Photo by Marketa Ebert. County Executive Jack B. Johnson, left, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Phil Down, President/CEO of Doctors Community Hospital and Dr. Brian Bayly, President of DCH Medical staff cut the ribbon to the new patient tower and Emergency Center expansion.

Published on: Wednesday, September 16, 2009

By Brian Hooks

Politicians, physicians and investors gathered on the top floor of a new six-story patient tower at Doctors Community Hospital in Lanham Wednesday to cut the ribbon of the $85 million state-of-the-art facility. The project has been in construction for two years and will add 90 private rooms to the hospital when it is open for use Sept. 21.

“Doctors Community Hospital is on the tip of the spear in terms of innovation,” said Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who, along with County Executive Jack B. Johnson and hospital President Philip Down, spoke at the gathering. Brown was impressed by the structure’s combination of technology and practicality, notably GetWellNetwork, an interactive, in-room resource for patients, families and caretakers.

“Today is a very big step for this hospital,” said Johnson. “It is very fitting that we are celebrating this opening on the very same day our president is addressing the national health care issue,” referring to President Obama’s speech to Congress last Wednesday night.

Well over 100 people were in attendance for the ceremony and several physicians and politicians stayed to discuss their thoughts on the proposed health care legislation, though the event itself was not politicized.

The rooms were designed with assistance from the nursing staff, said Scott Gregerson, vice president of strategy at DCH. According to Gregerson, having the nurses familiar with the equipment and layout makes an easier transition when they begin taking patients into the facility.

Each room in the tower is linked to the GetWellNetwork. From a flat screen television mounted to the wall, patients can access prescribed medical videos, diagnoses and a caretaker rating system via the network, as well as movies and other entertainment.

DCH can also now boast brand new PET and CT scanners, and the tower will be a new home for dialysis and infusion technologies.

DCH attends to about 12,000 people annually through inpatient services and sees 60,000 emergency room visits a year, said Gregerson. Those numbers are expected to increase slightly even though the main facility has more beds, because no new rooms will be held in reserve since they are all private.

Gregerson said the main facility, which has been in operation since 1975, will be renovated to change every room into a fully private unit like those in the tower. A 400-space parking garage was also finished in anticipation of increased service.

The funding for the facilities came mostly from statewide bonds, which typically take 20 to 30 years to pay off. Gregerson said the GetWellNetwork deal is designed to pay for itself over time through entertainment sales such movie rentals.