SAN MARCOS, Calif. - Kaiser Permanente officials are hoping a new medical office in San Marcos will help keep up with growth in the North County.

On Friday, local business and city leaders took a tour of a new building at its outpatient medical center on 400 Craven Road. Kaiser has invested more than $60 million for the building, which includes four operating rooms, high-tech nursing stations and a number of medical office suites.

Right now, out of their more than 500,000 patients throughout the county, 150,000 are from the North County. Kaiser officials said the steady growth made the new facility a necessity.

Kaiser Permanente Executive Director Mary Ann Barnes said Kaiser is also making sure there's room to grow when new medical reform takes place.

"What we're trying to do is respond to people's needs," said Barnes. "In the expansion here at San Marcos is giving us the facilities to be able to take that growth expansion with health care reform."

The expansion also brings 200 jobs to the area, 10News learned.