Hutchinson Community Hospital patients receiving certain types of therapy and orthopedic services will go to a new facility in Plaza 15 starting in 2008.

The Hutchinson Area Health Care Governing Board on Tuesday approved spending as much as $2.9 million to renovate part of the shopping center for a 14,000-square-foot rehabilitation services facility and orthopedic clinic. The recommendation still must be approved by the Hutchinson City Council, which must OK all hospital expenses exceeding $50,000.

Hutchinson Area Health Care President and CEO Mary Ellen Wells said the facility will open in early 2008.

The facility will almost double the amount of space used by ortho/rehab services in the hospital. It will house speech, physical and occupational therapies, including industrial medicine. It will also house Hutchinson Area Health Care's orthopedic clinic.

For details, see the print edition of the April 19 Leader.

(Doug Hanneman is editor of the Hutchinson Leader. He may be reached at hanneman@hutchinsonleader.com [2])