Hward Cunty General Hspital Prpses Cnstructin Prject t Serve Grwing Cmmunity New additin wuld add necessary treatment space COLUMBIA, Md. Hward Cunty General Hspital (HCGH) is prpsing a campus cnstructin prject that wuld add a tw-stry additin t the hspital and renvate existing space in an effrt t meet current cmmunity needs fr emergency care, general medical and surgical care and behaviral health services, including acute mental health and substance use disrder treatment. The prpsed 36,000-square-ft additin wuld be lcated adjacent t the existing emergency rm facing Little Patuxent Parkway. After the additin is cmplete, apprximately 18,000 square feet f internal renvatins wuld take place in existing space. HCGH is in the prcess f seeking Hward Cunty Planning Bard apprval fr the prject. The ppulatin f Hward Cunty is grwing, and as the need fr health care services is increasing, the hspital must evlve t meet thse needs, said HCGH President Steve Snelgrve. We have seen an increase in demand fr behaviral health services. The cmmunity needs mre hspital space and mre resurces t cntinue prviding the high-quality health care that residents deserve. This prject will d just that. HCGH had the highest year-ver-year increase in inpatient admissins f all hspitals in the Baltimre regin last year. The hspital s general inpatient units perate clse t capacity mst days, with 19 percent grwth prjected by 2024. In additin, the hspital s adult emergency rm treated a recrd 60,310 patients last year, a nearly five percent increase ver the previus year. The pediatric emergency rm treats 18,000 patients annually, including adlescent patients with behaviral health issues. The number f adlescents with behaviral health needs increased 46 percent at the hspital in the last tw years. We believe this is a necessary prject, at the right time and the right size, said W. Brian McGwan, chairman f the HCGH bard f trustees. We are pleased that the Hward Cunty gvernment and Cunty Executive Allan Kittleman have cmmitted funding t help with the early stage renvatins that will help us bridge the gap while we wait fr the additinal space the new additin will prvide. The cnstructin prject wuld span three years and take place in stages, during which all hspital services wuld remain pen: Early emergency rm renvatins and site preparatin If lcal gvernment apprvals are granted, site preparatin and utility wrk t supprt the new additin culd begin in early 2017. At that time, the hspital als plans t renvate the emergency rm evaluatin area and expand treatment spaces in bth the adult and pediatric behaviral health units. New cnstructin A new tw-stry hspital additin, anticipated t be cmpleted in late 2018, wuld cnsist f a new emergency rm entrance, triage and waiting areas. The first flr wuld hld an bservatin unit, and the secnd flr wuld hld a psychiatry unit, bth with an increase in treatment spaces.
Renvatin t existing buildings Once the bservatin and psychiatry units mve int the new space, the existing space wuld be renvated by late 2019. A new 25-bed general unit, fr patients wh stay in the hspital fr medical needs r surgery, will feature private rms and bathrms, as well as space fr family members t cmfrtably stay with them vernight. The Hward Hspital Fundatin, the rganizatin that raises funds fr the hspital, is leading a capital campaign with the theme Building Tday fr a Healthier Tmrrw t raise much-needed funds t supprt the cnstructin. The prject is estimated t cst apprximately $40 millin. Cmmunity members can sign up t receive updates n the prject at HCGHfTmrrw@jhmi.edu. T dnate, get mre infrmatin r vice questins r cncerns, call 410-740-7747 r visit www.hcghftmrrw.rg. Abut Hward Cunty General Hspital Hward Cunty General Hspital: A Member f Jhns Hpkins Medicine is a nt-fr-prfit health care prvider with 264 licensed beds lcated in Clumbia, Maryland. A cmprehensive, acute-care medical center, Hward Cunty General ffers a full range f services, frm nenatal care and nclgy t utpatient treatment and critical care. The hspital has a prfessinal staff f mre than 900 physicians and allied health prfessinals, representing mre than 90 specialties and subspecialties; a wrkfrce f mre than 1,800 individuals and ver 300 vlunteers. ###
