Breaking Ground on Next Level Care
Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville marked the start of major construction on the hospital’s new care tower with a May 10 groundbreaking ceremony.
Community partners, government officials and health system leaders joined Shady Grove Medical Center executives and caregivers for a ceremonial turning of dirt. Nurses representing services in the new tower helped hospital President Dan Cochran and Adventist HealthCare President and CEO Terry Forde with the first dig.
The ceremony’s shovels featured art created by caregivers, symbolizing their work and the themes of care, compassion and community.
“When the pandemic came, it left no doubt: Hospitals need to be ready to adapt to unpredictable emergencies,” said Cochran during the ceremony. “We need rooms that enhance the care and comfort of the critically ill. We need to create a healing environment that nurtures and supports our healthcare workers.” He noted the tower, one of the first healthcare buildings in the U.S. designed in the wake of COVID-19, will meet those aims.
“The new patient care tower and renovations are hugely important to our Montgomery County residents, especially those living in the middle and upper parts of the county,” said state Sen. Nancy King, who with Sen. Craig Zucker was instrumental in securing funding for the project. She also told the audience about her experience as a patient: “Every person who took care of me was an expert. Hats off to you, and I can say in the community, if you need care, go to Shady Grove. You will be happy.”
The 150,352-square-foot tower will upgrade and enhance services at Shady Grove Medical Center. The tower includes:
• A modernized and more spacious emergency department
• A larger, state-of-the-art intensive care unit
• All-private medical-surgical patient rooms
• Updated units for patients under medical observation, and for those with emergency mental health conditions
• The ability to reposition critical care services such as the hospital’s cardiovascular interventional radiology unit, allowing more efficient treatment
“When you build hospital spaces, it’s essential to include caregivers in the design,” said Todd Cohen, associate vice president of facilities and real estate at Adventist HealthCare. “In this project we asked the key unit-specific personnel to provide their valuable input. By including our team members in the design process, we were able to achieve a design that not only met everyone’s needs, but we hope will exceed their expectations.”
The design includes large windows to give patients abundant natural light and outside views, which research has shown promotes healing. The tower also includes environmentally friendly elements. Among them, a 20,000-square-foot green roof will aid with storm-water management. Parents in The Birth Center at Shady Grove will get views of the lush roof from the existing hospital building. In other areas, landscaped patios will allow families of critical care patients and caregivers to take outdoor breaks.
The tower is expected to begin serving patients in 2025.
