photos by Todd Newcomer

Last Saturday, the general public got a sneak peek inside the new Mercy Regional Medical Center, located at 1010 Three Springs Blvd. in Grandview.Construction of the 212,000-square-foot hospital began in March of 2004. Mayor Sidny Zink, along with a collection of local and regional dignitaries, was on hand to welcome the new facility to the Four Corners. The 82-bed, $76-million state-of-the-art hospital will replace the current one, which has operated at 375 E. Park Ave. for 124 years. The new Mercy Regional Medical Center will open for business at 6 a.m. on June 27.

Sergeant at Arms Rey Martinez helps raise the Stars and Stripes before the public open house begins. Mayor Sidny Zink participates in the ribbon-cutting ceremony before the doors opened to the public. Assistant County Manager Joanne Spina addresses the large crowd on hand Saturday to welcome the new hospital into the community. The public files past the Wall of History, an interactive art exhibit inside the hospital, as the opening gets underway. A healing garden graces the entrance of the new Mercy Regional Medical Center. Staff Chaplin Ken Downey examines the stained glass work of Betty Kilpatrick from inside the chapel.