The campaign begins for a new Mid-Shore hospital: A chat with Shore Regional Health’s Ken Kozel 

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Raising $500 million for a new hospital would make any large urban institution think twice before launching a fundraising campaign so one can only imagine the long debates that UM Shore Regional Health’s CEO and his trustees and staff had as they stared at the most expensive capital project the region has even seen.

Building a new modern health center in 2024 dollars is an extraordinary effort, not only in assembling of funding and the state and federal level, but asking dozens of Mid-Shore residents for multi-million dollar commitments to cover the balance needed of approximately $50 million.

But that is exactly what UM Shore Regional Health is in the process of doing. And with the same careful design planning that was so critical in winning over Annapolis decisionmakers earlier this year in approving the project.

The process of designing the new hospital involved collaboration with each department to ensure that their space was functional and efficient. Led by Chief Operating Officer LuAnn Brady and a consulting team, the design began on paper but quickly evolved into physical mock-ups of patient rooms and operating spaces.

This hands-on approach helped the staff visualize and refine the layout. Additionally, the project is focused on attracting medical professionals to the community and integrating green technology like geothermal energy. Supported by key partners and the University of Maryland system, the initiative promises a state-of-the-art facility for the region.

This is the second of a two-part series on the new hospital.  Last month, Ken discussed how he and his team finally won state approval after 15 years of advocacy. It can be viewed here.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For information about UM Regional Shore Health, please go here.

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