to its patients, allowing the hospital to integrate advanced technology into their treatments, such as real-time imaging and robotic-assisted platforms in the new operating rooms.

“It’s what happens inside the building that is impactful,” said Monica Truesdell, Associate Chief Operating Officer for U of M’s Cardiovascular and Neurosciences Services. “The newest technology, latest in patient and visitor experience, and collaborative workspaces will support high-quality care delivered in a patient and family-centric manner.”

After many years of hard work and planning from the U of M team, the hospital has finally finished construction and opened the inpatient units.

“Seeing the first patient arrive in his room in the Pavilion and the smile on his face realizing he had his own room with a beautiful view, knowing that this building we had been working on for so many years was now a hospital, gave us all a real sense of hope and pride to be part of Michigan Medicine,” Lin said. 

In the coming months, the first 18 operating rooms will be opening at the Pavilion, along with three interventional radiology suites and an intraoperative MRI, allowing real-time brain imaging with the latest technology, another step towards improving U of M’s patient care.

“This move is the foundation upon which we will build our legacy,” said Aditya Pandey, the Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. “Welcome to the Kahn Pavilion – where the next chapter of Neurosurgery is already underway.”

Gallery • 13 Photos

The first patient being transported to the new hospital. Photo by Jules Lin.