The hospital did not make it to the penny sales tax project list this go-round. But Newberry County Memorial Hospital will still be proceeding with an expansion of its emergency room.

With the number of patients coming into the local emergency room doubling since 2000 to 22,000; hospital officials say the facility must be expanded to service the patients.

On Wednesday night, hospital Vice-President John Boozer asked County Council to agree to support the expansion in a certificate of need request to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The hospital must be granted a certificate of need, basically permission from DHEC, to move forward with the expansion.

DHEC dictates the balance of health care needs at the hospital-level around the state.

The hospital staff will be approaching the hospital board with its expansion plans and financial proposals.

The certificate of need for the expansion should be submitted to DHEC in the next several months.