HCMC received the first $5 million of $15 million for the observation unit in FY25. Of this funding, $500,000 went toward design, and the rest will go towards construction and IT needs. The total cost of the project is $28 million. HCMC is currently in the process of securing the additional $13 million needed to complete the project. This funding will support the renovation of the first floor of the pavilion building into a 29-bed observation unit.
Since taking office, Ball has invested more than $24 million to address capacity challenges ranging from capital investments to prevention services. During the four years prior to Ball becoming County Executive, Howard County invested $1.25 million to expand the emergency department, which largely entailed the creation of a new pediatric behavioral health unit and expansion of waiting area for patients and families.
Details of prior investments and their corresponding impacts include:
- Behavioral Health Unit: Howard County invested $2 million to expand the Behavioral Health Unit at HCMC. This $10.3 million project grew the BHU from 1,500 square feet to 7,000 square feet, tripling its capacity from 5 to 24 beds. Since opening in December of 2024, the unit has treated more than 500 behavioral health patients. This has resulted in a length of stay reduction of approximately two hours for these patients.
- HCMC Behavioral Health Navigators: Since FY20, Howard County has provided approximately $200,000 per year in funding for the HCMC Behavioral Health Navigators. Patients who interact with this program demonstrate lower levels of utilization.
- HCMC High Utilizers: Since FY20, Howard County has provided approximately $100,000 per year to support multi-visit patients. These are patients who had visited an emergency department more than three times. Since this investment, the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission has reported that HCMC has the second-lowest multi-visit rate in the state at 17% of all patients. The statewide average is 27%, and, while broad, this metric suggests that the range of “high utilizer” services at HCMC is effective in reducing re-utilization of the emergency department.
- Mobile Integrated Community Health (MICH): Between FY21 and FY23, Howard County invested approximately $300,00 for the MICH program. During the three years of this program’s tenure, HCMC and the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services treated more than 800 patients and saw an 85% reduction in 911 calls, 83% decrease in inpatient admissions, and 75% reduction in emergency department visits.
- Maternal Health: the County has invested $3.2 million between FY23 and FY24 for maternal health initiatives, with funding that went to both HCMC and Chase Brexton. HCMC used the funding to establish a maternal health clinic. It is estimated that more than 200 people avoided the emergency department as a direct result of the Clinic since opening in 2023.
- Partnership with the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA): In 2024, Howard County Government and HCMC partnered with MHA to create a discharge hospitality suite. The goal was to help alleviate throughput pressures in HCMC’s inpatient bed and emergency department utilization. Opened in July 2024, this suite has served nearly 3,600 patients, reducing time spent in an inpatient bed by nearly 1,015 hours—more than 17 minutes per patient.
“We're incredibly grateful to County Executive Ball for his visionary leadership and investment in a data informed partnership with Dr. Shafeeq Ahmed and the hard-working team at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center to improve health outcomes, and the well-being of patients served by the hospital,” said Melony G. Griffith, President & CEO, Maryland Hospital Association. “MHA applauds County Executive Ball and hospital leaders for their demonstrated commitment to elevating the patient experience and expediting the delivery of high-quality healthcare at a time when it is so greatly needed.”
In addition to County investments, HCMC has made several business and programmatic improvements to the Emergency Department to help with capacity. This includes:
- In the years following the pandemic, HCMC has returned its nursing staff back to pre-pandemic levels.
- In January 2025, HCMC established a dedicated low-acuity treatment area within the ED. Designed to accommodate up to nine patients, this new space was created to expand capacity and improve patient flow for low-acuity patients.
- Since opening three months ago, nearly 3,000 patients who would otherwise have been treated in the waiting room or hallways have received care in this area. As a result, wait times for low-acuity patients have decreased by more than 20 minutes.
- HCMC has completed the design for its new 29-bed nursing care unit, an important addition aimed at enhancing inpatient capacity and improving the overall patient experience. Construction is set to begin in May 2025.
- On April 1, 2025, HCMC implemented virtual nursing in 4 Pavilion, a 30-bed medical unit. This innovative approach allows experienced nurses to engage with patients and their families remotely using in-room television technology. Operating from an off-unit location, virtual nurses serve as an extension of the bedside care team, enhancing patient interaction and support. By taking on these responsibilities, virtual nurses enable bedside nurses to dedicate more time to direct, hands-on patient care.
- From a patient perspective, virtual nursing is expected to improve satisfaction and outcomes by ensuring comprehensive education during discharge, thorough medication instruction, and increased opportunities for communication with clinical staff throughout their stay.
- HCMC will look to expand the Virtual Nursing program to other nursing units in 2026.