PETERSBURG One by one, patients are being taken by emergency workers from the old Southside Regional Medical Center building to the hospital's new building off Crater Road.

As of 9:30 a.m., about 100 patients had been transported, including those from the post-surgery unit and some from the intensive care unit.

About 150 patients were expected to be transported by the end of this morning, said Terry Tysinger, director of marketing and public relations.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer David J. Fikse welcomed employees by intercom when he announced the opening of the $145 million hospital at 5 a.m. Fikse said the staff was trained for the move and he was hoping everything would go smoothly.

At that time, more than three dozen ambulances lined up at South Adams and Graham streets, waiting for patients to be released from the emergency room so they could be transported to the new building on Medical Park Boulevard.

Ambulances were leaving every 90 seconds. At times, as many as four ambulances backed up at the new hospital's entrance as nurses and other staff waited inside with beds for the arriving patients.

The first patient arrived at 5:18 a.m. Lanette Ellis, who had surgery Friday after falling at her home in McKenney, said she thought the transition was smooth.

"I am glad that Petersburg has a good hospital [so] we don't have to go to Richmond," she said before a crew of medical staff moved her from her rescue-squad bed to her hospital bed.

Doctors examined the patients before moving them into the ambulances and when they arrived at the new hospital. After that, patients were sent to their assigned rooms.

--Luz Lazo