Spokane-based Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists PS says it has leased space to add four exam rooms and a nurse's station at its North Side office, where it plans to hire an additional surgeon this summer.

The expansion will add about 1,100 square feet to the practice's 5,800-square-foot office on the first floor of the Central Medical Office Building, at 212 E. Central, just north of Providence Holy Family Hospital, says Leanne Mason, the practice's chief operations officer.

Bouten Construction Co., of Spokane, is remodeling the newly leased space, which will include patient-education and orthopedic-research rooms in addition to the new exam rooms and nurse's station, Mason says.

She declines to disclose the cost of the remodel, which is expected to be completed by July 9.

In August, a surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and general orthopedic surgery will join three surgeons at the North Side office who specialize individually in foot and ankle surgery, hand surgery, and spine surgery, Mason says.

Northwest Orthopaedic moved its North Side office to the Central Medical Office Building from the south side of Holy Family in 2008, she says.

That office currently has 10 exam rooms, two nurse's stations, and a support staff of 14 employees. The practice hasn't decided yet whether it will hire other additional employees in conjunction with expanding its space there, Mason says.

Northwest Orthopaedic also has offices on the fourth floor of the Spokane Integrated Medical Plaza, at 601 W. Fifth, near downtown, and just southwest of Valley Hospital & Medical Center, at 12410 E. Sinto, in Spokane Valley.

In the three offices combined, NWOS has 24 physicians and 147 employees, including 10 physician's assistants and four registered nurse anesthetists.