MultiCare Health System opened a new 58-bed inpatient addition to the Medical Center in Covington.

The ribbon cutting for the new facility was April 7. Mark Smith, the president and chief operating officer for Auburn and Covington MultiCare, attended the event and cut the ribbon.

The event also included live music, giveaways and a chance for the community to see some of the hospital. “It’s a wonderful experience. It’s great to see all these people come out,” Smith said. “For us, what that signifies is the fact that we’re getting very close to our opening. When we start to see patients on April 24, when we can begin to serve the community with a new hospital, that’s what’s exciting. We have a whole team of people who are working so hard on this.”

The addition is four-stories tall and is connected to the current emergency department. There is also a 10-bed family birth center with private rooms and in-suite bathtubs. The new hospital also has three operating rooms, one of which was shown at the ribbon cutting.