McKenzie County Healthcare Systems' new healthcare facility in Watford City, N.D., opened its doors nine days before EF 2 tornado hit, according to an article on the Grand Forks Herald website.
Hospital officials said without the new facility, treating the 26 victims of the storm would've been "near impossible." The injured people all arrived within 45 minutes after the storm hit on July 10.
The $76.3 million facility, with 24 inpatient rooms and nine emergency department rooms, is about two and a half times the size of the old hospital.
Four of the 26 patients brought to the hospital on Tuesday were critical, while the remaining 22 were treated and released. The tornado resulted in one casualty: a 1-week-old baby, who died later that day.
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