POTSDAM - Canton-Potsdam Hospital has received formal approval from the state Department of Health to build a new, two-story outpatient procedure building on the hospital's main campus at 50 Leroy St.

Ophthalmology, gastroenterology and pain management procedures will predominately relocate from the fourth floor of the hospital to the first floor of the new building. The facility will house a general procedure room and two gastroenterology rooms.

Some specialty cases will continue to be performed at the hospital. The second floor of the new structure is expected to house infusion, most outpatient cardiology testing and provider offices.

"Community trends and procedure volumes drive the need for change to accommodate shifting demands, and construction is fundamental to meeting those demands,” said David B. Acker, president of St. Lawrence Health System which operates the hospital.

“The new facility will improve patient flow, increase efficiencies, and provide office space for providers whose proximity to the Hospital is important. The expanded capacity will allow for a more patient-centered manner of delivering care,"

Completion of the new facility will give the hospital flexibility to modernize and enhance existing services, such as Critical Care and Imaging, hospital officials said.

Site work for the project is underway, and construction is expected to be completeby the end of 2019.