By J. Darrel Hicks

Most healthcare organizations put new construction and expansion projects on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in February 2020. The Newport Hospital was not among them.

During the COVID pandemic, the hospital wasn't just busy with patient care. Several areas of the building underwent extensive renovations that will afford patients easier access to care and services, according to The Newport Daily News. 

The renovations were so important to the hospital and the community that Pamela Crocker, director of facilities and services, said waiting to complete them until after the pandemic was finished wasn't an option for hospital leadership. 

Following infection control standards, construction workers were able to fully complete renovations of four spaces at the hospital as they practiced social distancing and wore masks. 

The new women's health office opened in November. The cancer center, which was relocated from the fifth floor to the first floor, debuted in March, and a new cafe and retail pharmacy opened in May.