Swedish Hospital Issaquah was so confident in its ability to get patients in and out of its emergency room, it didn’t bother to build a waiting room.

Don’t ask for a clipboard either, all that paper work can be done by a nurse at the bedside.

Swedish is just two weeks away from opening in its new hospital, and the administrators couldn’t be more proud to show off the shiny new facility during Issaquah Highlands Day on July 9.

The free tours will run continually from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

While most of its outpatient clinic space has already been swept up by physicians and family doctors, its inpatient care brings something the plateau has never had before, a full-fledged hospital.

Unlike its established Capitol Hill location, which is composed of continual expansions and a maze of elevators, the staff took the opportunity to plan its dream space with efficiency and beauty.

The main foyer of the hospital is more like a large hotel lounge with restored wood, neck-crinking-high ceilings and plenty of glass.

A Starbucks takes the place of a coffee cart, and a fashionable gift shop is like a picture out of magazine.

A south-facing, luscious-green courtyard centers the otherwise square compound, providing natural light throughout the hospital. There is so much natural light, even a few operating rooms have windows.

As large as the facility is, directions are made simple by a single set of elevators. The emergency room has a separate entrance and parking lot.

Spacious operating rooms are loaded with new equipment. Two were designed to host robotics, although most of the rooms could accommodate them, said Susan Terry, the director of interventional platforms.

The oncology department has two radiation rooms, surrounded by 3-6-foot concrete walls and sealed with a heavy metal door.

Chemotherapy rooms point patients toward tall windows that face a green space outside, a relaxing atmosphere.

Touting about how energy efficient the space is, administrators expect the hospital to use about half the energy of older hospitals.

Swedish Lake Sammamish

When Swedish applied for a hospital bed license in 2004, it also began work on opening a small emergency room near Lake Sammamish in Issaquah.

When the Highlands ER opens, most of the Lake Sammamish staff will move up into the new space with Chuck Salmon, executive director for Issaquah operations and development.

The core group implemented a new ER system, which cut the average visit from four hours to 90 minutes, said Kevin Brown, a Swedish senior vice president.

The core group then helped design the Highlands facility to function much the same way.

While Swedish doesn’t yet have plans for the Lake Sammamish site, it expects to need the space for more outpatient care and its sleep center.

“We’re a little anxious that we’ll be out of space sooner rather than later,” he said, adding that they’re already looking into an eventual expansion of the Highlands hospital, even before its opened.

Free tours at Highlands Day

What: Free tours of the Issaquah Swedish Hospital and free activities for kids and the family. Live music and some food available on site.

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., July 9

Where: Swedish Hospital Issaquah, 751 N.E. Blakely Drive in the Issaquah Highlands, just off I-90 at Exit 18

Parking: Parking is limited at the hospital, use a free shuttle service from Issaquah’s park and rides in the Highlands and on SR 900.

Susan Terry, director of interventional platforms, shows the operating rooms at the new Issaquah Swedish Hospital. CELESTE GRACEY, ISSAQUAH REPORTER

The new Swedish Hospital Issaquah is slated to open July 14. CELESTE GRACEY, ISSAQUAH REPORTER

Much of the new Issaquah Swedish Hospital gets natural light from a courtyard during the day. CELESTE GRACEY, ISSAQUAH REPORTER

The radiation rooms at the new Swedish Hospital in Issaquah are equipped with the latest equipment for cancer treatments. CELESTE GRACEY, ISSAQUAH REPORTER

The hospital touts its gourmet food in its kitchen, which is prepared for visitors. CELESTE GRACEY, ISSAQUAH REPORTER

Small sweets from Alki Bakery replace otherwise large treats found in typical hospital cafeterias at the new hospital in Issaquah. CELESTE GRACEY, ISSAQUAH REPORTER