Atlantic General Hospital The Strength of Community
Celebrating 25 Years!
Photo courtesy of Inside Ocean City by Next Wave Studios
Atlantic General Hospital The Strength of Community
Contributing authors: Michael Franklin, Toni Keiser & Sandy Phillips
Library of Congress Catalog Number Pending ISBN: 978-1-5323-1547-3 First Edition
Atlantic General Hospital The Strength of Community
Atlantic General Hospital - The Strength of Community is a historical account of events that led to the creation of the hospital. Some images shown are from private collections and are used with permission. Atlantic General Hospital - The Strength of Community is protected under trademark registration. No portion, in whole or part, of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means; electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2017 Š, Grand Living Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in China. Content in Atlantic General Hospital - The Strength of Community is intended to provide information only. While the hospital makes every effort to ensure that all information presented is correct, we do not make any representations or warranties as to claims made by those people interviewed for this publication. Neither Grand Living Magazine, LLC or its staff are responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the publisher.
Photo courtesy of Inside Ocean City
“Our vision is to be the leader in caring for people, and advancing health for residents and visitors in our community. It is our mission to create a coordinated care delivery system that will provide access to quality care, personalized service and education, to improve both individual and community health. We accomplish our mission through a set of values that are honored in all that we do for our patients, visitors, medical staff, associates, partners and volunteers.�
The Esham Farm, circa 1950, the future site of Atlantic General Hospital.
The Need Birth: a new life that is full of possibilities. It is fitting that a new hospital would begin Day One with birth, and not just an average delivery, but the arrival of twins! In several cultures, the birth of twins foretells of good fortune and prosperity. Legend would play out in this instance, and many good things would follow for the new Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin. The first patient in the door on the morning of May 21, 1993, was one of the building construction workers who hurt himself the day before. He helped bring the hospital to life and wanted his medical care provided by the institution he helped erect. The next patient to arrive via transport, almost simultaneously, was a 59-year-old resident of Berlin, complaining of chest pain. The emergency department would see 37 patients that first day. Three of them, including the first man to arrive via transport, would be among the first patients admitted to the new hospital. Hundreds of thousands would utilize the facility in the years that followed; however, this story begins decades before in a tiny beach community that would swell to become a major resort town. By the late 1800s, the sleepy beach town of Ocean City, Maryland, was already beginning to grow during the summer months. Politicians and businesspeople from the metropolitan areas of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and their families would vacation there. As the number of vacationers grew, so did the economic opportunities, drawing even more people to the area. By the early 1900s, the population of the nearby town of Berlin also began to expand and included more year-round residents. In the late 1940s, the towns of Ocean City and Berlin shared only one physician, Dr. Frank Townsend, who was called home during World War II to Atlantic General Hospital
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Photo courtesy of David Cropper
Philanthropist Irvin Bainum (1923-1999). Bainum and his brother-in-law, Dennis Nooner, donated 7.5 acres of land to build the Atlantic General Hospital.
care for the people of the Lower Shore. Dr. Townsend saw residents of both communities and the visitors who needed medical attention while on vacation. He tended to most patients in their homes and often was paid for his services with some form of barter. “Dr. Frank,� as many called him, was a family practitioner, and he knew most of the local families personally. If patients needed to see a specialist or required advanced treatment, they would travel to the city of Salisbury, about 30 miles to the west of Ocean City, to the closest hospital. The area hearse would double as an ambulance if the patient needed to be transported to the hospital in Salisbury. Local hotelier, G. Hale Harrison, recognized the growing need for medical care. Harrison, along with a group of concerned citizens, met on a regular basis at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin to begin raising money for the Worcester Memorial Hospital right after World War II. Harrison planned to build the facility on his family’s apple orchard on U.S. Route 113, just outside of the Berlin town limits. While his efforts raised a lot of money, they were not sufficient to build a hospital at the time. In the 1980s, momentum picked up again as Irvin Bainum, a plumber who had relocated to the area from Arkansas, and his friend Dennis Nooner, worked to move the plans for a hospital forward. They applied for a certificate of need with the State of Maryland in 1984, but despite their efforts, it seemed that the timing was still not quite right for their endeavor. The powers in the state offices felt that Peninsula General Hospital, although 30 miles away, would be able to service the entire area. By then, Ocean City had begun to boom. The community experienced rapid growth during the 1980s, and the population would swell due to the hundreds of thousands of visitors a week during the busy summer season. This tourist surge from May to August was quite taxing the existing health care providers. With the increased number of medical emergencies, surf-related accidents, Atlantic General Hospital
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Photo Courtesy of Bunk Mann
Hunter Mann Jr. M.D. (far left) and his partner Frank Townsend, M.D.(far right), and their medical staff. Circa 1976. Frank Townsend M.D.
