Having enough nurses and physicians ? not hospital beds ? worries state medical officials as they prepare for the population boom coming with the military restructuring at Maryland?s Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground.
“We?ve recognized the fact that physicians need to be recruited in Maryland … and it was an issue before [the Base Realignment and Closure process] came about,” said Nancy Fielder, spokeswoman for the Maryland Hospital Association.
The hospitals near Fort Meade ? Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Laurel Regional Hospital, Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis and Howard County General Hospital ? are expanding facilities in anticipation of the growthin the next three years.
The first-due hospital for the fort is Baltimore Washington Medical Center, which is building an eight-story tower with 100 new beds and an obstetrics unit, the first one in 40 years.
“We?re one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, and we?re only getting busier as people move into the community,” said Kathy McCollum, hospital vice president.
But the state is suffering from the national nursing shortage trend, as limited teaching facilities cannot pump out enough nurses to meet current demand.
While the same education problem doesn?t exist with physicians, a shortage remains because high malpractice fees and low returns from private insurers have many qualified physicians opening shop elsewhere.
“[On-call specialist] doctors are saying they?re not covering emergency departments anymore,” said Paul Gleichauf, vice president of planning and marketing for Howard County General Hospital in Columbia.
“Whether it?s lifestyle, lack of reimbursement or high malpractice costs, it?s a rolling snowball that is becoming our biggest risk.”
But BRAC could help solve the shortage problem, said Chip Doordan, president of the Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Spouses of the incoming work force, along with publicity of the need in Maryland, may bring in more nurses and physicians, he said.
“BRAC may raise the awareness and sense of urgency,” Doordan said.
“It does have a way to make people sit up and have a say on this issue.”
By the numbers
Anne Arundel Medical Center:
» Expanded emergency room with more rooms for pediatrics
» 5,000 garage parking spaces
» Patient tower, including 300 patient beds
» Eight additional operating rooms
» Ambulatory services building
Baltimore Washington Medical Center:
» Six-story patient tower featuring
a women?s health center, 87
patient beds and 24 intensive care beds
» 18-bed obstetrics program
» Emergency department expansion, including 17 new rooms
Howard County General Hospital:
» Five-story patient center including 42 medical/surgical beds, 30 private rooms, a laboratory, pharmacy, wireless computers and a floor for critical care
» 550-space parking garage
Laurel Regional Hospital:
» Eight new emergency treatment rooms
» New cardiology department
