WALLA WALLA—On May 29, the Department of Health issued its decision to approve Providence St. Mary Medical Center’s Certificate of Need to open a freestanding Ambulatory (outpatient) Surgery Center (ASC) at the Providence Southgate Medical Park on Second Avenue.

The goal is to open an ASC, with two operating rooms and two endoscopy procedure rooms, in the former Walla Walla General Hospital surgical department. Because the area is in an older section of the building, facility renovations required to meet building code are estimated at $6.7 million, according to a Providence St. Mary med...