New Stanford Hospital Opens Doors, Begins Moving In Patients
STANFORD (CBS SF) -- After years of planning and building, Stanford Hospital opened the doors to a new state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar building on Sunday and patients "moved in" to the new space.
Starting early Sunday morning, about 250 patients were transferred from the existing hospital to the brand-new facility. It was a day more than a decade in the making.
Glenn Fukumoto captured the celebratory spirit of move-in day as he was wheeled across the bridge connecting the old and new sections of Stanford Hospital's campus.
"It's fabulous. I mean I'm amazed at the technology here," he said.
Fukumoto is waiting for a lung transplant. He says he is simply amazed by the amenities offered by the $2 billion hospital, which include 368 private patient rooms, expanded emergency room and more than 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms.
"It's spacious. It's very keyed to your comfort. I mean, they're giving you air-conditioning, a great view, an iPad for use in the room, a 55-inch TV," Fukumoto said,
The new facility has been under construction since 2013 and in the works for even longer. Stanford says the goal was to create an environment of healing and comfort.
"We know we give great care. That's one of the top things we do. Now, we have a great building in which to do that as well," said Stanford Health Care CEO David Entwistle.
Fukumoto says he is grateful to one of the first of many patients to be treated in the new hospital.
"We didn't expect anything like this to happen. I know that this wing has been under development for years and years," he said.
Starting in January, the old hospital will undergo a massive renovation that's expected to take been four to five years.
