Published on August 07, 2007

Emergency Center in Germantown Treats More, Sicker Patients than Anticipated During First Year

Rockville , MD - It has been one year since the Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center at Germantown treated its first patient and after only 12 months, the facility has provided emergency medical care to 22,000 patients - 5,000 more than originally anticipated.  These patients have presented with a variety of medical conditions, ranging from broken bones to serious cardiac conditions.

In 2007, the Emergency Center is expected to provide care to more than 27,000 patients.  That number may increase to more than 30,000 in 2008.

"A number of factors including of a rapidly growing community, severe traffic congestion and a significant distance between Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and next closest hospital to the north were creating barriers to care for residents of upper Montgomery County.  Over the past year, we have seen that the Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center at Germantown has increased access to emergency medical care for residents of our community," said Dennis Hansen, President of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.  "We are pleased to see that this model is working for the upper Montgomery County community."

After several years of important efforts by hospital leaders, members of the community and elected officials to increase access to emergency medical care for residents of upper Montgomery County, the Maryland General Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation to open the Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center in Germantown in the spring of 2005.  Construction on the building's interior began immediately.  The facility opened for patient care on August 7, 2006.

The Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center at Germantown functions similarly to the hospital's main Emergency Department, but does not have inpatient beds.  The Emergency Center is staffed 24 hours/day by nurses and physicians with the same qualifications, training and experience as those who work at Shady Grove's main Emergency Department (ED).  All Emergency Center staff is trained in Shady Grove's ED and about half of the Emergency Center's staff spends part of their time working at the hospital.  About eight percent of patients treated at the Emergency Center over the past year were admitted to a hospital for inpatient care.  The volume at Shady Grove's ED has decreased since the Emergency Center opened in Germantown, alleviating some of the pressure on one of the state's busiest ED's.

"Over the past year, we have treated a full array of cases, including stab wounds, head injuries and chest pain.  Our board-certified physicians and nurses are experienced in emergency medical care and can treat anything that comes our way," notes Becky Vasse, Director of Emergency Services for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and the Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center at Germantown.  "Without the Emergency Center, some of these very ill patients would have had to travel much longer distances to receive the care that they needed."

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital , is a not-for-profit, acute care facility with 275 licensed beds that is located in Rockville, Maryland.  Shady Grove is committed to delivering excellent health care through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.  The hospital offers a broad range of health services and is recognized for excellence in emergency care; high-risk obstetrical and neonatal care; cardiac and vascular interventional care; as well as a broad range of surgical specialties.  Also, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital for Children, which is located within Shady Grove Adventist Hospital encompasses a broad range of specialized services for children, including the first Pediatric Emergency Department in Montgomery County and the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the county.  The Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center in Germantown opened in 2006 and is providing increased access to emergency medical care for upcounty residents.  Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is part of Rockville, Maryland-based Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery system that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland.