New rural hospital moves forward

In North Caddo Parish and surrounding areas, you only have one option for emergency healthcare. That's the North Caddo Medical Center.

Right now, the hospital simply isn't up to par, but it'll soon see vast improvements. Construction will start on a larger and better equipped facility in spring 2013.

Spokesperson Mary Coil says hospital officials have worked closely with architects since April to design a building that'll improve service to those patients.

"To design the specifics of the building," Coil said. "Such as, the design of the departments and the square footage needed just to build the most efficient medical center possible."

The new center will have a much larger emergency room with private beds. Clinics will be housed in the new building, and a mammography unit will be added. It'll cost nearly $25 million, which is covered by a voter approved sales tax and USDA loans.

"The hospital will pay the loan back through revenue," Coil said. She says the hospital expects to have slight growth in its staff numbers, and the new building will help with recruitment. A residency program with LSU also helps bring in fresh members.

"We've actually signed on 4 of those residencies, who are now attendings, here at the North Caddo Medical Center over the last 6 years," Coil said.

Staff members will have a fresh place to work, but it may cost them peace. Coil says construction will be done in phases at the current building's location. It must stay open simply because its the only hospital for 35 miles.

"It will be hectic with construction," Coil said. "We're going to do everything we can to make that as easy as possible for our patients and our community."

Coil says it should take up to 30 months to complete the new medical center, which voters approved in April. The original building was built in 1965.