MINOT, ND—Not surprisingly, the oil boom in North Dakota is fueling demand for more healthcare services. As the population booms in once-sleepy hamlets in the northwest part of the state, healthcare providers are feeling the need to expand their services to keep up with an influx of people relocating in the area to work in the ever-expanding oil production business.

One place seeing substantial growth is Minot, a city that saw only mild population gains prior to the early 2000s. However, ever since oil production ramped up in the Bakken Oil Formation just more than a decade ago, the city's population has jumped from about 35,000 residents to more than 46,000.

To keep up with demand, a national healthcare development firm and its partner in the project, Bismarck, ND-based St. Alexius Medical Center, have started construction on a future 67,000 square ambulatory care center building on a greenfield site in the northwestern part of town.