Commerce Township –For Detroit Medical Center obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Mehmet Bayram, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital’s 40th anniversary is deeply personal. There since the beginning, he has watched the hospital evolve from the vision of a few determined local physicians into a thriving medical hub serving the community for four decades.

“There was no hospital here, and the people of this community were really frustrated because they had to travel far for emergency care or to have babies,” said Dr. Bayram, now president of the hospital’s board. “I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years here. The nurses and team members who work here also live locally; you end up taking care of your own relatives or your neighbors. It’s a special place. It’s more of a close-knit family affair than a hospital.”

This year marks 40 years since the first patients walked through the hospital’s doors in northwest Oakland County in 1986. The public is invited to join physicians, hospital leaders and team members, and community, business and government leaders for “Celebrating a Milestone of Care and Compassion 40th Anniversary Celebration” from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 18. The celebration will take place at the DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Medical Office Building (MOB) Lawn at 1 William Carls Drive in Commerce Township.

Before the hospital’s founding in1986, residents in the Commerce Township area often drove to Southfield, Pontiac or Troy for hospital or emergency care, Dr. Bayram said. Without the M-5 freeway, those trips frequently took 45 minutes or longer.

Recognizing the need for local healthcare access, a group of area physicians and community leaders organized to appeal to the state of Michigan for a Certificate of Need — official approval that the growing community required a local hospital. Their efforts succeeded.

“It’s really incredible,” Dr. Bayram said. “Not many people are able to do such a thing, but they did. They built it and, just before it opened, they made an agreement for Harper Grace Hospital to operate it.”

DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital opened in March 1986 featuring a state-of-the-art Emergency Department and one of the area’s few dedicated labor and delivery units. Fresh out of medical training and having rotated through DMC’s Detroit Receiving Hospital, Sinai-Grace Hospital, Harper University Hospital and Hutzel Women’s Hospital, Dr. Bayram began his practice at Huron Valley. He would later serve as chief of Labor & Delivery for 28 years.

As the surrounding community grew, so did Huron Valley-Sinai. The original hospital building is now surrounded by expansions that include a larger Emergency Department, additional operating rooms, expanded Labor & Delivery services and the Medical Office Building.

“As you drive in, you can’t even see the old building anymore,” said Dr. Bayram, who has delivered thousands of babies at Huron Valley over the past 40 years — including his own granddaughter, who was delivered there by his partner in 2020. “We have seen phenomenal growth and have been able to add significant buildings and services. The Emergency Department and OB department have really stellar records. And our connection to the DMC allowed us to grow faster and provide more sophisticated services for the local community.”

DMC CEO Brittany Lavis said the hospital remains proud to serve as a healthcare hub for residents throughout northwest Oakland County and surrounding communities.

“The Detroit Medical Center is honored to have provided exceptional medical care close to home — often to our own family members and friends — for the past 40 years,” Lavis said. “We remain committed to serving our community for the next 40 years by enhancing the patient experience and delivering high-quality care through our outstanding medical teams.”

As for the future, Dr. Bayram is still working part-time at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital and remains optimistic about what lies ahead.

“I always say, ‘We may be small in size, but we’re mighty in heart,’” Dr. Bayram said. “I hope the hospital continues to bring in new facilities, new knowledge and grows with the community. The community is growing rapidly, and we have to continue growing with it.”

Invitation