Stanislaus County plans to expand its medical buildings on Scenic Drive to house more doctors and staff, and serve more patients.

The Board of Supervisor unanimously approved plans Tuesday to renovate the third floor of the former Scenic General Hospital, add office space for the Family Practice Center and increase staff.

The Health Services Agency will convert 17,000 square feet of patient rooms in the former county hospital into office space. The agency also plans to add 200 square feet to the Family Practice Center pharmacy.

The project includes leasing modules from the Family Practice Center, which is in the Scenic Medical Park. The county also will renovate a modular building, previously used by the Veterans Affairs clinic, to house family practice residents.

The temporary expansion will add 10 examination rooms and one procedure room. It also will accommodate two additional physicians.

The project will allow the facilities to handle 26,000 more visits a year, said Kathy Kohrman, the Health Services Agency's associate director of ambulatory services.

The additional visits will cut down on the time patients have to wait for an appointment.

"Instead of waiting six to eight weeks for an appointment, they might only have to wait a week to two weeks," she said. This could prevent frustrated patients from turning to crowded emergency rooms.

The Family Practice Center is also bursting at the seams. The center was built in the 1970s to accommodate 18 doctors. Today, the building serves 27 family practice residents and five doctors.

Third-year residents in training are now required to see more patients. The center has to provide the space for what amounts to an additional four-hour clinic each week.

The county has budgeted $500,000 for the project in 2002-2003.

Tuesday, supervisors approved spending $265,000 to renovate the former hospital and the pharmacy. They also approved $71,900 to set up and lease the modules, and $137,847 for the Family Practice Center expansion.

Supervisors also approved $106,925 for additional startup costs and salaries at the Family Practice Center.

Tim Fedorchak, a senior management consultant in the county executive's office, said leasing modules was less expensive than if the county were to lease office space at another location.

County staff is developing a permanent solution to the space crunch, he said.

Bee staff writer Alejandra Navarro can be reached at 578-2339 or anavarro@modbee.com.

Reprinted by permission of The Modesto Bee.