News

When Mohan Suntha takes over as president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System Dec. 1, he will be moving from a role focused mostly on Baltimore to one with a statewide mission. Suntha’s mission will be to take what he has learned from the University of Maryland Medical Center and turn it outward toward a system that encompasses 13 hospitals, more than $4 billion in revenue and 28,000 employees.

Maryland hospital systems have been growing for years, with some small systems joining larger systems, small hospitals joining systems and other hospitals remaining proudly independent. It comes as no surprise that most systems are happy with where they stand as consolidation has continued in the state, believing they have found the right formula to treat patients with the best care at the right price. Most Maryland hospitals are now a part of some sort of health system.

Maryland hospitals continue to outpace the nation in reducing admissions, readmissions and deaths. But the Maryland Hospital Association says more help is needed from outside the state's hospitals for the trends to continue. A new report, compiled by Maryland Hospital Association (MHA), shows the progress the state's hospitals have made in meeting the goals of its pilot hospital budgeting model since 2013.

For Sheryl Calhoun and Sarah Thoburn, the one constant of their work is that every shift will be varied and unpredictable. That’s one of the reasons they both love working as nurses in the Emergency Department at Meritus Medical Center. This week is Emergency Nurses’ Week, a time to recognize the skilled nurses who are part of the medical team treating emergency cases at Meritus.

The city of Baltimore and 10 local hospitals, including Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland Medical Center, are partnering to provide housing and services for 200 people and families, a program they hope will be a model for ending homelessness.