Copley Hospital, located in Morrisville, Vt., celebrated its new $3.2 million James and Mary Louise Carpenter Surgical Center Wednesday. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held almost three years to the day after the hospital announced plans to build a new Surgical Center.

Construction of the center is in the final stages. It will be followed by system testing, staff training, and terminal cleaning in the new facility to ensure quality care and patient safety. During this period, surgeries will continue to be performed in the hospital’s current operating rooms. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in advance to allow community members the opportunity to tour what would otherwise be a restricted area.

The James and Mary Louise Carpenter Surgical Center replaces the existing operating rooms which were built nearly 40 years ago. The new facility includes three operating rooms, one procedure room, central sterile and processing, pre-operative and post- operative beds, a dedicated waiting area for families, a consultation room for physicians and family members, and expanded space for storage and support services. The center is located off the hospital’s main lobby; just inside the hospital’s main entrance and directly across from the emergency department.

The next phase of the three-phase construction project includes renovations to the outpatient infusion suite and repurposing of the space currently used by surgical services for the birthing center and to expand the cafeteria. The entire construction project should be completed by the end of 2017.

The James and Mary Louise Carpenter Surgical Center was designed by architects Freeman French Freeman and constructed by the ReArch Company, with assistance from L.N. Consulting.