Hospice of Spokane is seeking permission from the state to develop a Hospice House on the North Side to serve its growing patient load, says Dale Hammond, the nonprofit's director of development and communication.

The organization has submitted a certificate-of-need application to the Washington state Department of Health, which is expected to make a decision by May 29.

If approved, the $6.6 million facility would be located on 2 acres of land Hospice of Spokane owns at 102 W. Rhoades, about a block west of Division Street between the Comfort Inn North hotel and Holy Cross Cemetery, Hammond says.

The planned facility would be similar to the 12-room, 12,000-square-foot Hospice House the agency opened in late 2007 at 367 W. Seventh, in the medical district on the lower South Hill, he says.

That facility has a shared kitchen and family dining area, a chapel-reflection area, a living room for family gatherings, two smaller lounges, and a children's play area.

"We plan to replicate with very few changes what we have at the current Hospice House," Hammond says.

ALSC Architects PS, of Spokane, is designing the project. That firm also designed the Hospice House on the South Hill. A contractor hasn't been selected yet for the proposed North Side facility.

Hospice of Spokane, which was founded here in 1976, provides medical care, counseling, and support to the terminally ill and their families. The agency provides most of its services in patients' homes and in nursing homes. Hospice House is an alternative to nursing homes and hospitals for patients who need inpatient care for the last days of their lives.

Hammond says Hospice of Spokane's patient volume has nearly doubled since 2005, and demand is expected to continue to grow as baby boomers age.

In addition to its hospice house, Hospice of Spokane also occupies a 19,000-square-foot office building at 121 S. Arthur, east of downtown Spokane. It employs 124 people, including a staff of 18 at the South Hill facility. The agency also relies on assistance from 256 volunteers, Hammond says.

The North Side facility would require some additional employees, he says.

Hospice of Spokane operates on a $16.8 million annual budget. More than two-thirds of its funding comes from federal sources. Other funding sources include the state and fees for services.

Hammond says Hospice of Spokane will have a fundraising campaign for the planned Hospice House.

"We'll definitely be fundraising," he says. "We want to make sure community members who want to be part of it will have a chance to do so."