and typical health problems during the summer, the need for additional healthcare services became more urgent. Local attorney Joseph Moore said he vividly recalls the night his good friend, well-known area Realtor Jim Caine, suffered a heart attack. "The ambulance driver told me that if they can just make it to Willards, they can likely save his life,” Moore said. The ride from the beach to Peninsula General Hospital, in Salisbury, took at least 40 minutes, and many locals would use the town of Willards as a marker. If patients could survive to that juncture, Moore said that they had “pretty good” odds they would make it the additional 15-20 minutes of the transport. Caine was fortunate, but many lives were lost during the ride to Salisbury. A brush with the potential loss of his close friend inspired Mr. Moore to work even harder for the needed hospital. His law firm became more involved with Bainum in the quest. Bainum was willing to donate land that once housed the Esham Dairy — his grandfather's farm. Bainum also had two sons in medical school. He envisioned they would be a part of the initial medical staff, and they would build from there. Now, they just needed the money to erect the building, right? The battle was just beginning. It would take another decade and the persistence of a community to bring a hospital to Worcester County. As the 1980s came to a close, the town of Ocean City asked Peninsula General Hospital, to build a facility within the town limits to respond to the need for medical care. The city offered to subsidize the endeavor, but alas, Peninsula General Hospital also failed to see the need. Frustration grew among the residents of Berlin and Ocean City, who desperately needed a hospital. They decided they would have to take matters into their own hands. Atlantic General Hospital
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Barbara Derrickson, James Ryan Bergey, Jr., Frank Townsend Jr. M.D., Jim Almand, William Sturgis.
Taking Control To help form a strong coalition, community leaders were invited to join a board of directors. The group commissioned a Price Waterhouse public opinion survey to prove that a new hospital was needed. Community leaders also made repeated visits to the 38th Delegation and then Governor William Donald Schaefer’s office in Annapolis to secure the state’s support for a hospital. While Linda Pohuski, the project manager for the future Worcester Memorial Hospital, was reaching out to local restaurateur and Blue Cross Blue Shield board member, Shirley Phillips, Worcester County Commissioner James G. Barrett visited with Dr. Mort Rappaport at the University of Maryland Medical Center. No resource was left untapped. Dr. Rappaport understood the challenge the community faced and was able to offer direction and suggestions with regards to the regulatory hurdles that would lie ahead. In 1985, Dr. Rappaport and a group led by Pohuski and Ann Bergey traveled by bus to see Governor Schaefer to seek support for the endeavor. Dr. Rappaport also connected the group with Samuel Moskowitz, the Assistant Vice President and Director of Strategic Program Development at University of Maryland Medical Center at the time. Moskowitz was Dr. Rappaport’s “right-hand man,” and he had experience building hospitals. With the help of Delegate Mark Pilchard and Governor Schaefer, a three-way private/public partnership between the State of Maryland, Worcester County government and the local community was negotiated. The partnership required each of the three partners to contribute $5 million to fund the $15 million construction of the new hospital. To match the $5 million grant by the Worcester County commissioners and four state grants totaling $5 million, the hospital board of directors conducted the most successful fundraising effort ever accomplished in the community. Atlantic General Hospital
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Photo courtesy of Dennis Dare
Ocean City, Maryland, circa 1980.
