A Certificate of Need must be approved by the state and is expected as early as April. So far, no party has registered to oppose the project, according to one of the physicians, Dr. Todd Schneiderman, an ophthalmologist with Retina Center Northwest.

The 10,000-square-foot center will be located in the 26,000-square-foot Clear Creek Professional Building, which broke ground recently. The building itself is not affected by the certificate of need.

The day surgery center calls for two operating rooms that will be used by the building’s owner physicians and made available to other qualified surgeons. “Our goal…is to provide a top line, quality center where we can provide efficient care for patients and (services) for physicians in a central location,” Schneiderman said, adding that generally physician-owned and operated facilities are more efficient.

Schneiderman says there is limited availability of operating space in Kitsap as well as medical office space. Building an outpatient surgery center in Silverdale fills that need, and makes it easier for patients coming from North Kitsap.

“The partnership and business venture with Kitsap Outpatient Surgeons is an exciting one for us because it augments the exceptional care closer to home for those we serve,” Harrison President and CEO Scott Bosch said. Harrison operates day surgery centers in Bremerton and Silverdale.

Harrison has a similar partnership with Advanced Medical Imaging. The partnership means Harrison will be part of the governance of the center as well as a financial contributor, according to Harrison Public Relations Manager Patti Hart. The center will serve a variety of specialties, including ophthalmology, podiatry, ear, nose and throat, and reconstructive surgery, she said.

“With the (population) growth and the shortages we already have, the need for operating rooms will continue to grow in the next five years,” said Schneiderman, whose practice will be one of the building’s tenants. “We want a high-quality, highly efficient, a very warm and caring facility,” he said.

The Clear Creek Professional Building should be completed by June, and Schneiderman said about 75 percent of the building already had tenant commitments. The day surgery center is expected to open in early 2007.