The University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) is spreading its roots with a new medical facility design to bring health, the community and nature a little bit closer together. Stemming from a desire to introduce a new facility that supports the health and wellness of its residents while also being flexible enough to support the region’s own growth and needs, the facility at Aberdeen, Maryland will consist of three main projects.
A Healing Environment in all Capacities
The first project is a new pavilion that will include inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services. The inpatient care unit will be designed like a neighborhood, with self-contained residential-like areas opening into a central courtyard rife with evidence-based, biophilic design. The pavilion will also offer a comprehensive continuum of care for behavioral health patients, in line with the medical center’s goal of transforming care across the region with greater access to services. Simultaneously, it will serve the community’s general acute care needs.
The second part of the project comes in the form of a 70,000-square-foot medical facility that will contain an emergency department, triage and treatment rooms, as well as behavioral health crisis and observation beds. Specialty services, such as diagnostics and imaging areas, are also planned. The design of the overall structure makes it more adaptable to better respond to different patient and medical needs in the coming years. For example, the behavioral health crisis center has been designed as a negative pressure area with the ability to function as a stand-alone unit. Touchless technology, solid surface materials, and antimicrobial finishes are also incorporated into the design throughout the new campus.
Lastly, the new Aberdeen campus will include a 75,000-square-foot medical office building (MOB). It will offer primary care, outpatient care, as well as medical and surgical specialties. A covered walkway connecting the MOB and freestanding medical facility supports the continuum of care from inpatient to outpatient services.
Another version of this article previously appeared in Healthcare Design.
