This article originally appeared on MoCoShow.com.
Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center (WOMC) is boosting its ability to care for the growing healthcare needs of the community with the opening of a new unit on the hospital’s eighth floor. The 20,620 square-foot unit includes 30 beds to accommodate patients from the emergency department and patients undergoing medical or surgical procedures.
“The need for medically necessary services has been consistently higher than our inpatient capacity since White Oak Medical Center opened in 2019,” said Anthony Stahl, president, White Oak Medical Center. “This addition allows us to streamline patient flow by moving patients more quickly from the emergency department to inpatient units to receive the specialized care they require.”
The hospital also converted existing rooms on its seventh floor to create a larger, 34-bed intermediate care unit. This unit is designed to provide specialized care for patients with a higher acuity of need for medical monitoring and treatment.
Per Adventist Healthcare: White Oak Medical Center serves patients from Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and throughout the region. As the population of these areas continues to grow, the hospital’s ability to care for more patients will help address increasing demand for medically necessary healthcare services.
“The opening of this new unit is an important step in the long-term plans for the robust growth of White Oak Medical Center and the other acute care facilities within the Adventist HealthCare system,” said John Sackett, Adventist HealthCare President and CEO. “Adding capacity at White Oak Medical Center aligns with Adventist HealthCare’s mission to extend God’s care through the mission of physical, mental and spiritual healing to the patients we serve at our acute and non-acute facilities.”
Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, a $400 million, state-of-the-art facility, opened in August 2019. Anticipating future growth, the hospital constructed the shell of the eighth floor in 2020, paving the way for this latest expansion. The opening of the new unit also strengthens the workforce in the community by adding full- and part-time positions in nursing, clinical roles and support services, further enhancing local employment opportunities.
Construction of the new unit began in spring 2023, after the hospital received regulatory approval to proceed. The unit was designed by Wilmot Sanz, a leading architecture firm specializing in healthcare. Construction was overseen by Hoar Construction, a national and local provider of construction management, general contracting, pre-construction, design/build and program management services.
