MSU celebrates 15 years of the Secchia Center on Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile

September 25, 2025

On September 24, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine alongside West Michigan health care and business leaders celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Secchia Center.

The $90 million medical education facility named after Michigan State University alumni Peter and Joan Secchia opened in September 2010, marking the university’s commitment to Grand Rapids. Now 15 years later, the Secchia Center is one of four buildings on the Medical Mile in Grand Rapids bearing the Spartan helmet.

“The Secchia Center is more than a building — it has been the heart of the College of Human Medicine for the past 15 years,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “This anniversary is a tribute to Peter and Joan Secchia’s vision and generosity as well as the thousands of students, faculty and community partners who advance medical education, research and care in Grand Rapids and across Michigan. We are excited for the future it continues to inspire.”

The Secchia Center is MSU College of Human Medicine’s headquarters, with seven additional community campuses across the state. These campuses are embedded in communities to serve specific needs of patients from rural to urban regions with a special focus on providing care for the medically underserved. The partnerships with long-established health care providers allow the college to strengthen our research capabilities, increase clinical training and contribute to economic and health care growth across the state.

What’s happening inside

• Inside the Secchia Center, MSU College of Human Medicine is educating future physicians.
  
  
• Each year, Grand Rapids has 360 students between the four-year span of medical school. In August, the College of Human Medicine welcomed a new class of 190 medical students. Of those, 97 are assigned to the Grand Rapids campus.
  
  
• Approximately 140 third- and fourth-year medical students complete their clerkships at Corewell Health, Trinity Health, Pine Rest and medical providers throughout West Michigan.
  
  
•  The seven-story, 180,000-square-foot building houses clinical examination rooms, simulation suites, lecture halls, offices and student areas.
  
  
• There are 168 MSU-employed faculty and staff inside the Secchia Center.

“At the core of the College of Human Medicine’s mission is a commitment to equity in health,” said Aron Sousa, MD, dean, College of Human Medicine. “Our location on Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile places us at the center of innovation and collaboration, where partnerships with health care organizations allow us to train the next generation of physicians and ensure that patients in underserved communities have access to the care they deserve. The Secchia Center has been a cornerstone of this effort for 15 years. This anniversary reaffirms our dedication to the West Michigan community and communities across the state.”

Philanthropically funded by a generous West Michigan community

MSU alumnus and former Ambassador to Italy, the late Peter F. Secchia provided the lead gift for the medical education building with his wife, Joan Secchia. Many others including Rich and Helen DeVos and Grand Action joined in for a total of $40 million from area philanthropic leaders. A $50 million investment from Corewell Health was pivotal in bringing the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids.

“Peter would be immensely proud,” said Joan Secchia. “His deep love for Michigan State University was matched only by his love for his hometown. He saw such potential in the Medical Mile to be a beacon of research, discovery and medical hope for people from around the world. This building stands as a testament to that vision.”

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Media Contact | Emily Linnert