Joseph Hansen arrived at 400 N. Ingalls St. in May 2026 carrying a piece of history from the day he entered the world.
More than 74 years after taking his first breath in the building, then known as St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Mr. Hansen returned with a copy of the hospital bill from his birth on October 22, 1951.
The total charge: $135.
More than 70 years later, that document helped Mr. Hansen reconnect with the very place where his life began.
Now, as a Delta Air Lines flight attendant, Mr. Hansen found himself back in Ann Arbor after an unexpected flight diversion. While working a flight from Paris to Los Angeles, his plane was rerouted to Detroit, leading to an overnight stay in Ann Arbor.
After giving his colleagues a tour of campus and sharing dinner at Frita Batidos, a local favorite, Mr. Hansen returned the next morning to visit the former hospital building, which now houses the University of Michigan School of Nursing.
Back Where it All Began
While looking through a photo of his hospital bill, Mr. Hansen noticed a detail he had never paid much attention to before: the room number where his mother stayed during his birth.
Room 374.
Standing inside the building for the first time since he was born, Mr. Hansen said the experience was unexpectedly emotional.
"I actually got chills," he said. “I could almost feel something in the air as if I was drawn to this building.”
The visit also sparked conversations with U-M School of Nursing faculty members Dr. Ruth Zielinski, clinical professor and midwifery graduate program lead, and Dr. Michelle Munro-Kramer, associate professor and director of global programs, who were fascinated by his connection to the building's history.
"This was such a fun encounter!" Dr. Munro-Kramer said. "As a midwife and global health researcher, I loved learning more about Joe's connection to U-M, his birth in our building and his global work in the Peace Corps. It seems like serendipity that the third floor of the 400 N. Ingalls building is now home to our midwifery faculty and global health office!"
A Lifelong Connection to U-M
While he was born in the original St. Joseph Mercy Hospital building, his younger siblings were later born in what is now part of Michigan Medicine. Mr. Hansen later earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1973 and 1982, respectively, from the University of Michigan, adding another chapter to his family's ties to the university and the city.
Today, 400 N. Ingalls St. serves a different purpose, educating future nurses, nurse practitioners, researchers and health care leaders.
But during a brief and unexpected visit, it became a bridge between the building's past and present … 74 years in the making.
"The Michigan factor is a strong bond," he said. "And after all these years, U-M still provides enduring events and friendships."
“Go Blue!”