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KEOSAQUA, IOWA -- The Van Buren County Hospital received some good news concerning its expansion and renovations.

The hospital plans on expanding the dietary department and cardiac rehabilitation program, redesigning the existing clinic space and doing other updates.

Helping the cause is a $100,000 grant and a loan worth nearly $4 million dollars from the USDA and the Department of Rural Development.

Though the project is still in the planning phase, hospital officials say they hope construction begins this summer.

“The dietary wing would be the one that's in need of replacement.  That'll put it on the first floor. It's in the basement now,” said Van Buren Co. Hospital Assistant Administrator Doug DeHart. “(It provides) better access to meals, better access to a cafeteria type plan.  We want to change how we serve the meals.”

DeHart said the providing better traffic flow is important because some hallways become congested with patients and staff making it hard to get through.

“With the clinic, that will be major renovations as far as our physicians are concerned.  And it's easier to access, better patient flow for all our customers, especially on the clinic side where the docks are,” DeHart said.

Officials plan on keeping the hospital fully functional during construction working in eight smaller phases.