September 2nd, 2021 by WCBC Radio
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today announced the release of the Maryland Department of Health Facilities Master Plan, a 20-year plan to align MDH’s projected patient care needs with health care services offered or provided by the Department. MDH also submitted the phased plan to the Maryland General Assembly today.
MDH has 14 health care facility campuses located throughout the state. Eleven are currently operational and provide Marylanders with multiple health care services across a large number of buildings, many of which are aging and no longer align with evolving patient care models or are reaching or are at the end of their useful life. Three facilities are closed.
“Our goal through this ongoing process is to finalize a capital program that guides us through the rejuvenation of our facilities,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “We can now begin the process of divesting facilities that are no longer operating, build new state-of-the-art facilities, and properly plan so that we can continue to provide Marylanders the level of health care they deserve and expect today and well into the future.”
“Development of this Master Plan was a collaborative process dating back to 2018 and included assessing MDH operations and infrastructure, focusing on creating the best care environment for patients now and in the future,” said General Services Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. "We expect that the implementation of this plan will save the state $321.6 million.”
Phase I of the Facilities Master Plan will occur from 2022-2026 and will entail:
● Divesting three closed facilities: Crownsville Hospital Center in Anne Arundel County, Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents (RICA) Southern Maryland in Prince George’s County and Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center in Kent County;
● Constructing four 24-hour regional crisis centers in Western Maryland, Central Maryland, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore;
● Identifying strategic partners to transfer services currently provided at Western Maryland Hospital Center in Hagerstown and Deer’s Head Hospital Center in Salisbury to healthcare and community providers; and
● Performing an assessment of the current Central Maryland inpatient behavioral health capacity.
Phase II of the Facilities Master Plan will occur from 2027-2031 and will entail:
● Constructing a new facility for children and a Secure Evaluation Therapeutic Treatment (SETT) facility in the Central Maryland region; and
● Constructing a replacement patient building at the Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville.
Phase III of the Facilities Master Plan will occur from 2032-2041 and will entail:
● Renovating the Holly Center; integrating MDH facility patients with community providers; and
● Developing strategic partnerships to transition services currently provided at the Potomac Center and Spring Grove Hospital Center to healthcare and community providers.
The MDH Facilities Master Plan is a planning document that will evolve over the 20 years it covers.
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