The Wabash General Hospital board of directions has approved moving forward with two substantial building projects. At their meeting last night, the board voted to proceed with a $4,551,190 project to  finish the build-out of the second floor of the new medical office building. When the new M. O. B. was completed, only the first floor was finished and occupied, leaving the second floor of the complex open for future development. The time has come to move forward as the board voted last night to spend the money to complete three suites of offices. There was no word last night on which departments or services would be occupying the new space when it’s completed this fall.

The second approval was to seek bids on an estimated $196,500 project to create more space at the orthopedic office building. The project would include a rearrangement of the front office, separating some of the clinician’s work area, expanding the reception area into the waiting room to allow for smoother operations. WGH administration admitted the project is a stop gap measure to buy the hospital more time before a more extensive expansion of the orthopedic building is undertaken. The board’s action last night was to seek bids on the work before a final decision is made by the board.