At 6 this morning, River Region Medical Center opened its doors on U.S. 61 North to patients, and Vicksburg and Warren County entered a new era in health care.

After 26 months of construction, the $123 million facility has replaced ParkView Regional Medical Center and Vicksburg Medical Center as the sole hospital services provider for the area.

“This facility is in position to serve” a needy region, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran said last week as he toured the new facility during formal dedication services.

“It has the potential of being an economic catalyst for economic development, certainly for health care, but. . . there are a lot of spinoff businesses that may come in as well,” Cochran said.

Hospital employees and ambulance drivers from all over the region this morning were to begin moving patients and equipment from Vicksburg Medical Center and ParkView Regional Medical Center. The moves were expected to take much of the day.

Vicksburg Medical Center, renamed River Region West Campus, stopped admitting emergency room patients at 5 p.m. Friday and now will offer rehabilitation and home health services.

ParkView’s emergency room was to stop admitting patients at 7 this morning. Once all of ParkView’s patients are moved to River Region, the hospital built in 1957 will close its doors.

“I’m extremely impressed,” said Robert Humphreys, CEO of Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville. Humphreys toured the hospital last week.

“This hospital has many efficiencies that most hospitals would die for,” Humphreys said.

“They created a place that could be an overflow for tourists when our hospitals are full,” joked Mayor Laurence Leyens.

Keith Mason, chief nurse executive, said he hoped to have the move finished by this afternoon.

“Hopefully surgery will get cranked up Monday,” said Dr. Briggs Hopson, medical director.