We have taken a look inside the new Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi and are pleased to say that the community is going to love it.

Beyond that, the new BHM-NM facility, scheduled to open in late November of this year, will be an economic boost to Oxford and Lafayette County since it will step up as a regional referral center.

For any community on the move, a first-rate hospital is a cornerstone.

We are fortunate that Baptist sees the benefit of making such a steep investment for the future, spending more than $300 million to build a striking facility here that will carry the community longer than most of our life times.

And let’s just say that Baptist has hit the mark with its investment. The new facility exceeded our expectations. It makes a bold statement from its perch on the hill along Belk Boulevard, with views out many windows across the tree top-lined Ole Miss campus.

Inside, a welcoming lobby that is open and sweeping sets the tone, with touches like a coffee bar to make it all a comfortable gathering place for family and friends.

A cross will adorn the front of the hospital, looking over the community from its well-positioned perch on Belk. And we think that is appropriate, since the new BMH-NM facility will be a blessing for Oxford and Lafayette County.