HKS Architects to Design New Regional Medical Center on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

EASTON, MD – HKS, Inc. has been selected to design a new regional medical center in Easton, Md. for Shore Health System, a member of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).

The Shore Health System Regional Medical Center, which will replace the System’s 100-year-old Memorial Hospital at Easton, is expected to be a 410,000-square-foot regional medical center featuring private patient rooms, an emergency department, and imaging and operating suites designed for inpatient and outpatient services. The medical center will also include an ambulatory clinic pavilion attached to the hospital.

“On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, a delicate balance exists between the charming communities of the region and the ever-changing lands of the Chesapeake Bay area,” said Shannon Kraus, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, associate principal and healthcare practice leader with HKS, Inc. “Building on this idea, the regional medical center will be designed to respect the community’s way of life and the nature surrounding the 287-acre site, while also making a step forward in healthcare facilities.” The hospital’s design motto is “Community on the Shore.”

“Internally, the new regional medical center will increase efficiency as well as patient and staff safety, and will include features such as all private patient rooms and a state-of-the-art surgical center,” Kraus added. “Externally, the project will be situated to protect and complement the surrounding environment while maximizing healing views of nature and enhancing the patient and visitor experience, including wayfinding.”

The medical center will incorporate best practices for sustainability, aiming at achieving LEED Platinum certification for its environmentally responsible design and operations.

Shore Health System is a regional healthcare network serving Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. The System’s healthcare facilities include The Memorial Hospital at Easton (established 1907) and Dorchester General Hospital in Cambridge (established 1898), which merged in 1996 to form Shore Health System. In 2006, Shore Health System became part of the University of Maryland Medical System.

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a private, not-for-profit network of 12 academic, community and specialty hospitals throughout Maryland. As the third largest private employer in the Baltimore metro area, the University of Maryland Medical System generates nearly $3.5 billion in economic activity in Maryland and has $2.5 billion of annual operating revenues. UMMS employs 15,000 people, has more than 2,300 licensed beds and more than 115,000 annual patient admissions, which is more admissions in Maryland than any other healthcare provider.

HKS, ranked among the nation’s top healthcare architectural firms by Modern Healthcare, understands and embraces holistic healthcare. The firm’s celebrated healthcare architecture experience includes 1,260 unique projects garnering more than 140 design awards. Founded in 1939 and operating from 23 offices worldwide, the firm focuses on innovative design, process and delivery. For more information, visit www.hksinc.com.

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Posted February 7, 2011

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