The University of Maryland Laurel Regional Hospital is seeking approval from state regulators to invest $50 million to upgrade its aging medical facilities.
A filing with the Maryland Health Care Commission details plans to convert the hospital and construct a replacement freestanding medical facility, to be called UM Laurel Medical Center. A free-standing medical facility offers fewer medical services, including less inpatient care, than a full-service hospital. The new one in Laurel would offer services including 24-hour emergency care, short-stay overnight care, outpatient surgery and outpatient behavioral health services.
Currently, the Laurel hospital also offers primary care services, women’s health, a lung health program, chronic pain management and a wound care center. Some existing medical services will be transferred to another nearby hospital. The new medical facility would be located on the southwestern portion of the existing hospital campus, at the intersection of Van Dusen and Contee roads.
Subject to regulatory approval, construction of the new UM Laurel Medical Center is expected to be completed in spring 2021. Plans for an major capital investment or building project at a state-based hospital must be cleared by the commission before proceeding.