Providence is investing $9 million to modernize four operating rooms at Sacred Heart Medical Center, located at 101 W. Eighth in Spokane, as part of a multiyear project to revamp all 28 surgical rooms at the hospital.

The healthcare provider is planning to replace technology, medical equipment, lighting, cabinetry and flooring, electrical and air circulation systems, and install additional imaging equipment to two rooms over nine phases, says Dr. Erik Condon, chief of surgery at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Providence Holy Family Hospital.

The project includes updating two hybrid operating rooms with new equipment for fluoroscopy imaging, which supports minimally invasive surgeries, such as aortic valve replacements, he says. Fluoroscopy equipment, known as C-arms, revolves around the patient taking continuous X-ray images to provide imaging from various angles creating a “movie” instead of a standard X-ray still image.

“Just like how we replace the roofs on our houses every 20 years, we do the same thing with operating rooms that are heavily used almost every day of the week — they need to be updated and renovated,” Condon says. “A lot has changed in the last 20 to 30 years.”

The estimated construction value is $19.5 million for the renovation of all 28 operating rooms, permit information on file with the city of Spokane shows. However, Condon says, he expects the total to be higher after rooms are fitted out with new equipment.

Providence has released $9 million from its capital allocations budget for the first phase of renovations, he says.

A phased modernization process allows procedures to continue while a few of the operating rooms are renovated at a time, he explains. Preliminary work on the nine-phase modernization project is scheduled to begin this summer and renovations are anticipated to start in the fall, says Condon. The hospital doesn’t have an estimated completion date available, he adds.

“We don't anticipate any major changes to our workflow,” he says. “We’ll have to be adaptive and creative, but we anticipate that our patients and our community won't notice anything in terms of access issues.”

Spokane-based Bouten Construction Co. is the contractor; Tacoma, Washington-based BCRA Inc.’s Spokane office is the architectural firm; and Portland, Oregon-based PAE Consulting Engineers Inc.’s Spokane office is providing engineering services, according to permit information.

Providence is working with Portage, Michigan-based medical technologies company Stryker Corp. and Amsterdam-based Royal Philips — both of which are providing medical lighting, information technology systems, and other equipment, he says.

That permit calls for 26,000 square feet to be renovated over the course of the project. Crews are also planning to renovate existing sub-sterile areas, which are transitional support spaces typically situated between operating rooms, he adds.

Strict regulations guide construction teams when working in an operating room environment. Bouten Construction is experienced isolating construction areas from the rest of the hospital to ensure no contamination occurs, Condon contends. Upon conclusion of the updates, the space will be cleaned using the hospital’s standard cleaning process and be patient-ready immediately.

Operating rooms at Sacred Heart, which previously underwent phased upgrades over the last 30 years, are now in need of a modern refresh, he explains.

“Our goal is to give our patients in our community the absolute best care in the entire region, bar none, and we want this also to be the best workplace for our physicians and nurses and technicians to work in the entire region,” he says. “It's necessary to invest in our facilities to achieve those goals.”

Separately, the healthcare provider also is planning to modernize 13 operating rooms at Holy Family Hospital, at 5633 N. Lidgerwood, Condon adds.

*Project update

Three identical, 6,700-square-foot townhomes are planned on three vacant lots at at 1207, 1211, and 1215 W. Cora, in Spokane, according to permit information on file with the city of Spokane.

The properties are located at the southwest corner of Cora Avenue and Jefferson Street on the northern boundary line of Spokane's Emerson-Garfield neighborhoood and the North Hill neighborhood.

As planned, each three-story townhome building, tentatively dubbed the Cora Townhomes, has a 2,200-square-foot building footprint and features four units. The project is valued at $1 million, according to permit information.

Landscaping, driveways, and sidewalks also are included in the project design plans.

Colbert, Washington-based Legacy Properties Spokane LLC is the developer, Russell C. Page Architects PS, of Spokane Valley, applied for the permit and is designing the development. Spokane-based Axia Structural PLLC is the engineer. A contractor is yet to be determined, permit information shows.

Legacy Properties sold the three parcels, which total less than half an acre in size, to Spokane Valley-based NYG Real Estate Holdings LLC for $270,000 in 2025, according to tax information on file with the Washington State Department of Revenue.