McLaren psychiatry unit to close in midst of health care industry challenges

By Riley ConnellPublished: Mar. 25, 2025 at 7:07 PM EDTLANSING, Mich. (WILX) - McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital has announced the upcoming closure of its geropsychiatry unit.The department provides mental health services to seniors, but McLaren said because of ongoing challenges, the unit will shut down on April 11.According to an internal memo obtained by News 10, the unit’s nursing staff were notified of the closure, and their collective layoff, on March 24. The memo came from the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer and stated that the closure is a result of “very real changes that healthcare organizations are undergoing, and the need for McLaren Greater Lansing to maintain strong economic stability.”The announcement came as a disappointment to Michigan State University Department of Psychiatry Chair, Dr. Jed Magen.“Well, I think any time you lose mental health resources, of course, it’s unfortunate,” he told News 10. “Sometimes there are fiscal realities.”MSU Health Care has been overs...