The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences invites the public to a dedication ceremony for its new hospital at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16. Actor Mary Steenburgen will be the keynote speaker.

Gov. Mike Beebe also will speak during the dedication held on the first floor of the new facility. Tours of the new building will follow the ceremony.

The new 540,000-square-foot hospital building replaces most of the patient care services in the current UAMS Medical Center building that opened in 1956.

The opening ceremony will be followed by a weekend move of current patients into the new facility.

The move began Jan. 9, when the hospital’s clinical lab started moving into its new facilities. This was followed by moves of supplies for nursing units.

Respiratory Care, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Radiology units also are scheduled to move before the patients do.

Almost all patients in the A, B, C and D units move to the E Wing (Ward Tower patient rooms) or the new hospital Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17 and 18. Three move teams of more than a dozen members each will work simultaneously throughout the two days to move patients to their new rooms. Each patient will be accompanied by a registered nurse, a transporter and a respiratory therapist or physician as their condition dictates.

“As always, patient safety is our top priority,” said Nick Lang, M.D., UAMS Medical Center Chief Medical Officer. “The patient move task force has been working for several months to plan the move for both safety and efficiency. We’ve mapped routes to minimize delays and have set up procedures in the event a patient needs special care.”

Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be among the first patients to move into the new hospital, and the Emergency Department will move on Sunday after the majority of patients are settled in their new rooms.