Spring Hill Regional Hospital recently completed a $4 million expansion project to its operating facilities.

A major upgrade at Spring Hill Regional Hospital has officials confident about meeting a higher quality standard of health care.

A $4 million dollar expansion project was just completed in the operating and recovery rooms.

Now there's more room for surgeons to prepare for surgery and overall improvements to improve efficiency and safety. Dr. Michael Higgns, an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital, said it often was a challenge working in the old facility.

"It was cumbersome,'' Higgins said. "Very, very difficult to be productive or efficient. The hours would be longer and that drains the staff in this world.''

The upgrades will benefit patients as well.

Previously, orchestrating patients being brought in and out of surgery took detailed planning due to the cramped conditions.

"We do between 30 and 40 cases on some days and it was really difficult keeping the flow going,'' said Rhonda Hawks, the hospital's director of surgical services. "sometimes we would get backed up a little bit.''

Now, with space doubled in one of the hospital's most critical area allows for up to 60 patients to easily be serviced, Hawks said. The planning, renovations and construction took about two years to complete.

And in addition to the new and much needed space, the hospital also added five more employees to the operating room wing to maintain efficiency.