The enhanced emergency and critical care spaces at the Rockville hospital are an investment years in the making and a powerful symbol of modern, compassionate and community-centered healthcare for Montgomery County.
At a ribbon-cutting on June 5, hospital leaders, physicians, nurses, community partners and donors gathered to formally open the long-anticipated six-story building, designed to elevate both the patient and caregiver experience. The ribbon-cutting event celebrated not only the completion of major enhancements to the hospital campus, but the realization of a vision: to deliver next-level care in spaces shaped by evidence, innovation and the voices of those who give and receive care every day.
“Behind us is more than steel and glass. The Horizon Tower represents years of planning, partnership and dedication, all centered around one goal: caring for this community for generations to come," said Dan Cochran, president of Shady Grove Medical Center, at the ceremony.
More than an architectural addition, the new tower represents a shift in how care is delivered. It brings advanced medical services closer together in a setting designed to reduce stress, support healing and foster connection. Every major design decision, from private rooms to gardens and light-filled corridors, reflects a century-long hallmark of the Adventist HealthCare system: Patients and caregivers do better in spaces that care for the whole person.
Designed for Privacy, Comfort and Healing
One of the most noticeable features of the new tower is its emphasis on privacy and quiet. Unlike older hospital designs that relied on shared patient rooms and curtained bays, the tower features all private, single-occupancy inpatient rooms, enhancing dignity, rest and infection control. Even in high-acuity areas like the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), doors and thoughtful sound-reducing materials help minimize noise while allowing caregivers to stay closely connected to patients.
Research shows that excessive sound and lack of privacy can disrupt sleep and slow healing. The new tower addresses those challenges head-on, creating an atmosphere that feels calmer and more personal, even during medical emergencies. For patients and families, that environment can make a difficult experience feel more humane and manageable.
A New Era for Emergency and Critical Care
At the heart of the tower is a modernized Emergency Department (ED), the first significant renovation to emergency services at Shady Grove Medical Center in more than two decades. With more spacious treatment rooms, walls replacing curtains, and dedicated areas for mental health emergencies, the new ED is designed to improve both patient outcomes and caregiver efficiency.
Critical care services such as cardiac catheterization labs, interventional radiology and the Intensive Care Unit have been relocated into the tower, creating closer connections between emergency and inpatient care. That proximity allows patients to receive faster, more seamless treatment when every second matters, particularly for conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
Shady Grove’s specialized services also benefit from the tower’s enhanced privacy and security features. That includes Montgomery County’s only Forensic Medical Unit, which serves victims of abuse and human trafficking. For patients who are especially vulnerable, the Horizon Tower’s design offers a safer, more discreet environment for care and recovery.
Nature as Medicine
Throughout the tower, nature plays a critical role and supports the healing process. Expansive windows bring in natural light and offer views of carefully preserved trees and landscaped surroundings. Inside, high-resolution nature imagery and calming color palettes reflect the restorative power of the outdoors.
A 20,000-square-foot green roof adds another layer of serenity, helping manage stormwater while offering a soothing visual backdrop for patients, including new parents in the hospital’s Birth Center. Outdoor spaces also include a unique ICU family garden that gives loved ones a place to step outside, breathe and regroup without leaving the care environment.
For families facing long, stressful hours, the garden and the Horizon Tower’s other green spaces provide an opportunity to rest, reflect and find comfort. The design acknowledges the emotional toll of critical illness and how every sense can help support families through some of the hardest moments of their lives, noted Todd Cohen, Adventist HealthCare’s Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate.
“Access to nature, even for a few moments, can have a powerful impact on mental and physical well-being,” he said.
Listening to Caregivers
The tower is also a testament to the voices of nurses, physicians and other team members who helped shape its design. The building is one of the first hospital spaces in the U.S. designed with learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, much of the building’s planning took place virtually, during the height of the pandemic. Caregivers shared their experiences with designers, highlighting what was needed most to provide safe, high-quality care.
“As we planned a new ICU for Shady Grove Medical Center, we asked: What did the pandemic teach us about how to care for patients, families and each other? The answer shaped many of our decisions,” said Safy John, MD, medical director of the ICU at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center.
Caregiver input led to light-filled break spaces, many with views of gardens or the surrounding campus, offering respite during long shifts. Larger patient rooms, improved lines of sight and dedicated storage
for personal protective equipment reflect lessons from the pandemic and a commitment to supporting the well-being of care teams
By prioritizing caregiver wellness, the tower recognizes a fundamental truth of healthcare: when care teams feel supported, patients receive better care.
Innovation Rooted in Purpose
One of the tower’s most visible features is its illuminated light column, a striking architectural element that blends modern design with historic touches from earlier buildings on the Shady Grove Medical Center campus. Inside, thousands of adjustable LED lights will change colors for holidays and health recognition events.
The tower also includes an expanded ambulance bay for improved emergency access, a rooftop helipad to support rapid transport for critically ill patients, and infrastructure that can adapt to future healthcare challenges, including infectious disease response.
“Across Adventist HealthCare, our goal is to ensure our hospitals and care sites continue to grow alongside the communities we serve. The Horizon Tower reflects our commitment to invest in modern spaces, advanced technology and environments that support both our patients and caregivers,” John Sackett, Adventist HealthCare CEO.
A Community Investment in the Future
As the ribbon-cutting ceremony concluded, attendees toured the tower, taking in the sweeping views, thoughtful details and advanced technology that define the space. For many guests, especially Shady Grove’s caregivers and former patients, seeing the completed tower was a powerful reminder that healthcare is not just about medicine. It is about people, relationships and environments that foster trust and healing.
The opening of the new patient tower marks a milestone for Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center and the community it serves. But leaders emphasized that it is also a new beginning on the hospital’s years-long journey to reach new heights. They see the tower as a platform for quality innovations, expanded collaboration, and compassionate care for generations to come.
In mid-June, as patients entered rooms and caregivers brought the building to life, the true measure of the Horizon Tower’s success could start to be counted, in the first of many restful nights and lives changed for the better.
Explore more of features of the Horizon Tower and hear from care teams about its significance.
