Tuesday, April 17, 2007

washington adventist is coming Up The Pike

BUT FIRST: Thoughts on the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

With the announcement that Washington Adventist Hospital has purchased land for a new hospital in Calverton, East County is one step closer to becoming a major player in the MoCo universe.

The current, century-old facility located in Takoma Park is "difficult to access," according to the press release, and "unable to provide physicians and nurses with the offices and facilities they need," which led to a multi-year study to find a new location in the White Oak area. With their new forty-eight-acre property at Cherry Hill Road and Plum Orchard Drive, Adventist HealthCare hopes to "improve the region’s capacity to handle major medical emergencies and other public health-care crises."

And the expansion couldn't come at a better time. With talk of a hospital shutdown affecting a number of Prince George's County hospitals, other area hospitals will become increasingly strapped for room. While the move from Takoma Park will certainly disenfranchise the inside-the-Beltway population - especially in Langley Park, where the majority of residents do not drive - the new location has Washington Adventist poised to serve people throughout Central Maryland, not just communities along the County line.

The new location will already be near the FDA headquarters on New Hampshire Avenue; Riderwood Village, the ridiculously over-sized retirement community across Cherry Hill Road; the future East County Science and Tech Center; and numerous other medical establishments. Talk about a hub of activity!

Well, the next time that I find myself needing to go to the hospital, I look forward to doing so at Washington Adventist Hospital. It will always hold a special place in my heart, and moving within half-mile of my house will keep it there forever.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if the site is in the "LifeSci Village" development on the Percontee property or along Plum Orchard Drive which was proposed for the Oakridge Corporate Center office complex?

Those are the only two properties in the area that could support the hospital. This will cement White Oak (and the area needs a unified identity instead of Calverton/Fairland/White Oak/East County) as a major player in the science/biotech/medical industry. It also allows Adventist to move closer to wealthier patient bases in the East County and Howard County, which should permanently buffer the facility from any of the recent financial troubles associated in the local hospital industry. And White Oak Adventist will finally escape the Takoma Park NIMBYs for good.

Anonymous said...

This move is to move away from Prince Georges patients and towards Howard County patients. The new location is awfully close to Laurel Hospital.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

This move is to move away from Prince Georges patients and towards Howard County patients. The new location is awfully close to Laurel Hospital.

4/18/2007 12:34 PM

RE: Put down the crack pipe because your speaking jibberish....