ASCENSION PARISH - As of 5 a.m. Monday, residents in Ascension are only hours away from access to medical care from a Neighborhood Baton Rouge General Hospital in their Parish.

Prior to the hospital's construction, Prairieville patients had to drive to a Baton Rouge General location in the capital city, which is at least 11 miles away.

But after two years of construction on the new Neighborhood Hospital in Prairieville, locals now have swift access to professional medical care in their own neck of the woods.

Officials were eager to bring the new hospital to the community. 

"There is a significant gap in access to care between, you know, going out towards St. Elizabeth's and Lamar Dixon and the healthcare corridor district with everybody in Baton Rouge," Tre’ Nelson, Baton Rouge General's Administrative Consultant, told WBRZ. "So, this is going to be great because now instead of having to travel 15 to 20 to 30 or 45, with traffic, minutes to get healthcare, people are able to very easily access their neighborhood hospital."

The 42,500-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in phases, with Phase One beginning Monday, October 12.

Starting Monday, patients will have access to the new building's primary care doctor's office.

The new facility features a 10-bed inpatient hospital, a lab, a 14-bed emergency room, primary care and outpatient rehab, as well as physician practices and office space.

The new neighborhood hospital's emergency room is scheduled to open to the public in November.