MACON — Navicent Health's new children's hospital is in the homestretch of its 22 month renovation, but here's a sneak peek inside the massive $82 million project.
Construction crews are working to put the finishing touches on the lobby of Navicent's Beverly Knight Olson Children's Hospital.
Medical Director Dr. Mitch Rodriguez says having a separate 24-hour pediatric emergency room is one of the biggest changes.
"Currently, our pediatric car is provided within the general emergency room environment. Now we'll have a separate structure with seven rooms and 10 observation rooms," Rodriguez said.
Pediatrics Director and Project Manager Missi Upshaw gave a floor-by-floor tour of the five story facility.
"First floor is obviously the lobby. It's going to be the imaging. It'll be the emergency room. There will also be the third floor... which is our pediatric surgical and procedural area," Upshaw said.
The fourth and fifth floors will be for the neonatal intensive care unit. Upshaw said that was a major focus of the project.
"We're really expanding our neonatal space. It'll go from 56 beds to 66 beds," Upshaw said.
While the lobby is complete, all renovations will come to an end on February 25.
Upshaw says the grand opening that morning will be an emotional one.
"It has taken a village, and it has taken an army to get this thing done," Upshaw said.
They'll start seeing children in the emergency room right after the ceremony, and they'll begin performing surgeries the very next day.