Grossmont Hospital Starts Expansion to Add Services

Grossmont Hospital has begun what officials say will be an ambitious $81-million expansion to provide more services for East County residents.

The extensive project, to be completed sometime in 1994, will include new medical facilities for women, an outpatient center for cancer victims, doctors’ offices and the expansion of the hospital’s emergency room, said Susan Carney, a hospital spokeswoman.

Growth Anticipated

The 439-bed hospital is expanding to meet an expected surge of new patients over the next 10 years and to lure top-notch doctors, Carney said.

Already under construction at the 33-acre site is a health-services center to provide 48 beds and specialized treatment for women. Completion is scheduled for November, Carney said.

The next phase will include the construction of a seven-story office building for 50 doctors. The center, which the hospital hopes will be the flagship of its medical offices, will be a condominium-style building, and its offices will be sold to doctors who set up their practices there, Carney said.

A two-story cancer outpatient center and the expansion of the hospital’s emergency room also are planned, Carney said, adding that the hospital already provides a large percentage of emergency services in East County.

Financing comes from the sale of $35 million in hospital bonds, Carney said.

Though the hospital is a nonprofit organization, it can set aside the funds to meet expected growth.

Money not used in the project will go toward new equipment and the construction of two multistory parking structures, Carney said.