From University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health:
University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health Announces Plan to Reshape, Augment Health Care Services in Northeastern Maryland; Among UM UCH’s key strategies: Establish a new outpatient medical campus at Bulle Rock
A new medical campus and behavioral health facility in Havre de Grace are key parts of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health’s (UM UCH) strategy to improve the health of the population served while also aligning inpatient bed capacity with local and national healthcare trends. The time frame for the opening of the medical campus is 2020.
UM UCH’s plan will accomplish the following:
• Establish a new $100 + million medical campus located adjacent to Interstate 95 on the 97-acre site UM UCH owns at Bulle Rock, to replace the current University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital (UM HMH) in downtown Havre de Grace.
• Address the region’s urgent and growing need for behavioral health services by creating a stronger network of community-based care anchored by a behavioral health facility.
• Expand and centralize outpatient services, physician offices and health prevention/wellness services.
• Continue to enhance the quality of clinical services by consolidating inpatient hospital services (with the exception of behavioral health) at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UM UCMC) in Bel Air through a $60 million expansion.
• Collaborate with regional health care providers, with the goal of increasing access to care and avoiding costly duplication of services. As an example, UM UCH and Union Hospital in Elkton are collaborating in a number of specialty areas including cancer, weight loss surgery and behavioral health services.
Establishment of a Medical Campus
UM UCH’s new development will be called University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center – Havre de Grace (UM UCMC – Havre de Grace) and will be located on the property UM UCH owns adjacent to Bulle Rock. Services offered at the 190,000-square foot UM UCMC – Havre de Grace facility will include observation beds for short-stay medical patients, emergency services, imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiology, nuclear medicine), cardiology testing, pharmacy, lab and public education/conference space in addition to rehab (physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy), chemotherapy/infusion, mammography/bone density, physician office space and prevention/wellness services.
The surgical capacity and higher acuity in-patient services at UM HMH will be provided at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. To accommodate the additional patient rooms needed, three floors will be added to the Kaufman Cancer Center building.
In addition, the new Havre de Grace medical campus will include expanded behavioral health services, currently being offered at UM HMH and at Union Hospital in Elkton.
An important element to the new medical campus will be an emphasis on wellness and fitness through partnerships with Maryland University of Integrative Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, Healthy Harford and other health-related services. A walking/jogging/biking trail will be built on the campus for use by patients, team members and the general community as part of an ongoing commitment to improve the mind, body and spirit of those we serve in our community.
Future of UM Harford Memorial Hospital
The existing physical plant of UM HMH is near the end of its useful life as a medical facility and has numerous infrastructure issues that don’t align with changing health care needs. Renovation is not cost-effective, and the site of the hospital is landlocked, which limits expansion.
UM UCH is committed to working collaboratively with the City of Havre de Grace, Harford County and the State of Maryland on identifying productive new uses for the site. UM UCH will retain the advisory services of an experienced firm that provides expertise in community redevelopment to help us explore the best use for this property for the long term. The opportunity exists to identify new uses for the hospital site, as well as the nearby facilities that currently house physician offices, with the goal of strengthening and enriching the City of Havre de Grace.
Urgent Need for Expanded Behavioral Health Services
A state-of-the-art, secure and adjacent facility on the medical campus will offer behavioral health services for adults with mental illness or substance abuse issues, as well as seniors requiring hospitalization for behavioral health issues. This facility will not serve incarcerated individuals or sex offenders.
The need for services for those with mental health and/or substance abuse issues is staggering across the country. In Harford County alone, since 2008, there has been a 47 percent increase in the number of emergency department visits that are drug/alcohol addiction related. The care provided currently by UM HMH and Union Hospital needs to be expanded to meet the current and projected demand for behavioral health services in our community.
Changing Health Care Environment
There continue to be major changes occurring in health care, both nationally and in the State of Maryland – with the Affordable Care Act and the way that hospitals are reimbursed for care—both of these are driving changes in how health care is offered. This changing health care environment is giving rise to a new form of health care facility that offers easy access to the most in-demand health services and resources and also a broader range of services than the traditional hospital offered in the past. Havre de Grace will be among the first communities in Maryland to welcome this new, innovative approach.
Submission of Certificate of Need
Pending legislative approval, UM UCH will submit a Certificate of Need (CON) request to the State of Maryland in 2016. The review and approval process of the CON, as well as legislative approval, will determine the timeline for putting the plan into action. Depending upon the timing of the regulatory approvals, the plan is to open the new medical campus by 2020.
Dr. Roger E. Schneider, chairman of the UM UCH board of directors:
“The past 20 years have been a time of tremendous growth in health care services in our community. Major developments, driven by a highly qualified leadership team and medical staff, have included the building of UM UCMC, the expansion of emergency services, stroke and cardiovascular center competencies, an influx of specialty physicians, outpatient services and leading-edge surgery options.”
