JOPLIN, MO (KMOX)-Another step in Joplin’s recovery from last May’s tornado will take place Sunday when the new “Mercy Hospital Joplin” will welcome its first patients.

This isn’t the permanent replacement for the St. John’s hospital that took a direct hit, but will fill the gap between it and the portable hospital that’s been in place for the last several months.

Mercy executive director of planning, design and construction, John Farnen, says this modular facility was built in California and shipped to the site in pieces, “224 separate components that we assembled over the last few months that will hold up to 144 patient beds.”

Farnen says it also has an emergency department, four operating rooms and imaging facilities.

He says it’s also tornado resistant, ”It’s designed to withstand up to 120-30 mile-per-hour winds. Typically code in a conventional construction requires you to meet 90 mile-an-hour winds.”  He says the windows are designed to withstand 20 mile an hour winds.

The new permanent hospital is scheduled to open in 2015.

For a video tour of the new facility click here.