Valparaiso community leaders, accompanied by Porter Health Care System’s board members and senior management ceremoniously broke ground for the system’s first freestanding 24/7 emergency room (ER) that is expected to open fall 2015 at Valparaiso Medical Center located on the corner of Roosevelt Road and Glendale Blvd. in Valparaiso.

Adding 10,740 square feet, the new ER will feature 10 exam rooms, and be located adjacent to critical ancillary services including an expanded lab, x-ray, low-dose CT scanner and Porter’s new wide-bore MRI. It will include a separate entrance with a new family waiting and reception area, as well as offer Porter’s 30-Minutes-Or-Less ER Service Pledge, which is currently available at Porter Regional Hospital and Portage Hospital.