Howard County announces $5 million for expansion at Johns Hopkins Medical Center
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced Wednesday a $5 million investment for a new observation unit at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center (HCMC) in his upcoming fiscal year 2026 operating budget.
The investment is the second installment of Ball's pledged $15 million over three years for the facility, which has maintained the same 230-bed capacity since 2009.
"This investment is aimed at revolutionizing our hospital to meet the needs of our community," Ball said. "Funding will support the transformation of the pavilion building's first floor into a 29-bed observation unit, a strategic enhancement that will substantially reduce wait times for patients, optimizing care and efficiency."
HCMC received its first $5 million installment in fiscal year 2025, with $500,000 allocated for design and the remainder for construction and IT needs. The total project cost is estimated at $28 million, with the hospital currently seeking the additional $13 million required for completion.
Howard County leaders seek to improve hospital wait times
A state board found that the average wait time at Maryland emergency rooms was around eight hours.
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Howard County's only hospital, said last March it was expanding its capacity to help address the issue.
Dr. Shafeeq Ahmed, the hospital's president, said the hospital capacity was a major contributor to the hospital's wait times.
Some people told WJZ they avoid the hospital because of the extended waits.
For HCMC, average wait times can be around 13 hours, according to the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission.
Howard County celebrates new behavioral health unit
Last November, HCMC celebrated the addition of a new behavioral health unit, tripling the facility's capacity for behavioral health patients.
A work group convened by the Maryland Hospital Association found lacking hospital capacity, a lack of community healthcare options, and an ongoing behavioral health crisis contributed to long ER wait times.
The expansion grew the behavioral health unit from 1,500 square feet to 7,000 square feet.
