Upper Marlboro, MD - Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III, released this statement following news that the University of Maryland Capital Region Health has filed an application with the Maryland Health Care Commission for a Certificate of Need, approval of which will allow the University of Maryland Laurel Regional Hospital to transition to a new state-of-the-art healthcare center which will offer a comprehensive array of services, including around the clock emergency services, outpatient surgery, dedicated behavioral health resources, as well as a wealth of other offerings such as primary care, wellness services and chronic disease management.

Upon regulatory approval, these services will be offered in the existing Laurel Hospital until the new facility is built on the campus located at the corner of Van Dusen and Contee Roads in Laurel. The new University of Maryland Laurel Medical Center construction is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2021.

“This announcement is great news for the residents of Laurel, Northern Prince George’s County, and for all the residents of this County and our neighboring counties. I am proud of the work and advocacy from our community, state and local leaders, working collaboratively with my administration and the University of Maryland Medical System to deliver healthcare that our Prince Georgians have long deserved. I want to wish the University of Maryland Medical System, the City of Laurel, and all the residents and activists who fought so hard for this hospital the best of luck with this Certificate of Need process.

Seven years ago, I made improving healthcare resources and health outcomes for County residents as a priority of my administration. In 2011, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State of Maryland, the University System of Maryland, the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and Dimensions Healthcare to put us on the path to quality hospitals, doctors, and the creation of a vibrant healthcare industry in Prince George’s County and Southern Maryland. For too long, our residents have been travelling too far and often out of the state to receive healthcare.

Although we have faced many financial, logistical, and political challenges throughout the years, our hard work has come to fruition and better healthcare is now on the horizon for our residents. Whereas the building of the new $650 million University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in Downtown Largo has gotten the lion’s share of the headlines, we have quietly improved healthcare throughout Prince George’s County by addressing the County’s need for primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Children’s National Medical System, Kaiser Permanente, and FutureCare are all building and expanding major operations in Prince George’s County. MedStar Southern Maryland, Fort Washington Medical Center, and Doctor’s Community Hospital have undertaken increased investment and expansion. And certainly the merger of the University of Maryland Medical System and Dimensions Healthcare System in the past year has helped to improve quality and service at the Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly, the Bowie Healthcare Campus, and Laurel Regional Hospital.

The quality of life within our communities is directly linked to the quality of healthcare we can provide our residents. We have made great progress and I look forward to continued success.”

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