Southwest Detroit Hospital

Before and during the civil rights movement, African-American doctors were usually segregated to black-only hospitals; it was very uncommon for them to be working within larger hospitals. Black-only hospitals were usually very poor in quality, leading to poorer health among African Americans compared to their white counterparts.[5] Many of these hospitals are now gone, including those that led to the founding of Southwest Detroit Hospital. (The only black-owned and operated hospital remaining in the U.S. is Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C.[6])

By the late 1960s, several small black-only hospitals in Detroit had merged to form one larger hospital to serve their communities better. This merged hospital became Southwest Detroit Hospital.[3] By the early 1970s, the hospitals of Boulevard General, Delray General, Burton Mercy, and Trumbull General (the last being black-owned and the newest hospital of the group) had decided to merge their resources for a larger hospital, deciding on a 246-bed hospital at a cost of $21 million.[1][3] The hospital's construction was completed by 1973, being granted the deed to the building in October 1973.[7] The hospital operated under stable conditions for the first few years; in the late 1970s, the hospital began to encounter numerous lawsuits and controversies.

In 1977, a doctor at Southwest, Leonardo Lopez, was charged for selling illegal forms of amphetamines and was suspended from practicing medicine for 6 months. Lopez returned to the hospital on the condition that he could only prescribe there.[8] Lopez attempted to appeal the ruling but was unsuccessful. This was part of a larger operation; over 86 doctors had faced various charges related to unethical medical decisions.

In 1990, the 6th District court in Michigan heard the case of Elease Thornton, who sued the hospital. According to Thornton, she had stayed at the hospital for 21 days in August 1987, and the hospital released her while she was in an unstable condition following a stroke. In December 1987, Thornton was admitted to a local rehabilitation center following an initial denial into the center due to a lack of health insurance. Even though the Circuit Court of Appeals ruled alongside the 6th District that Thornton was stable enough to be discharged from the hospital (therefore following the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act), the case could have been a final blow to the hospital, as the hospital would soon declare bankruptcy and close a year later in 1991.[9][10] Despite the bankruptcy, and a candlelight vigil to save the hospital, several operations continued to stay open until 1993.[11]

In 1996, Ultimed, a company owned and led by Detroit businessman and developer Harley K. Brown, purchased the building for $1.5 million and re-opened the hospital under the name United Community Hospital, which then opened in 1997. In 1999, Brown invested $6 million in renovations and updates for the first two floors of the hospital.[11][12] Despite this investment, the hospital still struggled, similar to its predecessor on the same grounds.

By this point, Ultimed directors—including Brown—were involved in unethical financial decisions with funds from small businesses that Ulticare was providing insurance to, including $15 million in taxpayer funds it was receiving from Wayne County. The directors had also used their corporate American Express cards on lavish, non-company expenses, such as trips to the Virgin Islands, Japan, China, and Las Vegas; meals at top-of-the-line restaurants; and various other luxury expenses. Additionally, Ultimed did not pay numerous claims, which led to as many as 1,500 complaints to the county.[12]

On January 25, 2006, following nearly $2.5 million in unpaid claims, Ultimed was placed into rehabilitation by the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation and placed under the hands of a court-appointed rehabilitator, until the company was determined if it should be declared insolvent.

The company no longer exists, and the building sits abandoned to this day. As of October 2018, Brown still owns the building and is facing jail time for unpaid child support.[13][14]

As of May 2018, Harley K. Brown still owns the building; however, Brown does not pay the taxes on the building. Instead, these taxes have been paid by Detroit landlord Dennis Kefallinos since 2016. The building was completely gutted in 2017 and sits plainly as a steel structure. A sign depicting a mixed-use development, including businesses, restaurants, and a second location of Detroit pizza chain Niki's Pizza, appeared on the property in May 2018; however, these claims have not been confirmed. According to the Detroit Free Press, Kefallinos had been looking to lease the building to a third party.[15] The building was also gutted that same year.

Many urban exploration bloggers and YouTubers who have visited the structure claim that it still contained leftover items from the hospital's operations, including medical records, hospital equipment, and mechanical operations equipment. A blogger from the site Pixable commented that the basement was completely frozen over due to flooding. The building has also been covered in bullet holes and various graffiti visible from nearby I-96, including a large tag that reads "Purge Suey".[16] In 2015, city officials ordered Brown to remove the graffiti and interior debris, as well as pump out the flooded basement. As of May 2023, Southwest Detroit Hospital has been completely gutted and boarded up. Many boards over entrances have been torn off by trespassers, which are not restored until a while after. The property is poorly secured with a short fence, which, is completely void on the side of the property facing Fisher Freeway. Many spots in the fence also has holes, which trespassers can easily squeeze through. Graffiti continues to appear on the penthouse and staircase of the roof, which repeatedly gets painted over by the owner. The building has been cited by a nearby resident to have been 'falling apart', and many residents say that they want the building to be demolished. The owner, landlord Dennis Kefallinos was sued by the City of Detroit for his 4 blighted properties, which include Southwest Detroit Hospital and a vacant warehouse at Bagley and Vermont streets. [17][18]Today, the hospital faces the threat of demolition. [19][15]