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Physicians Regional Medical Center is experiencing growth spurts.

Twenty physicians have joined the medical staff of the 83-bed hospital in North Naples since May and at least twice that number are in the process of gaining hospital privileges.

"We have over 40 in the pipeline, so I expect to get most of those through, to get them through quicker," said Geoffrey Moebius, chief executive officer of the hospital. "I would envision 200 physicians on staff by the end of the year."

Physicians Regional is the former Cleveland Clinic Naples, which Naples-based Health Management Associates acquired May 1 for $125.5 million, including the outpatient medical center adjacent to the hospital on Napa Boulevard near Interstate 75.

The medical community and residents embraced the acquisition and conversion of the closed medical staff structure to an open medical staff where physicians in private practice could gain privileges. Physicians who were employed by Cleveland Clinic could also remain employed under HMA's ownership, who formed a group practice called Medical Surgical Specialists based in the outpatient medical center.

Presently the hospital has 100 physicians on staff, including the 20 who recently came on-board, Moebius said.

Many of the physicians who have joined the staff or who are going through the credential process have been practicing locally. At the same time, the hospital is advertising out of town, especially for primary-care physicians.

"Collier County needs more primary-care physicians," Moebius said. "That is our primary focus."

When it comes to specialists, the hospital now has a neurosurgeon on staff, but there's been no determination when neurosurgery would be added.

"It's ramping up of training for nurses and other (staff)," he said.

Seeking state approval to perform emergency cardiac stenting is in the works, whereby the state Agency for Health Care Administration has to give its approval but it does not entail the lengthy certificate-of-need process.

"Open heart (surgery) is down the road also," he said. "I think that is years down the road."

HMA also acquired 8 acres of vacant land on the south side of Pine Ridge Road and east of the interstate that Cleveland Clinic purchased in 1995. At one time, Cleveland Clinic considered putting a hotel on the land but backed away from that concept.

Now Physicians Regional is focusing on a medical office building and ambulatory surgery center, but no plans have been submitted to the Collier County Planning Commission.

"There is a lack of medical office space in that part of Collier County," Moebius said.

The preliminary plan is a four-story building, with the ambulatory center and some office space on the first floor and the upper floors would be used for medical offices. The project would be a joint venture with physicians.

"Right now we are in the early stages of talking with physicians," he said.

John Merriwether, HMA vice president of financial relations, said the project would be undertaken by Physicians Regional and not by the parent company.

"It would be tied to Physicians Regional because of the location," Merriwether said.