Growing Specialty Care at the Medical Plaza

Fall 2019

Medical Plaza Building

After three years of consistent specialty services growth, patient care will soon expand to the second floor of Brookings Health System’s Medical Plaza.

In 2016 Brookings Health System launched the Medical Plaza, a 30,000 square-foot medical office building connected to the hospital that houses physicians who regularly care for patients in the hospital setting. The building opened with a finished first floor, leased by Avera Medical Group Specialty Care, and shelled-in second floor, ready for expansion when needed.

“Part of the reason we built the Medical Plaza and undertook the hospital expansion and renovation project was to attract specialty providers to Brookings. As such, we knew we would need to accommodate future growth,” said CEO Jason Merkley. “It’s fantastic that we’ve been so successful in attracting talented providers, including orthopedic, ENT and gynecology surgeons, in only three short years. The Medical Plaza’s first floor, however, is now overcrowded. It’s time to finish off the second floor with exam rooms and offices so our medical staff can continue to expand.”

Construction on the second floor started in August and is anticipated to be ready for providers to move-in at the end of the year. Avera Medical Group Specialty Care plans to relocate the offices for the practicing OB/GYNs and dermatology to the second floor. The first floor will still house general surgery, urology, orthopedics and ENT. In addition, podiatry services will move from the Avera clinic located at 400 22nd Ave. to the first floor of the Medical Plaza.

“Each floor should be able to accommodate about eight to ten providers,” said Merkley. “With 12 different specialty providers already on board, that gives some extra space for growth and to continue recruiting specialties to Brookings.”