About the Project

Prior to the acquisition of Southern Maryland Hospital Center (SMHC) by MedStar, CRGA was asked by then CEO Michael Chiaramonte to develop a master plan addressing three areas of the hospital that were either outdated or constrained by available space and layout.  These departments included the emergency department, critical care and the surgical perioperative suite.  During the assessment phase of the master planning activities it was clear that a rearrangement of existing space within the hospital would not work and that expansion would be required. 

 In evaluating possible locations on the site, it was decided that the parking lot in front of the hospital provided the most logical place for this expansion to occur.  It was relatively flat and was adjacent to the existing emergency department.  The footprint of this addition at the first floor would allow space for the expansion of the ED, and for a new lobby and main entry.  The existing lobby was far to small and the main entry was underwhelming.  The existing lobby and adjacent space would be reused for patient services functions. 

 If this expansion was constructed as a two-story addition, the second floor could accommodate a new critical care unit.  An elevator would link the CCU to imaging located directly below.  The critical care unit could in turn be connected to one of the upper med/surg floors in Tower A, which could be utilized as a step-down unit.  Once the critical care unit was relocated to this new addition, the existing critical care unit could be re-purposed as a phase II recovery/patient prep suite. 

 The configuration of the addition solved a number of potential issues.  Three different entries had to be accommodated on the front of the addition, including the main entry, the ED walk-in entry and the ambulance patient entry.  This addition located the main entry with its own canopy on the southwest corner of the building.  This would provide an easy means of way-finding as patients approached the hospital.  The ED entry and canopy was established on a portion of the new addition that was forward of the main entry and ambulance entries clearly separating it from the main entry.  This portion of the addition was forward of the ambulance entry and served to screen ambulances from the view of arriving hospital patients and visitors.

 Programming and master planning activities were interrupted when the Chiaramonte family decided to pursue the sale of the hospital.  Therefore, the master plan was based on limited programming input and review by staff.   The proposed concept was for more comprehensive than the project currently proposed by MedStar. However, the new addition and main entry is similar in concept to the current proposed project.