If you’ve lived anywhere near the corner of Grand River and 8 Mile for more than a minute, you know the name. Botsford Hospital Farmington Hills MI wasn't just a place to get a cast or a checkup. For decades, it was a weirdly specific point of pride for the osteopathic community and a massive anchor for the Clarenceville neighborhood.
But things changed. A lot.
Honestly, walk into the building today and you won’t even see the word "Botsford" on the front sign. It’s a Corewell Health facility now. The transition from a local independent hospital to a small piece of a massive $14 billion corporate giant is a story about how healthcare in Michigan completely transformed while we were busy making other plans.
The Zieger Era: Why Botsford Was Different
Most people don't realize that Botsford started because osteopathic doctors (D.O.s) were basically treated like second-class citizens by traditional medical (M.D.) hospitals back in the 1940s.
Dr. Allen Zieger was a man on a mission. He opened a tiny 20-bed clinic in a Detroit rooming house in 1944 because he needed a place where D.O.s could actually practice. Eventually, he moved operations to Farmington Hills, opening Botsford General Hospital in 1965.
It was a 200-bed facility then.
The hospital was built on the grounds of the old Botsford Inn, a historic stagecoach stop that dated back to 1836. Henry Ford actually used to own that inn. There’s something kinda poetic about a high-tech medical center rising up around a place where people used to park their horses and buggies.
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For fifty years, it stayed independent. It became a powerhouse for teaching. If you meet a D.O. in Michigan today, there is a very high probability they did some part of their training at Botsford through the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The $160 Million Face-Lift
In 2014, the "Botsford" name officially started its slow fade into history.
The hospital merged with Beaumont Health and Oakwood Healthcare. Suddenly, it was Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills. While locals grumbled about the name change, the merger brought a massive influx of cash.
We’re talking about a $160 million expansion project.
They added a five-story patient tower. They built a new Critical Care Unit and basically tripled the size of the Emergency Department. If you’ve been there recently, the trauma bays look like something out of a sci-fi movie. It’s now a Level II Trauma Center, meaning they can handle some of the nastiest stuff that happens on I-96 or the Lodge.
What Happened to the Botsford Name?
You might be wondering why the Beaumont signs are gone, too.
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In 2022, Beaumont merged with Spectrum Health (based out of Grand Rapids). This created a new entity called Corewell Health. So, in less than a decade, the facility went from:
- Botsford Hospital
- Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills
- Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital
Basically, the "Botsford" name is now relegated to "the Botsford Campus." It’s a legacy brand. It’s the way your grandma still calls the local grocery store by its name from the 70s.
Does it actually matter?
Some people think the care changed when the big corporations took over. Honestly, it's a mixed bag. On one hand, you have access to a massive network of specialists. Doctors like Dr. Amr Abbas in cardiology or Dr. Angela Fleming in OB/GYN have deep roots in the community and still operate out of the same general footprint.
On the other hand, it’s a big system.
The hospital currently has around 330 beds. It’s still a major employer—the biggest in Farmington Hills. They still see over 65,000 emergency visits a year. The "community feel" that Dr. Zieger fought for is harder to find in a 60,000-employee system, but the medical tech is objectively better than it was in the "good old days."
Navigating the Campus Today
If you are heading there for a procedure, don't just put "Botsford Hospital" into an old GPS. It might send you to the old entrance that’s now mostly for administrative stuff.
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The main entrance is off Grand River Avenue.
Parking is usually a headache, but they added a 470-space parking deck during the renovation. Use it. Don't try to find a spot on the side streets; the Clarenceville neighbors are protective of their curbs.
- Trauma/ER: Located in the new wing. It’s much faster than it used to be, but it’s still 8 Mile. Expect a wait if it's a Friday night.
- Specialties: They are "high performing" in things like heart failure and COPD treatments according to U.S. News & World Report.
- History: If you have a few minutes, walk toward the old Botsford Inn structure. It’s a Michigan Historic Site and a weird reminder of the 1800s sitting right in the middle of a modern medical campus.
What You Should Do Next
If you have old records from the "Botsford" days, you don't need to panic. Everything has been migrated into the Corewell Health MyChart system. If you haven't seen a doctor there since the name change, you’ll likely need to create a new digital portal account to see your history.
Checking your insurance is also a big one.
Since the hospital is now part of Corewell, their "Tier 1" or "Preferred" status might have shifted depending on your provider. Most Priority Health plans (which is owned by Corewell) treat this as a home base.
Check your latest labs or schedule an appointment through the Corewell Health provider directory to ensure you're seeing a physician who is still credentialed at the Farmington Hills campus.