BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The monumental move began at 7 a.m. Friday, when the first ambulance left Women & Children's Hospital on Bryant Street to make the 1.4 mile trip to the new $270 million Oishei Children's Hospital on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

It was anticipated to take 24 hours, but 125 patients were transferred safely in less than half the time.

The first birth happened just after noon, and more would follow through the day. Day one at Oishei also saw the first surgery performed. Hematology/oncology was the first department to be emptied, and at the new hospital, the first patients were welcomed in no sooner than the doors had opened.

The new hospital is one of only 43 standalone children's hospitals in the country, and some 400 volunteers, 800 hospital staff and 15 ambulances were called upon to make sure patients and families were comfortable along the way.

To make what could have been a daunting day fun for young patients, the children were allowed to pick their own "magic word," which was shouted at the end of a countdown before they were moved from their unit at Women & Children's Hospital. They did a similar cheer when they arrived at Oishei.

With every new beginning comes an ending. Mary Ellen Creighton, the hospital's pediatrics nursing director, had reported to work there for 38 years.

"It's okay. It's a building. It's a lot of good memories, but, you know, we're going to build more memories," Creighton said.

"It's exciting just to see the new building, clean rooms and just the capability this hospital has," said Molly Esbach, a child life specialist. "We just have so many new things to offer the patients and their families."

For neighbors of Women & Children's Hospital, the move to Oishei is another sign of the city's bright future. 

"I think the commitment you're seeing from business leaders, from the Jacobs family, from Delaware North and a lot of other folks from the Oishei foundation really building up that medical campus is a huge positive step for Buffalo,” said Ian Kaminski, who lived near the hospital for three years. Both of his daughters were born at the hospital.

"We'll miss the convenience factor of it being in the neighborhood. I think a lot of people will appreciate some of the quiet that will come as the visitation and the cars dissipate," he said. 

The future of the Women & Children's Hospital building is yet to be determined but officials from Kaleida Health say it will likely become a mixed-used building at some point.