Community members are invited to tour the new, expanded emergency department at Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles, from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The $7.5 million expansion of the emergency department, 31 N. St. Joseph Ave., includes a 9,000-square-foot addition, expected to open in early March. Phase 2 of the project, slated for completion in approximately six months, includes the renovation of the current emergency department, encompassing almost 7,000 square feet. The emergency department has remained open throughout construction.

The comfort and privacy of patients and their families was top of mind in the facility’s design. The project includes more private patient examination rooms —18 rooms with 21 beds once all renovations are completed. Currently, the unit has six exam rooms with 11 beds. The new emergency department will also include two trauma rooms (the current ED has one). Other new or upgraded areas include a decontamination room, an isolation room, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) room and a staff training room. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel will also have a larger workspace.

Project architect FreemanWhite Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., specializes in the design and redesign of emergency departments with more than 180 similar projects to date, more than any other architectural firm in the country.

Visit www.lakelandhealth.org/niles to learn more.