KINDER – Construction is moving forward on a more than $40 million project to expand and improve services at the Allen Parish Community Healthcare Hospital.

Plans for the facility include expansion of emergency services, surgical care, and behavioral health services, at its 10-acre site just west of Kinder, according to Administrator Jacqueline Reviel

“It is very exciting to be happening here and to know you can have health care here,” Reviel said. “Health care is changing so fast that in the next five years we will be able to bring every specialty here via telemedicine and probably something more inventive than that in the next five years. With some cool technology, you will be able to see your cardiologist, ENT doctor, etc. right here and if you have to go off for a procedure you will be able to come back and get your care here. It will save you gas and time away from your family and job.”

The existing hospital, which is 52-years-old, will be torn down as part of the five-year, three-phase project.

The first phase of the project began last May with construction of a new $6.2 million rural health clinic. Construction is expected to be completed by this summer.

“Right now if you drive by our campus you can see this great big building being erected on the site,” Reviel said. “That is our new rural health clinic.”

The 13,503-square-foot clinic will have 17 new exam rooms, a procedure room and will house eight providers. Administration offices, including medical records and the business office, will be relocated from the main hospital to the rural health clinic.

“That is wonderful for the community because right now we have five providers in our rural health clinic and they are squashed in,” she said.  “We are seeing 125 patients a day in that rural health clinic and that is a lot of patients to see in one little building.”

The second phase of the construction project will include a 27,541-square-foot surgical care facility to include two operating rooms, surgery suites and a GI suite for general surgeries.

“We will be able to do all the local procedures that people are now going to Lake Charles, Alexandria and Lafayette to have done,” she said.

Construction is also expected to begin this summer for expansion of the emergency room department. Plans for the department include a trauma room, x-ray imaging, women’s health, radiology with a new lobby and entryway. The hospital previously had a small, one-room emergency room.

Other plans include 20 medical surgery beds, a pharmacy and lab. A new dietary kitchen and department will also be added to the hospital.

“If you’ve ever been in the hospital at Allen Parish, you know our kitchen is very tiny and we have tables from the 1960s in there,” she said.

The project is expected to take 12 months to complete.

The final phase of the project will include expansion of behavioral health services. The hospital currently serves the local mental health community with an in-patient adult behavioral health unit.

“There is a huge need for this in the community and it is a passion of mine,” Reviel said. “These people need that extra care and I can’t wait to get them a new unit and add more services.”

The 8,500-square-feet behavioral health unit will include 24 beds, a dining room, physical therapy, occupational therapy and group therapy.

Future plans include adding an outpatient dialysis unit.