The town of Ocean City pledged $2.5 million in February 1990. By March of the same year, Dr. Frank J. Townsend Jr. and Bainum, with the support of volunteers who gave thousands of hours of their time, raised over $4 million from more than 2,000 donors. Soon, the plans for the hospital were being made with the assistance and counsel from the University of Maryland Medical System, guided by Moskowitz. Hoteliers Hale Harrison and Adam Showell, Jay Bergey, CPA, and Jim Almand, Esq., selflessly gave their time and talent through the formative years. Roland "Fish" Powell, Mayor of Ocean City; Senator Jim Mathias, then a city councilman for Ocean City; James Barrett; and Maryland State Delegates Norman Conway, Bennett Bozman and Mark Pilchard all worked tirelessly toward their community’s goal. Everyone involved was a vital part of the plan. The original certificate of need that Bainum applied for was rejected because the proposal was to build a for-profit hospital. By the 1980s, Maryland would no longer construct for-profit hospitals. Having identified that as one of the major obstacles, the team submitted a new certificate of need in the late 1980s, this time requesting a not-for-profit status. While the State of Maryland and the Maryland Health Resources Planning Commission considered the application, they still did not think that the area was under-served. Yet, before Atlantic General Hospital opened, there were only six doctors to serve all of Worcester County. In 1988, the second certificate of need application was filed for a new hospital, including a 7.4-acre gift of land donated by Bainum and Nooner to build a medical facility. This time, the Worcester County commissioners established a not-for-profit corporation known as the Worcester Memorial Hospital Corp. This corporation would evolve in May 1992 into the Atlantic General Hospital Corp. Its mission would be to care for and improve the health of the community. Atlantic General Hospital
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Guerrieri family presenting a donation.
Support and momentum for the project grew. Community leaders, such as Mathias and Powell, vocalized their support for a new hospital. Both politicians were active members of the Ocean City Fire Department. They rode on many of those long ambulance calls and knew the 40-plus-minute ride to Salisbury cost lives and drained critical resources from their communities. The concern was real, and they knew the hospital had to be built. Pohuski coordinated the initial community outreach, which included fundraisers and public relations. The efforts were expensive, and Bainum , in addition to donating the land for the hospital, carried the cost, totaling more than $1.5 million in the initial months. Barrett secured $50,000 from the Worcester County Emergency Fund to pay the staff and additional expenses. Many area businesspeople gave their time and skills, and from their pockets. It was not uncommon for people to carry blank checks in their wallets and take them out and fill them in for whatever expenses needed to be covered that day. Large checks would be quietly slipped to board members with the caveat, "Don't tell my wife!" It was all for the greater good of the community. But, along with the growing support came stronger opposition. While fundraising was underway, battles were brewing in the courtroom. This required many trips to meet with review committees and attend hearings on need, finances and more. Some were convinced that Peninsula General Hospital alone could continue to serve the growing coastal community and that state and local funds should be used for the continued development of that facility. One grueling courtroom episode lasted more than five hours when Conway battled with the Governor, who wanted to pull the state’s $5 million commitment off the table and allocate those funds elsewhere.
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Front Row L/R: Maryland House Secretary; Senator Mike Miller, Senate President, Governor William Donald Schaefer; House Speaker Clayton Mitchell. Second Row L/R: Barbara Derrickson, Julie Pendleton, Lewis Riley, Frank Townsend Jr. M.D., Linda Pohuski, Delegate Bennett Bozman, Delegate Norm Conway, Ron Birely, Shirley Pilchard, and Delegate Robert Cordry
The opposition was aggressive. “Lines were crossed,” said James R. “J” Bergey Jr., who sat on the first board of directors. Forward movement was threatened many times. In the 11th hour, one man's conscience persuaded him to pick up the phone and let the board know its plans were being sabotaged. Legal and financial counsel sprang into action to quell the negative influence. Many people endured countless sleepless nights as the struggles to build a hospital continued. Board members were well counseled, using the firm Fulbright & Jaworski, the same firm that prosecuted Watergate, and the hospital leaders emerged victorious. The Worcester Memorial Hospital Corp. caught a break in 1991 when Maryland law was changed, so that any county in the state without a hospital that presented a viable financial plan, could not be denied by the Maryland Health Resources Planning Commission. The board of directors and local elected officials moved quickly. Using a network of alliances throughout the state, they were able to secure approval to build a hospital. Governor Schaefer signed the bill granting state funding on May 24, 1991. There was finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
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Frank Townsend Jr. M.D., Nancy Lynch, James “Jim” Barrett, and Bill Donatelli.
