University of Maryland Medical System Breaks Ground On Center for Outpatient Care in Towson

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) today held a groundbreaking ceremony for a major outpatient care hub in Towson that will bring multiple surgical, specialty, rehabilitation and primary care services together in one location, expanding community access and preparing for the continued shift of care beyond the hospital setting.

The freestanding, four-story University of Maryland Center for Outpatient Care is being constructed on the site of a former surface parking lot at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC) campus in Towson. UM SJMC is a member organization hospital of UMMS. Partners in the project include University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and its Faculty Physicians Inc. (FPI), Ruxton Surgical Center, Towson Orthopaedic Associates, Towson Sports Medicine, Towson Surgical Center and the UM St. Joseph Medical Group practices.

"This project is a strategic investment in ambulatory care, highlighting our commitment to innovation, health impact and serving our communities with academic medicine, connecting today's research to tomorrow's bedside care," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, the System's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The Center for Outpatient Care is much more than just a new building, it is an investment that reflects where healthcare is headed and how we intend to meet the changing needs of Marylanders."

Dr. Suntha added, "We want Marylanders to have access to more of the care they need, closer to home, with the expertise of an entire academic health system behind them. This project is an important step toward that goal; it builds on the longstanding strength of the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center while expanding access to specialty and outpatient surgical care. And it reflects our commitment to making thoughtful, long-term investments in the communities that depend on us."

The Center for Outpatient Care will both consolidate and expand a mix of existing outpatient services across UMMS, including: Expanded ambulatory surgery through the relocation of two ambulatory surgery centers focused on orthopedic and pain procedures and a multi-specialty surgery center into modernized, larger facilities; musculoskeletal care, sports medicine rehabilitation, primary care, the Diabetes and Endocrine Center, pulmonary care and general/specialty surgery practices; infusion services and pediatric specialty care with UMSOM specialists.

"This center will connect trusted community-based care with the specialized expertise of our faculty physicians and School of Medicine providers, giving families across the region access to subspecialty care without having to travel far from home," said William Regine, MD, President of FPI. "This is academic medicine at its best: Extraordinary physicians working across an integrated system so that more patients can benefit from specialized knowledge in the communities where they live."

Thomas B. Smyth, MD, UMMS' Executive Vice President, Community Health Division who previously served as President and CEO of UM SJMC for nine years and was medical director of the UM St. Joseph Medical Group (UM SJMG) before that, noted the Center for Outpatient Care was a vision first discussed several years ago. "We imagined bringing outpatient and specialty care together in a way that would make care easier to navigate for patients and position UM St. Joseph to serve this community well into the future. Families from across North Baltimore and well beyond know this campus. They know the people here, and they trust the care. We're building on generations of trust to meet the next generation of health care needs."

Robin Luxon, RN, BSN, MBA, President of UM SJMC, added, "Think about the grandfather who used to take a walk every morning, but now struggles to get around because of chronic knee pain. Or the parents who have just learned their child needs a pediatric specialist. Or someone facing surgery who wants to get through the procedure safely, recover comfortably at home, and get back to their life as quickly as possible. These are the people we're thinking about when we talk about improving access to care. It's not just about making appointments more convenient. It's about making a real difference in people's lives."

Leen Wehbeh, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist and Medical Director of the UM SJMG Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, also spoke at Friday's event. "The Center for Outpatient Care will give our team, and the many practices joining us, a modern environment designed for coordinated, patient-focused care. For patients with complex or chronic conditions, this care coordination is not an abstract benefit. It can make each visit easier to navigate and help the people caring for them work more closely together. This will strengthen the connections between UM SJMC, the University of Maryland School of Medicine and our clinical partners, creating opportunities to advance specialized care and better serve our patients."

Center for Outpatient Care details:

• Planned to serve approximately 250,000 people/visits annually
• Approximately 112,000 square feet; $110 million cost; 340 parking spaces
• Two unique and separate outpatient surgery centers with capability to expand as volumes and community needs grow.
• Scheduled to open for patients in Spring 2028.

This project marks the second time UMMS is constructing a building using the innovative "tilt-up" concrete construction method, following the successful application when constructing the System's Logistics Operations Center in Sparrows Point. The Center for Outpatient Care will be the System's first fully tilt-up medical office building, where large concrete wall panels are poured horizontally on-site, then lifted into place by crane. This approach accelerates the construction timeline, reduces costs and provides greater flexibility in interior space planning, which is an important consideration for healthcare facilities as clinical needs evolve. This building will also feature an advanced acoustic design and an all-electric infrastructure, resulting in zero carbon emissions.

Dr. Suntha also noted the generosity of three principal philanthropic partners who helped make the Center for Outpatient Care a reality: The Edward St. John Foundation, The Slitzer LaPausky Foundation and The Herman and Walter Samuelson Foundation.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state's future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System's anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.