Northwestern Medicine has completed a major expansion of its Lake Forest hospital, a roughly $389 million project that nearly doubles the facility’s size and capacity. The work adds about 290,000 square feet of new space, including two new patient pavilions that significantly boost inpatient and observation capacity. The expansion includes 96 medical-surgical beds and 18 observation beds, bringing the hospital’s total bed count much higher than before, with all rooms designed as private. The upgraded campus also features a new state-of-the-art emergency department designed to handle more patients and speed up acute care. In addition to expanded core services, the hospital has received state approval to launch a cardiac surgery program, enabling highly advanced heart procedures to be offered locally rather than requiring transfer downtown; those services are expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. Overall, the expansion is positioned as part of Northwestern Medicine’s effort to meet growing patient demand across the northern suburbs, improve access to advanced care, and enhance the patient experience with more space, modern facilities, and expanded specialty care.
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