Hward Cunty General Hspital Campus Cnstructin Prject What? Hward Cunty General Hspital plans t build a new 36,000-square-ft, tw-stry additin and make 18,000 square feet f renvatins. The prject wuld add apprximately 40 new treatment spaces acrss the fllwing areas f the hspital: general inpatient medical-surgical, bservatin and psychiatry units and the adult and pediatric emergency rms. Phases f the prject include: Early emergency rm renvatins and site preparatin If lcal gvernment apprvals are granted, site preparatin and utility wrk t supprt the new additin culd begin in early 2017. At that time, the hspital als plans t renvate the emergency rm evaluatin area and expand treatment spaces in bth the adult and pediatric behaviral health units. New cnstructin A new tw-stry hspital additin, anticipated t be cmpleted in late 2018, wuld cnsist f a new emergency rm entrance, triage and waiting areas. The first flr wuld hld an bservatin unit, and the secnd flr wuld hld a psychiatry unit, bth with an increase in treatment spaces. Renvatin t existing buildings Once the bservatin and psychiatry units mve int the new space, the existing space wuld be renvated by late 2019. A new 25-bed general unit fr patients wh stay in the hspital fr medical needs r surgery will feature private rms and bathrms, as well as space fr family members t cmfrtably stay with them vernight. Building designs and budgets are being finalized. Bed cunt, treatment spaces and square ftage may be adjusted as plans are finalized and zning apprval is received. The expansin will cst apprximately $40 millin. The Hward Hspital Fundatin will wrk t raise funds t supprt this effrt frm lcal dnrs. The hspital will fund a prtin f the expense. The Hward Cunty gvernment als recently dedicated funding t the renvatin f the hspital s existing emergency department t imprve patient flw while we wait fr the additinal capacity the new wing will prvide. Imprvements t the Inpatient Medical-surgical, Observatin and Psychiatry Units The inpatient medical-surgical unit renvatin t the first flr f the existing nrth building will create apprximately 25 new beds delivering increased inpatient capacity (by late 2019). The bservatin unit n the first flr f the new additin wuld include a cmplement f private rms and enhanced patient rms (by late 2018). The psychiatry unit n the secnd flr f the new additin wuld increase capacity by apprximately five beds, including additinal private rms, safety enhancements, cntemprary patient amenities, mdern treatment spaces and a new nurses statin (by late 2018).
Imprvements t the Emergency Rms The pediatric emergency rm wuld grw with apprximately five additinal beds fr pediatric behaviral health patients in rder t ensure sufficient space fr the treatment f yung children as well as adlescents with behaviral health needs (by mid-2017). The adult emergency rm wuld grw with apprximately tw additinal behaviral health treatment spaces and a fur-bed evaluatin area (by early 2017), as well as a new registratin and waiting area and tw additinal triage bays (by early 2019). Why? Market factrs Hward Cunty is grwing and aging. The ppulatin f thse 55 and lder in Hward Cunty is prjected t increase by 22 percent in the next five years, which will increase demand fr health care. In additin, the ppulatin is prjected t grw by 6 percent verall. The Affrdable Care Act increased the number f insured patients. HCGH experienced a recrd year fr admissins and bservatins, representing an increase f 9.6 percent ver last year alne (fiscal year 2016 cmpared t fiscal year 2017). We als saw a recrd number f births last fiscal year. Hward Cunty General Hspital s year-ver-year increase in admissins was the highest f all f the 23 hspitals in the greater Baltimre regin (fiscal year 2016 t 2017). Hward Cunty General Hspital emergency rm vlumes are up. The adult emergency rm treated a recrd 60,310 patients last year, a 4.8 percent increase. One in fur patients wh visit the emergency rm needs a higher level f care, whether admitted as an inpatient r t the psychiatry r bservatin units. The vlume has been grwing every mnth this fiscal year and, as a result, units prviding a higher level f care are busier, which can cntribute t lnger wait times in the emergency rm. Laurel Reginal Hspital s reductin in services is affecting Hward Cunty General Hspital, with admissins and emergency rm visits frm the Laurel service area increasing by 16 percent between July and April when cmparing fiscal years 2015 with 2016. Hspital Facility Factrs Hward Cunty General Hspital is currently licensed fr 264 inpatient beds, but nly has space fr 244 patients. The general medical-surgical beds are 90 percent full mst days and 19 percent grwth in inpatient vlume is prjected by 2024. The bservatin unit achieves nearly full ccupancy daily, and the hspital treated a recrd number f bservatin patients last year. New space will include private rms that are mre welcming t patients and families.
The pediatric emergency rm treats 18,000 patients annually, including adlescent patients with behaviral health issues, such as depressin and substance use. The number f pediatric behaviral health patients has increased 46 percent in the past tw years, and having additinal clinical space will allw us t meet the needs f patients wh benefit frm a mre private and prtected setting f care. Often three t five beds in the inpatient adult psychiatry unit are nt able t take new patients because patients are t ill t share a rm r cannt be c-lcated fr ther reasns, resulting in the need fr mre space and imprved design.