DOUGLAS - Officials at Memorial Hospital of Converse County say an expansion project under way will help the facility meet significant increases in patients, staff and procedures.

At the same time, the hospital board of directors has hired Denver-based CPI to develop short- and long-term master facility plans. CPI will evaluate whether the existing building can support anticipated patient increases, MHCC CEO Tom Nordwick said, and whether additions or even a new structure may be called for.

"We've been looking at steady growth here in the community for a period of years now," Nordwick said, acknowledging that some people predict the county population could double in the next decade. "Obviously, we certainly want to be able to anticipate and absorb any rapid growth."

The $1.4 million expansion going on now will develop a 10,000-square-foot space left as a shell when the hospital underwent a significant remodeling in 2002. The expansion plans also call for about $750,000 in new equipment, Nordwick said.

The expansion will add two large, state-of-the-art operating rooms and will bring two 25-year-old ORs up to modern standards.

"With the types of equipment that are required for new technology and all the different pieces of equipment they sometimes need on there surgeries, the ORs get real cramped," Nordwick said.

Four new patient care rooms will be added on the med-surg floor. The work should also net some new office space, and fresh quarters for a wellness clinic and pediatric occupational therapy room.

The move is good news for the community, which benefits from increased care options nearby and the added perks of good-paying jobs.

"Health care is a quality of life issue," said Joe Coyne, Converse Area New Development Organization executive director. "As the community grows, it is absolutely critical the hospital grows with it."

He said the expansion is an indicator of the increasing needs a growing population has, and the work now should help meet those needs while providing solid, high-paying jobs and bringing new specialists into the region.

The addition of two general surgeons and a second orthopedic surgeon has led to roughly 10 percent increases in surgeries and in admissions per year for the last several years, Nordwick said. The surgical services open the door for patients who might have previously sought specialized care elsewhere.

"We're retaining more of the market share here in Douglas and probably winning back some of the market share we lost to outside communities," Nordwick said.

Hospital directors have also agreed to join CANDO in a community health needs assessment to assure services provided can be realistically supported by patient needs. The survey could identify new services that the increased patient volumes can support, Nordwick said.