ELKHART — A $74 million expansion project at Elkhart General Hospital is expected to begin later this year.

The hospital plans to replace its surgical and endoscopy suites and add 44 new private patient rooms for post-surgery care. The 150,000-square-foot expansion will include space for 10 state-of-the-art operating rooms for inpatient and outpatient surgeries.

“As we carefully plan the design, the team has been considering all aspects of growth and technology, while paying close attention to the comfort and privacy needs of our patients and their families,” EGH orthopedic surgeon Leonard Kibiloski said in a news release.

The hospital’s surgery suites were built more than four decades ago. The outdated space has structural limitations that made renovation to accommodate new technology impractical. Each of the hospital’s new surgical suites will cover about 700 square feet complete with ceiling-suspended technology for surgeons.

“Keeping future technological changes in mind are critical when designing surgery suites because medical breakthroughs occur so rapidly,” EGH president Greg Losasso said. “Guiding this project with their clinical expertise is a team of 25 outstanding physicians who have been critical to this initiative.”

Construction is slated to begin this fall with completion expected by the end of 2015.