CARO, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer along with state and local officials gathered for an open house earlier this month commemorating the completion of the new 100-bed Caro Psychiatric Hospital.

The $85 million hospital replaces Caro Center, which was constructed in 1913 and opened in 1914 as the Caro Farm Colony for Epileptics. It served as the only state residential treatment center for individuals with seizure disorders until 1997.

“Ensuring Michiganders have access to vital physical and mental health resources are key focuses of my administration,” Whitmer said. “Michiganders deserve mental health resources when and where they need them. The new Caro Psychiatric Hospital is an important investment in behavioral health services in Michigan for both our families in need and the Caro community as an employer.”

The state-of-the-art, 130,000 square-foot Caro Psychiatric Hospital offers four separate patient neighborhoods/units, each decorated with therapeutic colors reflecting seasonal color schemes for winter, spring, summer and fall. Rooms are mainly single-bed suites with private bathrooms, with some double rooms and others set up to care for geriatric patients.

A downtown-themed area offers patients a hair care salon, exercise room, greenhouse and recreation room. Other patient amenities include a gymnasium with an audiovisual system for events and outside courtyards for recreational space.

The facility also includes updated HVAC and building management systems, building access controls and video surveillance for enhanced patient safety. Modernized spaces for staff for treatment consultations, staff meetings and breakroom spaces are also featured in the new hospital.

The construction manager for the project is Granger Construction, with design services provided by Integrated Design Solutions.

The state operates five inpatient hospitals that serve nearly 650 patients. Caro Psychiatric Hospital, Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital and Walter Reuther Psychiatric Hospital serve adult patients, while children and adolescents are treated at Hawthorn Center.

The Center for Forensic Psychiatry provides diagnostic services to the criminal justice system and psychiatric treatment for criminal defendants adjudicated incompetent to stand trial and those found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Michigan’s state hospitals are accredited by The Joint Commission and are committed to providing evidence-supported, person-centered inpatient care to individuals in an environment that values compassion, collaboration and community reintegration.