A Proud Legacy of Service: Trinity Health Muskegon
The story of health care in Muskegon is long and complex. Over time, three hospitals grew and adjusted to changing community needs: Mercy Hospital, Hackley Hospital and Muskegon General Hospital. (There were other hospitals, including Muskegon Osteopathic Hospital and Heritage Hospital in Muskegon Heights). For more than a century, Mercy Hospital and Hackley Hospital each served the community. Eventually, the two hospitals merged, forming one unified health ministry and brand, Trinity Health Muskegon. Here is how it all began:
In 1831, Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, to follow Christ in his compassion for suffering people. She and her Sisters established foundations to serve the poor, the sick, and the uneducated throughout Ireland and England.
In 1843, the Sisters of Mercy took their mission to the United States, opening hospitals, schools, orphanages, and homes for at-risk women and girls.
Sisters of Mercy Founded Mercy Hospital
On April 16, 1903, under the leadership of Sister Mary Joseph Miller and three Sisters of Mercy from the Big Rapids area — Sister Mary Catherine O'Connor, Sister Mary Patrick Connor, and Sister Mary Phillip Fitzgerald — founded Mercy Hospital in Muskegon.
The hospital opened its doors in the former home of L.G. Mason on Jefferson Street in downtown Muskegon. Despite additions to the original hospital, building a new hospital for the growing Muskegon population became necessary.
The new hospital opened its doors in 1921. Eventually, a new wing was added in 1954.
Mercy Hospital led the community in providing new and first-time services to Muskegon that included coronary care (1965), ambulatory care (1965), an alcoholism care unit (1971), and hemodialysis (1972).
A new hospital was completed in 1973 on Sherman Boulevard to respond to the continued growth in the community. In 1982, the first open-heart surgery was performed, establishing Mercy Hospital as Muskegon's only heart hospital along the West Michigan lakeshore.
Hackley Hospital’s Legacy of Healing
Hackley Hospital was completed in 1904 to serve Muskegon residents, thanks to local lumberman and philanthropist Charles H. Hackley and the community. The original hospital was located on Clinton Street.
Charles Hackley had a heart for the less fortunate. Part of his endowment for the hospital was earmarked for patients who couldn’t afford to pay for health care.
In 1905, the Hackley School of Nursing opened, training future generations of nurses. Over the years, various wings and support buildings were added, increasing the capacity to serve more patients. In 1982, the School of Nursing closed and the original hospital was demolished, making way for a more modern facility. In 2012, a new Emergency Center opened.
Lakeshore Community Hospital in Shelby affiliated itself with Hackley Health Systems in 1996 and began doing business as Hackley-Lakeshore Hospital.
Historic Mergers
In the mid-1990s, Muskegon General Hospital (founded in 1967 by the staff of the former Muskegon Osteopathic Hospital) and Mercy Hospital entered into a Joint Operating Agreement (JOA). In 1998, the JOA became a full merger, with both hospitals operating under the name Mercy General Health Partners.
In 2008, another merger took place between the two Muskegon hospital systems – Hackley Hospital and Mercy General Health Partners – bringing together the resources of all four hospitals under the umbrella of Trinity Health to serve people throughout Muskegon County and beyond. That same year, the combined medical services were renamed Mercy Health Partners and became the largest employer in Muskegon.
As one health system operating two aging hospital facilities in Muskegon, it was decided to reduce service duplication and bring all acute care services into one modern hospital facility.
A new, state-of-the-art, 358-bed hospital was built and opened in phases. In October 2020, the last patients were moved from the Hackley Campus, and the hospital was closed. Today, patients access expert, comprehensive health care at one location.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hackley Hospital reopened briefly to help serve patients. In October 2021, the hospital was demolished, making way for the construction of Charles Hackley Middle School in 2023.
Today, Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital is on Sherman Boulevard. Additional Trinity Health services are located throughout the greater Muskegon area – from Ludington to Holland – including multiple providers’ offices, labs, pharmacies, outpatient health centers and Urgent Care facilities.
A Commitment to Compassion, Transformation, and Healing Continues
In April 2022, Mercy Health across West Michigan changed its name and branding to Trinity Health. (Mercy Health has been a member of Trinity Health, a nationwide Catholic health system, for more than 20 years.) With locations throughout Michigan and in 24 other states, this new brand brings together the national recognition of Trinity Health with more than a century of local community-based patient care, teaching, research and services.
In 2022, all Mercy Health facilities transitioned to the Trinity Health brand. The new hospital names in West Michigan are Trinity Health Muskegon, Trinity Heath Shelby, Trinity Health Grand Haven and Trinity Health Grand Rapids. Physician offices are named Trinity Health Medical Group West Michigan (formerly Mercy Health Physician Partners).
For the Muskegon community, this historic brand change means more access to doctors, research, clinical trials, leading technology and care options for every stage of life. What remains is our dedication to serving our communities through our mission:
We, Trinity Health, serve together in the spirit of the Gospel
to be a compassionate and transforming, healing presence in our communities.