PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Hospital staff and patients have had about a week now to settle into the new Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, and the hospital’s staff says the transition has been smooth.

Inside the new $650 million Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, the upgrades are pretty easy to spot.

“There’s a lot of new, almost 95% of the equipment that we have here in the new facility is new,” Baptist Hospital Senior Vice President and Administrator said. “So that means better technology, which means that it helps our caregivers more and it means better care for our patients.”

Equipped with new technology like computers in every room and new vital machines, they’re improving not only patient care but also the workflow.

“Some of the things that would take us two or three steps at the other hospital, now we’re just able to go right in and get it done quickly and timely manner for the patients,” nurse Dottie White said. “It’s good for our time management.”

A total of 117 patients were transferred from the old hospital just over a week ago, and the nurses said larger rooms and other amenities are helping the patients feel more at home. 

“Transferring from our old hospital to this one, the aesthetics, the amount of light that comes in I think it’s been great for their healing process, for their mental wellbeing to be in a room that’s open and pretty,” nurse Tony Wheeler said. “I heard one patient say ‘I’ve been in hotel rooms that aren’t this nice.’”

The future of the old 50-acre Baptist Campus on West Moreno Street remains uncertain, but the hospital said they’re working with the Paces foundation to create affordable housing on about 10 of the acres. 

The hospital said they’re also working with the City of Pensacola to determine what’s next for the old facility.