New Expansion At MSMHC Expected To Have A Lasting Impact

Story By Raoul Dennis // Photography By Frank Solomon // Graphics Appear Courtesy MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center

Les Greenberg remembers when there was no hospital within a 20-mile radius of where he was raising his family in Clinton. It was the early 1970s. They were able to put a man on the moon and mastered satellite TV around the world but if Greenberg or one of his kids had a bad accident near Clinton, Md., he might just as well be on the moon because seeing a doctor seemed to be just that far away.

After a long fought struggle, Southern Maryland Hospital opened its doors in 1977 under the leadership of Dr. Francis Chiaramonte. It was a milestone that changed Greenberg’s life and the lives of hundreds of his neighbors.

“People don’t realize that from here down to Eagle Harbor is like 30 miles. For people down there, they had nothing,” Greenberg says.

Another milestone was reached Sept. 19 at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new $34 million emergency room expansion at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center (MSMHC). (Click here to read “Expanding Hope,” the full story on the MSMHC expansion groundbreaking ceremony)

“I’m so happy to see the hospital progressing,” Greenberg says, today a volunteer with the Red Cross. He is a caregiver and a patient as he has suffered hearing loss over the years. He is a member of the Hearing Loss Association of America and is a strong advocate for the hearing impaired.

Through his bifocal lenses, he says the impact of the expansion will be tremendous. “I’m really a MedStar advocate. I was in MedStar Georgetown with major surgery a few years ago and I have [a] son-in-law who’s there now. My wife is a poster child for hip and knee replacement and three of hers were done here. So, it’s wonderful to see what they are going to do here. We are big proponents of this hospital.”

According to Sgt. Major Michael Eason, All-American Commander of VFW Post 9376, rated the number 1 VFW post worldwide, the expansion plan is a thankful high priority for the members of the post and military veterans across the county and region.

“We’re excited because our post is located close to this hospital. More than half our members are 70-plus years old,” Eason says. “This expansion will enhance services when we need them and we really appreciate that.”

What The Expansion Includes

The move is expected to have resounding impact on the community. MedStar will add 18,000 square-feet of treatment area – bringing the total size to 70,000. The expansion will increase emergency department beds from 28 to 40. It will create an area that exclusively services patients with mental or behavioral issues to increase safety for both these patients and others in the emergency department.

According to administrators, there will be “improved access for EMS personnel, a better waiting room experience for patients and their family members, and a newly created center for pathogen assessment in the event of a biohazard. In addition to the ED expansion, there will also be a larger front entrance with a pharmacy and a 24-hour café.”

The changes are necessary. The emergency department handles over 47,000 visits per year (the hospital takes in 14,000 patients annually).

Dr. Chiledum Ahaghotu, the Vice President of Medical Affairs at MSMHC.

“It’s critical that we have high quality health care providers in a high quality space,” says Dr. Chiledum Ahaghotu, the Vice President of Medical Affairs at MSMHC.

Says MSMHC President Christine Wray: “MedStar Health has really been investing heavily in developing the infrastructure of the building and developing our technology. We know we will be able to serve this community for decades to come.”

Dr. Ahaghotu echoed that sentiment, expressing MedStar’s commitment represents an overall dedication to the growing community.

“The large scale construction and renovation project that we are kicking off today speaks volumes about MSMHC’s commitment to delivering high quality care in meeting the needs of our community. We are making a strong statement about our quality and safety and our dedication to the people we are serving here in Prince George’s County. When this project is complete, it will represent a leap forward for our hospital,” Dr. Ahaghotu says.

The primary work is expected to be completed in 2020 with additional expansion efforts completed by 2021.

Being Better, Being Faster, Saving Lives

Politely standing along the sidelines for the groundbreaking were the nurses, doctors and other MSMHC health care workers. In their scrubs and stethoscopes, their presence was a visual affirmation that the expansion will have real world implications. The only question had to be would it be enough?

Renee Sicheri, director of the Intensive Care Unit at MSMHC, says the plan is literally a life saver as she stood with her colleagues Anne Johnson and Kimberly Brown-Gross.

“This is going to have a major effect on our patient experience and also on our throughput, meaning that we will be able to provide faster quality of care and get them to where they need to be,” Sicheri says.

The director knows what she’s talking about. She’s the winner of the 2018 Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC) Silver Award, given for the promotion of organ donation, a vital lifesaving procedure in emergency rooms. “If they need the ICU, if they need 2 Door, if they need surgery, if they’ve fractured a hip, we are going to get them there faster and they will have less stay in the emergency room.”

Maryland State Senator Melony G. Griffith is confident that the positive effects will be long term.

“I think we will be seeing the benefits of this project into the foreseeable future. Decades of generations will benefit from the work that was started here today,” she says.