PILLAGER-Executives and employees celebrated the start of a $20 million expansion and renovation project for Lakewood Health System Oct. 10.
Both the flagship location in Staples and the Pillager location will get a boost from the work, scheduled to run until early 2018. Executives aim for the additions to provide more capacity and aid in physician recruitment efforts.
Lakewood CEO Tim Rice said the Pillager expansion was due to increasing demand.
"We want to provide more mental health, and women's health, and family practice," he said.
He said the existing facility was "booked solid."
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The new space in Pillager will be primarily exam space as well as rooms for behavioral health and ancillary services like x-rays and ultrasound. About 8,300 square feet will be added on, and more than 6,000 feet will be remodeled. Lakewood hopes to double its roster of providers at the location from five to 10 people.
The Staples expansion will also include more clinic space and infrastructure devoted to women's health, as well as improving the MRI unit and expanding the ED area. There will be 36 new exam rooms when the Staples addition is finished.
The Pillager location will likely finish in October of 2017 before the Staples project, and patients can be shifted from Staples to Pillager until everything is completed in March of 2018.
