On September 15, 2006 Park Ridge Hospital submitted a CON (Certificate of Need) to the State of North Carolina requesting approval for extensive expansion and renovation of the hospital. A public hearing was held regarding this project at the Blue Ridge Community College Auditorium on November 13th. On Monday, May 7th, Park Ridge Hospital administrators were officially notified that approval had been granted.
The proposed project includes 50,304 square feet of new construction and 28,402 square feet of renovation, and will reconfigure, enlarge, and modernize specific departments to enhance patient satisfaction. Plans call for expansion of the Baby Place (Obstetrics and Women’s Services) from the existing 7,652 square feet to 20,320 square feet. The Day Surgery area expansion plans will increase that department from 1,400 square feet to 6,000 square feet.
“Park Ridge Hospital has enjoyed tremendous increase in utilization of these services, and is responding to the growth and needs of our community”, explained Bruce Bergherm, Vice President of Business Development for Park Ridge Hospital. “Essentially the expansion offers Park Ridge Hospital the opportunity to expand certain departments (such as the Laboratory) and to enlarge existing patient rooms, and to add a dedicated operating room for C-Sections”.
Park Ridge Hospital provides a comprehensive range of healthcare services in a high growth service area. The hospital maintains high inpatient occupancy of its licensed acute care beds and inpatient psychiatric beds. Also the hospital has experienced consistent growth in surgery volumes and outpatient visits. The expansion project is slated to begin early 2008 and completion is expected in late 2009.