“Our merger with the University of Maryland Medical System was based on their established track record and culture of working with local communities to meet community needs. As an example, the partnership with University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center provides our patients and greater community with the best cancer care possible and broader access to clinical trials, right here in Harford County, at the Kaufman Cancer Center.”
“Our leadership includes a dedicated and community-minded Board of Directors and local philanthropists who seek to secure the best possible care that addresses the most common health care needs for their neighbors. Those efforts continue today with the plans for the Havre de Grace and Bulle Rock property.”
Lyle E. Sheldon, president/CEO, UM UCH:
“Health care today is evolving toward treating people not just in emergencies but to engage people in prevention and wellness before a disease or condition becomes an emergency,” said Lyle E. Sheldon, president/CEO of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health.
“Our newest plans for Havre de Grace and the Bulle Rock property represent a different approach for the health care industry; one that is critically important to improving our community’s overall quality of health care and achieving UM UCH’s vision of creating the healthiest community in Maryland,” Sheldon explained. “That is what drives us today, and is our vision for tomorrow.”
Robert A. Chrencik, president and chief executive officer, University of Maryland Medical System:
“The plans for the new University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center – Havre de Grace represent an exciting new chapter in a history of quality regional healthcare for the citizens of Northeast Maryland. The new facility in Havre de Grace, coupled with the enhancement of existing inpatient services in Bel Air, maintain local accessibility while maximizing our primary mission to provide exceptional quality patient care. We congratulate the Upper Chesapeake team for their strategic vision and community engagement as they embark on this exciting next phase of their journey.”
Community Meetings
There will be UM UCH sponsored meetings where the public can learn more about these plans, and to provide input.
For more information on the project, visit www.umuch.org/2020hdgcampus.
This is a great idea…harford memorial has seen better days..its time make a change..we need to keep up with the needs in healthcare..they are ever changing
Can you do all of your future employees, and patients a favor?
Build enough parking for everyone.
Just park in Harford Memorials Employee lot. There is usually plenty of open spaces.
Don’t worry, you won’t get towed. There is no way a tow truck could extract a car from there, especially if you drive a big long pickup.
Brilliant! LOL
It is.
I parked in an employee lot at another private business, as I was leaving amd walking back the parking lot some employee of the company was standing near my vehicle.
He started jiggling his employee/company ID around his neck on a lanyard and told me I couldnt park there and was being detained until he talks to his boss of the company, like some type of wannabe Police poser.
I told him “No thanks” and his face started to get red, head shaking, arms were vibrating, and was grittin his teeth.
I got in my car and drove away, he started jumping up and down and I heard a lot of noise coming from his mouth but I didn’t coherently understand the words.
That was 7 years ago.
Looks like the big looser is the citizens in the eastern part of Harford county and the western parts of Cecil. Health care beds dropping 80% at HMH. Current 58 beds going down to 12, and the loss of 100 jobs. Prepare now to have all your medical needs met at the Bel Air Hospital unless you need a mental evaluation.
We’re much better off with one big hospital than two smaller ones. The duplication of resources is not cost effective.
“The opportunity exists to identify new uses for the hospital site, as well as the nearby facilities that currently house physician offices, with the goal of strengthening and enriching the City of Havre de Grace. ”
So the city still plans on zoning the existing doctors’ offices on Union Ave away? Nice. Why not let them choose where to locate their businesses instead of being told where to go by the city?
A large, central hospital is a good idea. However, emergency facilities need to be located throughout the county. This should include outpatient surgery facilities as well. It is a long drive home to Havre de Grace from Bel Air when you are hurting and full of anesthesia.
There should be more mental health facilities available in the Bel Air area. It’s hard to find a ride to Havre de Grace from Bel Air when you don’t have a driver’s license.
What they aren’t spelling out for you is, those 12 beds are only for observation stays not medical admissions, and the Intensive care unit is scheduled to close in 6 months and be moved to Bel Air. There will essentially be no hospital in Havre de Grace unless you need a psychiatric admission or an emergency department visit. If you or your loved one is critical or in need of intensive care you or they will need to be transferred, possibly on a ventilator to the nearest hospital with an open bed. That could be Bel Air, Elkton or Baltimore.
Yes, Harford is an old building and a new hospital is needed, that is not what you are getting!
Did they ever consider the number of people from CECIL COUNTY? I drive 12 miles to Harford, Bel Air would be 33 miles.
We need a hospital in Havre de Grace that meets the needs of all it’s citizens……not only the mentally ill!! And what about our elderly citizens? It’s true that our hospital is old but it has served our community admirably and we rely on it’s services. This is a beautiful and proud community and many of us don’t want to go beyond our town for medical services. What are people thinking?