Work is underway on a $37.3 million expansion at Kootenai Health’s primary hospital campus in Coeur d’Alene.

The three-story, 21,000-square-foot addition will house an expansion of the hospital’s heart center, which will grow to 13 operating rooms from 11 and expand to five procedure rooms from three. As the Journal reported previously, the expansion is intended to meet the needs of North Idaho’s growing population.

Crews broke ground on the project in September, and it’s expected to be substantially complete in July 2023.

Three Spokane companies are serving primary functions in the expansion. Bouten Construction Co. is the general contractor, and NAC Architecture is the architect. MW Consulting Engineers PS is providing engineering services.

As envisioned, the first and third floors of the new addition will be vacant and will leave room for future expansion and growth, while the second floor will hold pre- and post-procedure patient care space, diagnostic support space, and the two new procedure rooms. The new operating rooms will be located on the second floor of the main hospital, above the current cafeteria and kitchen.

A temporary kitchen will be set up while the main kitchen closes for three months during the construction of the two operating rooms.

Included in the project is an equipment upgrade, specifically new technology in the current operating rooms and in the electrophysiology and catheterization laboratories.

Kootenai Health is financing the project through a combination of operating cash, debt, and donations through the Kootenai Health Foundation.

The heart center provides catheterization laboratory services in addition to electrophysiology, interventional radiology, echocardiology, electrocardiograms, and cardiac rehabilitation services.

As of January, about 80 people worked in the heart center. About 15 positions will be added once the expansion is completed, including technologists, nurses, and support staff.

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