BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge General's mid-city campus held a big celebration Friday marking the release of the facility's 500th COVID-19 patient.

"It's a real good way to celebrate some real good news for the patient who just got discharged and the whole community," Mid-City CEO Edgardo Terenico said.

The patient, 67-year old Beverly McCray from Baton Rouge was released as number 500 Friday. She had been treated for weeks at both BRG campuses. Staff held a disco style celebration to celebrate the occasion.  

"So exciting for her to walk out of the hospital and be with her family again," said Courtney Donatto, McCray's nurse. 

But when staff told McCray they were celebrating her recovery from the virus, she asked them to hold on so she could make preparations.

"She said, 'oh my God wait, someone find my wig. Someone get my tennis shoes. I got to everything together first,'" Director of Nursing Chelsea Bray said.

McCray left the facility Friday thankful for those who treated her during her stay.

"She said, 'I'm truly blessed for being released, because I know it could have ended a different way,'" Bray said.

The mid-city campus reopened several wings exclusively for COVID-19 patients about a month ago. Even though the medical facility has successfully treated hundreds of virus patients, there are still about 70 patients there with the disease.