Providence Physician Services Co., which is part of the Spokane-based Providence Health Care network, says it has leased the top floor of the Central Medical Office Building, north of Providence Holy Family Hospital, and plans to move three of its medical practices there this summer. The move will give it room to grow and provide added patient convenience, it says.

The 16,800-square-foot space in the four-story building at 212 E. Central will house Providence Physician Services' family practice, adult gastroenterology services, and multiple sclerosis center, all of which currently are located in smaller quarters in separate buildings, says Kari Lidbeck, medical services administrator for Providence Physician Services.

Lidbeck says a $1.3 million remodeling project is scheduled to be completed in late June, and the practices hope to begin seeing patients in the building on Central on July 6. Bouten Construction Co., of Spokane, is the contractor on the project.

The three practices together currently have 12 physicians and a support staff of 25 employees, she says.

Providence Physician Services plans to hire additional physicians and support nurses to handle the expected increase in patient capacity allowed by the larger space in the Central Medical Office Building, Lidbeck says.

Providence Physician Services currently is recruiting two gastroenterologists there, and likely also will hire at least two family practitioners, a pharmacist, nursing support staff, and, eventually, an internist, she says. It also might expand its neurology services there, she says.

"Part of our purpose in bringing these groups together and having a point-of-care pharmacist is to make it a one-stop shop," Lidbeck says.

The Central Medical Office Building also is close to other medical services such as Inland Imaging LLC's imaging service at Holy Family, and Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories facility nearby, at 220 E. Rowan, she says.

The Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center currently is located in the North Spokane Professional Building, at 5901 N. Lidgerwood. Providence Family Medicine offices are located on the Holy Family campus, at 5629 N. Lidgerwood, and in the Northpointe Medical Building, at 9631 N. Nevada. Its adult gastroenterology service is located in the Rowan Medical Building, at 235 E. Rowan.

Providence Physician Services and Providence Holy Family Hospital both are affiliates of Providence Health Care, a nonprofit Catholic-sponsored health-care system that also operates Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital and eight other hospitals and organizations in Eastern Washington.

Providence Physician Services employs more than 70 physicians and other practitioners and about 170 support staff members, and provides practice management and recruitment services throughout the Providence Health Care system.