It was an exciting day for staff and some new moms Sunday at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. The brand new facility opened its door to the public at 6 a.m. Sunday morning and it only took 10 minutes for the first emergency patient to arrive. At 6:10, a patient was brought in via ambulance. Jessica Zakoor gave birth to her son Theodore Guenther around 2:30 Sunday afternoon, making her new born son the first every baby born at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. With the opening of Saskatchewan’s first Children’s Hospital, that meant one baby would be the last one born at Royal University Hospital. Shannon Lucky gave birth to her daughter Hannah Friesen-Lucky early Sunday morning making her the last baby born in the hospital that was built in 1955. Corey Miller, Vice-President of Provincial Programs for the Saskatchewan Health Authority says Sunday’s move of all 116 patients in maternal and children’s services and emergency services from RUH went smoothly. During the move, there were separate teams in place to prepare, move and receive each patient. The first shift at the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital was doubled staff and extra IT people were on hand to help make the transition a smooth one. The new hospital will have 2200 employees, some of who will work at both RUH and the Children’s Hospital. The opening of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital added 440 new full time jobs.

Picture: Shannon Lucky with Hannah Friesen-Lucky is on the left while Jessica Zakoor is with Theodore Guenther on the right.)