GRH PROPOSES EXPANSION OF CLINIC

Grande Ronde Hospital is proposing to expand its Internal Medicine Clinic at 506 Fourth St. in La Grande.

The expansion would add 6,974 square feet to the existing clinic for a total building size of 11,470 square feet, with approximately 50 new parking spots.

When completed, the clinic would contain 30 exam rooms, a patient education area, three procedure rooms and increased space for medical records, the laboratory and the patient lobby area.

The hospital's application for a conditional use permit to expand the clinic was scheduled to go before the La Grande Planning Commission Tuesday night.

The expansion is needed for several reasons, according to hospital officials. Among those are enticing new physicians to the area and retaining those already here, accommodating more patients and offering improved privacy and aesthetics. The proposed project is in an area zoned for residential-professional use, with a dental office and assisted living residence nearby.

At its current size of 4,496 square feet, the clinic is operating beyond efficient capacity and is in dire need of a facelift, said Paul Shorb, senior director support services at Grande Ronde Hospital.

"The clinic was probably considered contemporary in 1986 when it was built, but it no longer meets the demands of today's workplace," Shorb said.

Currently five health care providers and a staff of 11 serve approximately 120 patients daily. The project would bring the facility up to industry standards, creating efficiencies and upgrading the patient experience.

The project would also prepare the clinic for the future by setting it up for electronic medical records. Additionally, a state-of-the-art facility should help attract new health care providers.

"We are actively recruiting physicians and have found that most prefer to be employed by a hospital and work in a group setting. This project accomplishes that scenario," Shorb said.

While the exterior of the clinic will not change dramatically in terms of materials, scale or bulk, the interior will use healthy, natural materials, said architect Art Kjos, principal of Clark/Kjos Architects in Portland. "Hospitals and medical clinics are all about keeping people healthy, so it's important to provide a healthy atmosphere."

Clark/Kjos Architects designed the award-winning Family Birthing Center at Grande Ronde Hospital in 1992.