Kootenai Health announces $57 million expansion
No taxing expected to fund 3-story annex
Kootenai Health will break ground later this year on a three-story annex expected to increase patient bed availability by 10 percent and add up to 150 new staff positions at the Coeur d’Alene health center, its first expansion in 30 years.
The hospital announced the upcoming $57 million addition in a news release Wednesday, saying the addition will be financed through donations and loans. Kootenai Health does not anticipate assessing taxes “now or in the future,” according to the news release.
The addition will include a first-floor neonatal intensive care unit and a birthing center, according to the news release. Beds for surgery and medical patients will make up the second floor and the third floor will remain available for future undetermined projects, the hospital said.
Jon Ness, Kootenai Health CEO, said in a written statement the expansion was designed in response to a recent study indicating the health care center needed more room.
“A recent facility assessment showed we have a need for about 20 percent more space on our main campus to meet future needs,” Ness said.
Bouten Construction Company of Spokane will manage construction of the new building, according to the news release. The project is expected to require up to 450 hired hands. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late summer or early fall.