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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - It’s been just over a week since the opening of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital, the culmination of a decade of dreaming, planning, and listening.

“It was the best day in Children’s history,” said Children’s Chief Administrative Officer Linda Matzigkeit.

In an exclusive interview with Atlanta News First, Matzigkeit discussed the stress leading up to the move.

“Nobody slept the night before,” Matzigkeit said. “Everybody was nervous.”

But that decade of planning came down to 12 hours of execution, plotted out by the minute.

After that, it was about going 0-to-60 mph.

“We’ve had our first surgery, our first heart surgery,” Matzigkeit said. “We’ve had our first heart transplant.”

Now comes a moment to take stock of what’s been accomplished.

“We’re gonna catch our breath,” Matzigkeit said. “Take a little break.”

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been bumps. Getting supplies to where they’re needed and employees learning the new roads and parking system have caused minor hiccups.

And with literal turbulence brewing in the gulf, the new hospital is available to serve Georgia and the southeast.

“The good news is now that we have this capacity, if there are children that need to be moved to Atlanta, we have the capacity to take them,” Matzigkeit said.

Matzigkeit added that Children’s has not been called upon for that purpose for Hurricanes Helene or Milton but is ready to help when needed.

In the meantime, there’s no time to dally. After that necessary breather, it’s time to look forward to that next dream.

“We need to look at our other two hospitals, Scottish Rite and Hughes Spalding,” Matzigkeit said.