VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Beach's newest hospital is now open and Thursday was moving day for patients from other Sentara hospitals.
It was a busy day at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital as ambulances movd patients from Sentara Bayside and expectant mothers, new mothers and babies in the neo-natal intensive care unit from Sentara Virginia Beach General.
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital is a 160-bed acute care hospital and its opening brings changes for other Sentara facilities.
There will no longer be maternity services at Beach General, but it will still handle trauma and complex care incidents; Bayside hospital will become Sentara Independence - an outpatient and corporate support campus.
'By 1:00 p.m., two NICU babies remained at Sentara Virginia Beach out of 12 this morning. All are moving via CHKD critical care ambulance,' Dale Gauding, a Sentara spokesman, told WVEC.com. At noon, Sentara Bayside Hospital converted to Sentara Independence outpatient campus and the new sign went up.
The facility has a 24-hour emergency department, imaging, lab services, physical therapy and a regional infusion center among other outpatient services.
Up to 150,000 patients are expected to use the new Sentara Princess Anne Hospital each year.
Virginia Beach EMS was staffing additional ambulances with help from volunteers to transport all patients and newborns from Labor and Delivery at Beach General. Officials tell WVEC.com crews weren't using ambulances in service the day for 911 emergencies, so 911 calls were not impacted.
