Florida Hospital leaders broke ground today on an emergency department that will expand the health care system’s network to better serve residents of Waterford Lakes and surrounding communities in east Orange County.

The emergency department will have 24 patient rooms (including two pediatric-friendly rooms to make ER visits less stressful for young patients); respiratory therapy; diagnostic imaging, including CT scans, X-ray and ultrasound; and a full-service laboratory.

The facility will be staffed by a comprehensive clinical team including board-certified emergency physicians and emergency nurses.

“We are pleased to add this ER to our expanding network of care across Central Florida,” said Jeff Villanueva, CEO of Florida Hospital East Orlando. “The UCF area is growing fast, and we are growing along with the community. Our mission is to make our patients feel whole — by treating the mind, body, and spirit — in a setting that’s close to home.”

The approximately 19,000-square-foot facility, which is slated to open in summer 2019, will be known as AdventHealth Waterford Lakes ER.

The emergency department will be located at the intersection of Colonial Drive and Lake Pickett Road.