Easton Hospital opened its first Forks Township facility with a grand opening that showcased the physician offices and imaging, lab, and walk-in care services.

The Easton Hospital Health and Wellness Center brings about 25 jobs to the area – and there are at least two other sites in the Lehigh Valley that Easton Hospital is investigating for future growth, said CEO Brian Finestein.

The new Forks center will also have physical therapy services hopefully by the end of the year through a partnership with Good Shepherd, said Finestein.

“We already have a partnership with them, so it’s natural that we would extend that here too,” said Finestein. “It’s natural to have therapy to help employees in the area get back to work.”

Easton Hospital currently has a partnership with Good Shepherd at the Priority Care at Emrick facility on Emrick Boulevard in Bethlehem Township. The hospital also opened an urgent care center last year in Wind Gap, he added.

Easton Hospital also maintains a diagnostic services site under Norwood Specialty Care at Norwood Medical Arts Building, near the junction of Route 33 and Route 248 in Palmer Township. This facility offers labs, X-ray services and physician offices.

“What we are trying to do at each of these sites is look at bringing specialty providers into those markets as well,” said Finestein.

There’s room to expand at the 16,000-square-foot facility in Forks Township.

“Here, we are looking at potentially bringing in orthopedic, cardiology and general surgery,” said Finestein. “We’re expecting to do that in the near future.”

Current physician practices at the Forks site include internal medicine, obstetricians and gynecologists, and pediatricians.