Mercyhealth opened its $505 million Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic-Riverside in Rockford, Ill., Jan. 5, according to a WIFR news report.
The new 530,000-square-foot campus has nearly 194 beds and is focused on serving women and children.
About 120 pediatric, obstetric and critically ill patients were transferred to the new facility from Mercyhealth's Rockton campus, which will continue to serve patients with all conditions.
Patients were transported by a fleet of ambulances every five minutes with a nurse on board to ensure patient safety. The hospital staff had put in more than 200 hours of mock transfer drills to ensure a smooth transition, according to mystateline.com.
All patients were transferred safely to the new campus in less than 10 hours.
Read the full report here.