A $13 million project to construct a new medical office building and expand the surgical unit has been approved by Huron Regional Medical Center’s board of directors, according to Dr. Karl Blessinger, board chairman.

Ground breaking is scheduled for spring.

“As the hospital and the community work to attract new medical professionals and businesses, an attractive, state-of-the-art medical office building is crucial to recruitment efforts,” said David McGirr, hospital board member and mayor of Huron.

“Because patients don’t admit themselves to the hospital, Huron’s ability to recruit and retain quality physicians directly impacts the future viability of the health care delivery system and HRMC,” he said. “A state-of-the-art facility for the providers to see patients will go a long way toward achieving that goal.”

In 2006, the board’s construction committee, under the direction of chairman Jim White, completed a master facilities plan to outline and prioritize hospital campus improvements, Blessinger said.

With the assistance of a master planner, the construction committee analyzed facilities in the original 1947 hospital building and 1983 main hospital building to determine the best use of existing structures and plan for renovation and potential new construction, he said.

The three-story medical office building will be constructed to the south of the existing hospital campus and west of the Professional Arts building in the location previously occupied by St. Martin School.

The 43,000-square-foot building, expected to cost $6.6 million, will house independent physicians and specialty clinics.

Many of Huron’s existing clinic buildings were built in the mid-1900s.

“I am very excited about the medical office building project and what it adds to HRMC and to Huron,” said Larry Picek, board treasurer. “It will be a great facility for current and future physicians to practice in for many years to come.”

To date, four health care providers and specialty clinics have signed lease agreements to occupy 19,200 square feet of space in the medical office building, White said. Koch Hazard Architects of Sioux Falls is providing the design for the new facility. Estimated project completion is in the third quarter of 2010.

Meanwhile, the surgery expansion will include renovation of 11,000 square feet and an expansion of 5,300 square feet of the surgery area located in the southwest corner of the main hospital building, White said.

“The existing surgery and same-day surgery facilities were constructed in 1983,” said Jim Borszich, board vice chairman. “At the time, the four surgical suites and same-day surgery recovery rooms were state of the art.”

But over the past 25 years, surgical technology and privacy regulations have changed to necessitate the renovation and expansion. “The new floor plan will greatly improve staff efficiency as well as patient flow and privacy,” he said.

Two of the four surgical suites will be expanded and remodeled including a state-of-the-art orthopedic surgical suite.

Additionally, same-day surgery recovery and procedure rooms will be expanded and remodeled.

“The trend in surgery has moved toward outpatient, minimally invasive procedures which reduce patient discomfort and recovery time,” said Dr. Cy Haatvedt, a general surgeon with Tschetter and Hohm Clinic. “This expansion and renovation will accommodate the increasing number of outpatient, same-day procedures at HRMC.”

Total cost of the surgical unit renovation project is expected to be $6.4 million. Estimated project completion is the first quarter of 2010. Johnson Johnson Crabtree Architects of Nashville, Tenn., is providing design for the expansion.

“It has been a long-standing policy of the board and construction committee to require its construction management firms to include local contractors whenever possible,” White said. “We will continue that practice with these projects.”

“HRMC is taking a very bold step to ensure a bright future for the health care of all area residents,” said Lynn Schneider, board secretary. “These projects are greatly needed so we can continue to provide high-quality medical care, delivered by excellent health care providers.”

He said the board has thoroughly deliberated over the projects for several years in close consultation with local hospital and clinic management, medical staff and industry experts.

“Support is broad and deep across the medical provider community and now is the time to move forward so we can attract additional family practice and specialty physicians to meet the needs created by our growing community,” Schneider said.

“As a board, it is our goal to always be looking one or two decades ahead when planning improvements, construction and recruitment strategies,” said Blessinger.

“The decision to move forward with these two projects was definitely made with the future in mind, as well as to achieve HRMC’s vision of exceeding customer expectations,” he said.

Also, several other renovation projects were completed this year, including full replacement of the original hospital boiler system.

Other projects included the renovation of the rehabilitation services department, the expansion of the medical imaging waiting area, emergency room security upgrades and the addition of six suites in the maternity department.