At Mercy Health Network's Edmond Santa Fe clinic, an expanding community called for expanded services. The clinic consistently ranked in the top 10 percentile of the Press Gainey ratings, a national patient satisfaction survey, but as the community continued to grow, the facility needed to also, said James Dixson, president of Mercy Health Network.

"The clinic there was really way too small to even start to fill the need," he said.

The 12,000-square-foot clinic, located at 1575 N Santa Fe, replaces a 2,500-square-foot facility located just south of the new location. With more room, the clinic can house more doctors and a wider variety of medical services, including lab services, digital X-rays and bone density testing, Dixson said. There are 10 employees excluding the physicians, and the clinic can accommodate eight physicians, with four on staff now.

"Edmond is a dynamic city with growth in all directions, and we felt that that part of the city needed upgraded medical services," Dixson said.

The goal is to provide medical care ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics, Dixson said. The Santa Fe clinic offers family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. So far, the transition to the new facility has been smooth, Dixson said, with the clinic providing the same level of care that has consistently placed it in the 90th percentile of the Press Gainey ratings since Mercy started using the process about a year ago.

"It's a nice survey process because it's not just an internal, homegrown survey, but one that compares you nationally," Dixson said.

The clinic celebrated its grand opening with an open house and a blessing, a tradition that is important to Mercy as a faith-based organization, Dixson said.

"We're considered a ministry as much as anything else, and to us that's an advantage that sets us apart from some of the other groups," he said.

Mercy Health Network has seven clinics throughout the Oklahoma City metro, and along with Mercy Health Center, is owned by the Sisters of Mercy healthcare system based in St. Louis. Being affiliated with a major hospital provides the clinics with more resources, as well as support from a system focused on quality care, Dixson said.

"In terms of the medical environment today and the competitive nature of it - the issues we have with reimbursement, trying to have the latest technology, all of those things - makes us much stronger being associated with a strong hospital," Dixson said.

Mercy Health Network recently opened a new clinic at its Northwest Family location, which has been in operation since 1982.

The new facility, which opened in September, is 12,000 square feet and has a children's area with DVDs. Previously, the clinic had three suites on three floors, but the entire practice has now been integrated, with 20 employees and seven physicians.

Mercy is always looking at how to expand and strengthen its network, Dixson said.

"We are certainly interested in our primary care network being strong and integrated and growing, so we are looking at other prospects for clinic locations," he said.