University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s plans for construction of a new Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Easton have moved a step forward as hospital officials have received notice that the Maryland Health Care Commission has docketed the application for the project’s Certificate of Need (CON).
MHCC provided public notice of the docketing in the Maryland Register on August 11th, which initiated a 30-day window for public comment. As of today, no comments have been posted, and the CON application is now ready for MHCC’s review and anticipated approval in the coming months.
Docketing of the application not only keeps the project moving forward as is required by MHCC’s procedural regulations, but also allows MHCC to gather any supplemental information needed to render a decision.
The total projected cost of the new Shore Regional Medical Center is $550 million.
The schematic design phase of the project, which has been completed, involved the participation of multiple departments in refining layout plans and creating new external renderings. The design development phase is now in progress, focusing on the design of individual rooms for optimal workflow.
Plans to build the new Shore Regional Medical Center in Easton are critical to the comprehensive health care delivery plan for Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. The new location on Route 50 at Longwoods Road will promote better access to care, the new design will accommodate advances in high-quality care and improve patient satisfaction, and the new facility will enhance UM Shore Regional Health’s ability to recruit and retain health care providers and staff.
Reed Fawell 3 says
“Plans to build the new Shore Regional Medical Center in Easton are critical to the comprehensive health care delivery plan for Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. The new location on Route 50 at Longwoods Road will promote better access to care, the new design will accommodate advances in high-quality care and improve patient satisfaction, and the new facility will enhance UM Shore Regional Health’s ability to recruit and retain health care providers and staff.”
Access to this new $550,000,000 regional comprehensive health care hospital for the five mid-shore counties from Kent up north to Dorchester down south will be directly off of Route 50 ten miles north of Easton. Imagine the traffic load that complex will add to Route 50. Now imagine a brand new bedroom community of some 8,000 people at Lakeside accessed directly off Route 50 some 10 miles south of Easton. Now imagine those two projects together with existing, incl. beach, traffic already on Route 50.
What does your imagination see?
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
UMMS Shore Health System has been unable to deliver a robust primary care system on the Shore. What makes us think it can create a “comprehensive health care delivery plan” for the five counties?
Carol Voyles says
Despite a shortage of doctors and healthcare personnel and facing the task of updating regional services while operating from a dated facility in town, UMSRH Hospital has been recognized for delivering quality healthcare.
With renewed focus upon healthcare professions at Chesapeake College, accessible acreage under contract nearby on State Rt. 50, and even an updated airport coming, the logical next step (to attract more doctors and continue moving in a positive direction) seems clear.
What will it take?
Dan Richardson says
The need for more rooms, modern facilities and attracting more medical professionals is dire. The development of the Eastern Shore is not going to stop, prepare now for the increase in population, that is not slowing.
Michael Hawke says
I would suggest you check the Census data on recent population growth for these five counties before making such a claim. Between the 2010 and 2020 census these counties population only grew by the following:
Talbot: -256
Dorchester: -87
Queen Annes: 2076
Caroline: 227
Kent: -999
While there has been population growth since 2020, it does not indicate a population that is growing out of control.
Dan Richardson says
So that’s over a 900 net increase. But that does not include second home owners, of which there are many and increasing. It also doesn’t account for increased visitors.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Shore Medical makes this announcement as if God? –
“The new location on Route 50 at Longwoods Road will promote better access to care, the new design will accommodate advances in high-quality care and improve patient satisfaction, and the new facility will enhance UM Shore Regional Health’s ability to recruit and retain health care providers and staff.”
Who approved the details of this in Talbot County or in any other affected county?
Dirck Bartlett says
When I was on the Talbot County Council we approved the 250 acres (on sewer and water) for the hospital complex. Nothing can be done with the property until the hospital is built first. This CON (Certificate of Need) has taken years to get. The property has a sunset clause on it and if the hospital is not built before a certain date, the County can purchase the property back for the original sell price of $2 million dollars.
nancy knowlton says
CAMBRIDGE needs this hospital more than Easton does! It’s a shame on Cambridge/Dorchester county for taking away a MUCH needed priority for our residents!
Reed Fawell 3 says
Translated, this huge concentration of medical services is great financially for Shore Medical and very bad for local communities who are stripped of local care for all counties “served, but fpr Talbot whose roads and land farm lands are overwhelmed into a Parole Md like place serving Shore Medical, while everyone else who depends on Route 50 for access everywhere else are given the shaft, too. Meanwhile, Shore Regional Medical makes off like bandit who need not get anybody else’s consent for whatever it is that Shore Medical declares it wants. We are being ruled now by uncountable monsters fouling our nests while taking our money, and health for granted. That is what this looks like.