Northwestern University Health Service will offer reduced services Feb. 16 to Feb. 18 as it moves into its new addition and renovation begins on the existing Searle Hall facility.

Construction of the expanded building will finish in August, said Donald Misch, executive director of health services.

“What will happen is we will all move into the new building so for six months, we’ll actually be crowded still because everything’s moving there,” he said.

During the move, the lab, pharmacy and radiology departments will be closed. A nurse and physician will be on-call to help answer students’ questions and determine if they need to be referred to area physicians, Misch said.

Students can make appointments by telephone with either Dr. Bruce Doblin or Dr. Robert Magrisso, independent physicians in the area. Their offices will bill any University-covered services to Health Service. Free transportation by taxi also will be available between the physicians’ offices or the CVS Minute Clinic, 3333 Central St., and the Evanston campus with a valid WildCARD.

“If they let them know that they’re a new patient and a Northwestern student, we’ll fit them in,” Doblin said. “We should be able to see people the same day or within 24 hours.”

The expansion and renovation is the result of a $1 million grant made in honor of John Searle in January 2007. It marks the building’s first major construction since it was built in 1960.

The project, which began fall 2008, will make Searle more accommodating to students, Misch said.

“Students will be very impressed and see the benefits right away,” he said.

It’s an effort that is long overdue, said William Banis, vice president for student affairs.

“The Searle building … was designed for a different era,” he said. “And the old building is now very inefficient by modern standards.”

The existing building did not offer enough space, Misch said. Doctors had examining rooms that doubled as their offices before, but they will each have an office and two examining rooms after the expansion, he said.

“Currently our doctors have a combined exam room/office,” Misch said. “If a patient is in the exam room changing, they need to leave the office. They can’t do any other work.”

The expansion will help improve Health Service’s efficiency and increase services, Misch said. The new building will have procedure rooms, which will make it easier to perform minor surgeries like casting for fractures, as well as a health education floor and some new therapy rooms.

“I hope we’ll be able to do some things we haven’t before,” Misch said. “Our goal has always been if you need to go to the ER, you should. But if we can take care of you here and save you a trip to the emergency room, we’ll try to do that.”

Students will receive a bulk e-mail Wednesday or Thursday morning explaining more details on the alternatives that will be available to them during the transition period. Misch said he thinks students will be satisfied with the result.

“It is just an enormous accomplishment, and it’s really going to help provide care to students,” he said. “The temporary disruption is going to be well worth it.” [email protected]