Luminis Health Celebrates 50 Years and Commits to Maternal Health

By Raoul Dennis And Maria Bellos Fisher

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM JOHNSON // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) held an Anniversary gala to celebrate 50 years of service to Prince George’s County and to gather healthcare leaders, community advocates and supporters, honoring the hospital’s legacy and raising funds to expand services, advance health equity and eliminate disparities.

Over 300 attended the black tie gala held April 5 at The Hotel at College Park. Hosted by FOX TV personality Guy Lambert and peppered with fiery speeches by U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Dominic Magnolia, chair of the LHDCMC Board of Directors, as well as keynote remarks by Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center President Deneen Richmond, the event raised $37,000 (during an exhilarating call-to-action fundraising effort led by Lambert) and announced another $20 million by the state for the new women's care center.

It was a shimmering night of celebration and excitement (see photo gallery below).

“We provide care for 1.8 million people in Anne Arundel, Prince George’s County, the Eastern Shore and beyond,” Richmond said. “Our commitment is to expand health care with plans to develop comprehensive women’s health services at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center --- in addition to adding inpatient obstetrical services, we’ll have labor, delivery, postpartum care in rooms that have been specially designed for a family-centered birth experience.”

Richmond’s vision for the hospital has long held that the disparity of expectant mothers in the county facing birth issues and having to travel outside Prince George’s for care is unacceptable.

“I know what it feels like…sometimes you feel like you don’t have health care professionals who will listen to you or the quality of health care that you need,” says Dr. Jonelle Samuel, Division Chief of Gynecology at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center and Associate Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology for Luminis Health.

Samuel grew up in the county and decided to come back to apply her skills to changing the course of poor care for women in Prince George’s.

“A lot of times I had to go out of the county for my care,” Dr. Samuel says. “I decided to come back to this area to give back to the community that I grew up in. I want to provide quality care to individuals who live in Prince George’s.”

Dr. Regina Hampton, Chief of Breast Surgery at LHDCMC, has been at the center for 20 years. She launched the first breast cancer clinic in the county. In those days, even simple diagnosis required surgery. She says things have come a long way in reducing the death rate of women with breast cancer and she’s proud to have been part of the journey at Luminis. She smiles when she acknowledges that today’s breast cancer diagnosis examination is done in the office with a simple exam.

“I have been here for 20 of the 50 years at Luminis,” Hampton says. “I’m really proud because when I first started at the hospital, we were really seeing a lot of very advanced breast cancer cases – especially in African American and Latina women. I think in educating, advocating, showing women the importance of screening and early detection, we’ve really been able to turn around some of the dismal statistics that we found around the county and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

Finding the Money

The need and decision to build a women’s health center had been well established. The funding for the $250 million facility, now underway, is the next step.

“We are raising money for a women's health center right here in Prince George’s County,” says Luminis Health Trustee and Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center Foundation Board Member Pat Arzuaga. “We are building it so that we can take care of our women, take care of our moms and take care of our sisters.”

Arzuaga is no stranger to tough challenges. Just after she joined the board in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We needed to take care of the people in the county – the county was hardest hit by the pandemic in the state. The courage of our doctors and our health care team is really just phenomenal. I’m so proud of them,” she said.

She talks about how the center will have health care for women, moms, and babies and include prenatal, breast and cancer care. It will bring in surgery and obstetric services. According to projections, some 2,000 babies will be born there each year.

Arzuaga personally started off the fundraising for the evening with a $5,000 donation. Once completed the guests reportedly contributed some $37,000 – well beyond the $25,000 goal set for the evening.

Board member Norman Rivera is a lifelong county resident who reaches out to the private sector for funding. “I have been [on the board] for four years now. My job on the board is to raise funds and extend our reach into the community.”

When asked how he motivates the private sector, Rivera responded directly:

“If you’re selling houses, for example, there are three things you want: public education, health, public safety. We are among those pillars. We are trying to cover that.”

“When asked how he motivates the private sector, Rivera responded directly:

“If you’re selling houses, for example, there are three things you want: public education, health, public safety. We are among those pillars.” ”

— Board member Norman Rivera

Davion Percy spends almost as much of his time anticipating government policy trends as he does raising funds for the hospital. He’s the Luminis Health Vice President Public Policy and Community Engagement. He says the last two years have been good for the hospital in its partnership with local and state leaders who believe in the vision.

“Two years ago, we got $7 million from the state, last year we got $19 million from the state and this year we are slated for another $20 million [if all goes well with the vote] to go towards this women's health project,” Percy says. “We are very grateful to former County Executive, now US Senator Angela Alsobrooks, current acting County Executive Tara Jackson, the county council, the House and Senate delegations and Governor Moore for this win.”

Pride And Celebration

“It was my pleasure to be here celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Luminis Doctors Community Health Center,” said Athena Groves, a trustee of the hospital board. “It’s about the community and the health of the community. It’s my pleasure to be part of something where we know we are making a difference.”

From another vantage point, Dawn Jackson also took pride in the celebration.

“I am connected in many ways to Luminis Health. I am a service provider on the marketing end, I have watched so many of their plans come to fruition,” said Dawn Jackson of NuDawn Marketing Group. “I was part of telling that story when we launched the mental health pavilion. I helped put that video together. We live in a county where there was so much lacking in terms of the resources – and that’s where Luminis Health stepped up and created the mental health pavilion.’

She says the celebration is also about remembering the past in order to reach for the future.

“I’m all about the celebration because it's great to look forward. But [it’s also about] standing in the present, in that Sankofa moment where you look back and see what you’ve done to arrive here. So, congratulations to Luminis Health.”

Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Alexander Austin noted the important institution that the hospital has become in the county.

“For 50 years, Luminis Health Doctors Community Hospital has been a cornerstone of care in Prince George’s County, [now] advancing health equity and now leading efforts to close maternal health gaps by restoring local birthing services—especially for black and brown families who’ve long faced limited access [to care] close to home.”

Foundation Vice-President Dawn Ridley and the performance and execution of LHDCMC’s golden gala team were a campaign blueprint in majesty, polish, and execution (even down to the roller coaster-level excitement in the call to action, on-the-spot fundraising). The event established a vision based on a need, sparked involvement, awarded existing partners and gave rise to new ones — all while recognizing the long journey of accomplishment over the last half century. It was the epitome of what can be achieved when individuals within a community come together as a driven force.

“The Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center Foundation and its Board are deeply grateful to everyone who supported the 50th Anniversary Golden Gala,” said Ridley. “It was not only a night of celebration, but also a powerful opportunity to raise awareness and critical funds to address the maternal health crisis in Prince George’s County. This event marked an inspiring kickoff as we unite as a community to reach our $10 million philanthropic goal.”

President Richmond embraces the success of the early step but she also looks forward to the goal.

“I was in awe of the love and generosity shown at the gala,” said Richmond. “The outpouring of support reaffirms Luminis Health’s commitment to eliminating maternal and infant mortality in the communities we serve. By adding inpatient obstetric, labor, and delivery and postpartum care at our Lanham campus, we are expanding access to high-quality care close to home--ensuring families no longer have to leave the county to welcome their baby. I look forward to seeing the first baby born in 2028, when our state-of-the-art women’s health center is expected to open.”