University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health Announces Plan to Reshape, Augment Health Care Services in Northeastern Maryland

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UMUCH Logo October 2015

 

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.
UM UCMC Havre de Grace
UM UCMC Havre de Grace

 

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.

UMUCMCBelAirAddition
UM UCMC Bel Air Addition

 

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.

 

Quotes

 

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.

 

About University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
In December of 2013, Upper Chesapeake Health became University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, a member of the University of Maryland Medical System. It consists of the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center (an affiliate of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center), University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace and the Senator Bob Hooper House. The leading health care system and largest private employer in Harford County, UM Upper Chesapeake Health offers a broad range of health care services, technology and facilities to the residents of northeastern Maryland.  Visit www.umuch.org or more information.

 

About University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) currently includes 12 health systems and hospitals across Maryland including the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center; University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center; University of Maryland Medical Center; University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus; University of Maryland Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute; University of Maryland Shore Regional Health; University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center; and University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health System, as well as the freestanding University of Maryland Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown and the University of Maryland Shore Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Chestertown. UMMS also operates Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital as a joint venture with Johns Hopkins and also operates University of Maryland Medical System Health Plans for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

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