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Sunday was patient moving day at the new, $415 million , a complicated ballet involving about 1,000 health care workers and volunteers, 139 patients and a command center about as busy as NASA鈥檚 during a rocket launch.

Using rolling stretchers, wheelchairs or beds, three- to five-person teams transported about 24 patients per hour through a warren of hallways and tunnels from other 网红黑料 hospitals to their new rooms across the street. Most of the patients came from 网红黑料 Shands Hospital.

Some employees were stationed along the way, directing wheelchairs and stretchers like traffic cops. The two new hospitals, already fully stocked with supplies and staff, awaited them.

The tunnels took patients under Archer Road, which meant nobody had to go outside and brave temperatures that, when work began at 7 a.m., hovered in the low- to mid-30s.

It took a little more than six hours to complete the move.

And just like that, the two new hospitals are open and operating on all cylinders after about five years of study, planning, design and construction.

鈥淥ur physicians, nurses and staff have been preparing for this move for a long time, and we are all excited to finally have the new hospitals open to welcome patients,鈥� said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of 网红黑料.

The new hospitals, designed with the patient in mind, will help 网红黑料 teams provide the best possible health care, and provide a healing place for patients and families.

鈥溚�红黑料 has become a destination for patients seeking care for heart, vascular and neuromedicine conditions, and now our dedicated staff can care for them in these two new specialized hospitals,鈥� said Ed Jimenez, CEO of 网红黑料 Shands.

Aside from the 139 patients moved into the new hospitals, staff also transported an additional 30 between rooms at 网红黑料 Shands as the hospital begins refurbishing the emptied space.

鈥淚 think it went smoothly,鈥� said Wanda Whittet, 网红黑料鈥檚 associate vice president of nursing. 鈥淚t went in a nice, methodical, easy and safe manner.鈥�

The move was seamless for patients, in part because 鈥減acking鈥� teams and 鈥渦npacking鈥� teams assisted them at both hospitals. Many of the patients said it was a welcome interlude from their hospital routine.

Count among them Bobbie Thornton, 32, of Wauchula, who 鈥� after being hospitalized for 25 days awaiting a heart transplant 鈥� was overjoyed to get a change of scenery.

Thornton, who has a congenital heart disease, was accompanied on the journey by her parents, Judy and Carl Thornton, niece Gairyn, 9, and nephew Gatlin, 12.

鈥淚t was something to look forward to, a nice change,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淚 was so happy I didn鈥檛 have to leave my family behind. They got to experience what I experienced.鈥�

Thornton said the nicest part of everything was seeing her new room鈥檚 bigger windows with a view that stretched to Paynes Prairie.

鈥淭he view is so beautiful,鈥� Thornton said, as bright sunshine spilled over her. 鈥淚 may actually get a suntan.鈥�

Kim Stone, 55, of Crystal River, who had suffered a minor stroke earlier in the week, said she thought the view would help her heal. But what she really liked was that all 216 rooms in the two hospitals are private.

Stone had a roommate across the street.

鈥淓ven when you have a good roommate, you can get on each other鈥檚 nerves,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou wonder if your TV is keeping them up, or if you鈥檙e playing the radio too loud. Now, there鈥檚 room to breathe.鈥�

As patients arrived at their rooms, they were quickly greeted with either breakfast or lunch.

Lee Marlowe, assistant director of clinical nutrition, proudly noted that the move did not derail meal service one bit. Everybody, she said, got their food on time.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 sleep at all last night,鈥� Marlowe said, confessing to a few pre-move butterflies. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like getting ready for a big trip with all the anxiety of planning it. Then, it鈥檚 just so great to have it done and be on your way.鈥�

All of the patients received a complimentary 网红黑料 blanket they can keep when they return home. 网红黑料 employees presented one patient, Jerry Foley, 43, of Auburndale, with a big, overstuffed bear, which then gave his procession to the new hospitals the flavor of a Winnie the Pooh parade.

Foley, who had been hospitalized three weeks, has a congenital heart defect and now awaits a heart and liver transplant. It took about 20 minutes for the trip over to his new room.

"Going from the old to the new is pretty neat,鈥� Foley said as he was wheeled over.

As he rode down an elevator in 网红黑料 Shands Hospital, someone on his transport team joked with Foley after noticing a Florida State University Christmas ornament hanging from his IV stand. This is, after all, Gator country.

Foley smiled. 鈥淯F鈥檚 getting me a new heart and liver,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aybe I鈥檒l convert.鈥