The Drive Positive forces within the community kept moving forward despite certain challenges. Sue Moore and Dan Harris served as the first co-chairs of the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation, the formal fundraising arm of the hospital. Their first endeavor was a social event at the Merry Sherwood Plantation in Berlin called "An Afternoon on the Verandah." There were approximately 500 people in attendance, which elated Moore and Harris. The community phase of fundraising was off to an excellent start. With a goal of $5 million, the Foundation continued weekly meetings and recruited more local businesspeople and other influential community members. In the spring of 1990, the community campaign kicked off at the Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City to open “A New Chapter in Health Care.” Nancy Lynch formed the "Friends of Atlantic General Hospital," which held many smaller fundraisers throughout the area, each contributing to the overall goal. There were automobile raffles, breakfasts, dinners, and black-tie social events. The hospital’s first employee, Julie Pendleton, said: “Every time I turned around, someone was on the phone wanting to hold a fundraiser for the hospital. It was just so heartwarming. I can’t even begin to explain the feeling that the people here had. It was just wonderful.” Senator Lewis Riley and Conway of the 38th Legislative District would present testimony to members of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on House Bill 578 and Senate Bill 409 for the creation of Atlantic General Hospital. If this bill passed, it would provide the much-needed funding for the 62-bed hospital in Berlin. Atlantic General Hospital
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"I always knew the hospital would be a success!" - Hale Harrison, CEO, Harrison Group
Fruition A large crowd gathered on the morning of October 29, 1991, to share in the excitement of the ground-breaking ceremony. Community leaders and residents who had worked diligently toward a common goal reveled as the shovels broke ground. Under the construction supervision of the Robbins Corp. and management direction of William Donatelli, Atlantic General Hospital’s first CEO and representative of Quorum Health Resources, the building was now underway. Construction would take almost two years, yielding a facility that hosted the latest technology. The new hospital was completed six weeks ahead of schedule and below budget at a cost of $125 per square foot. The $27 million building was 75,000 square feet, more than 90 percent of which was built by local subcontractors. It housed approximately $5.5 million in equipment. Atlantic General was also one of the first hospitals in Maryland to offer all private rooms, a new concept at the time and reflective of the innovative team that created it. On May 20, 1993, the night before the hospital opened, board members and volunteers unloaded mattresses, chairs, and other equipment. Someone had to do it. Why not those who had been involved since the very beginning? Just hours from opening the doors to a much-needed medical facility, decades of perseverance, toil and frustration would give way to the sheer elation of success.
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The proclamation; Opening Day, May 21, 1993, with Bill Donatelli, first president and CEO, Jim Almand, and Louis L. Goldstein, M.D., State Comptroller.
The Inaugural Day The morning of May 21, 1993, found two local doctors, Dr. Stephen Waters and Dr. William Greer, now staff physicians, manning the emergency room. They were just two of 39 doctors and 150 employees on staff that day. Dr. Waters vividly remembers the arrival of an expectant mother with twins. Neither he nor Dr. Greer had delivered a baby at that point in their medical careers. The hospital did not have a maternity unit and was not set up for labor and delivery outside of an emergency. Dr. Waters fondly recalls the coin he and Dr. Greer tossed to see who would attend the mother. Dr. Waters himself brought the first child to be born at the new hospital into the world. It is fitting that the birth of the new hospital and the work that went into it were memorialized with the birth of a new life. The days, weeks and months ahead would be filled with challenges. But, after coming this far, each would be met with a wealth of knowledge and the resources to keep things moving. As part of the bond arrangement that helped open the hospital, a hospital management company was hired to oversee the day-to-day operations and financial matters. However, the management company, Quorum, which was headquartered in an urban setting, did not understand the needs of the Eastern Shore community. Concerns arose that Quorum was not committed to the overall success of the hospital. On top of that, a few community naysayers continued rumors that the hospital would close its doors within the first year. On the contrary, the hospital was a ‘mad house’ that first summer because of the bustling resort nearby, according to Pendleton. “It was just so very, very busy!” Atlantic General Hospital
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Photo courtesy of David Mark Hall Photography
Orthopedists Philip J. Spinuzza, D.O., Eric B. Bontempo, D.O., and Beck Thomas D.O.
Medical Staff Recruiting new physicians to the hospital was another challenge. "Because we weren't a ‘big city’ hospital, we couldn't offer large salaries. Our selling point was the beach lifestyle," said Jack Burbage, who served as chairman of the hospital board of directors from 2011-14. “We would invite them here; Hale Harrison would provide a room, and we showed them the importance of a safe place to raise their kids and a more relaxed atmosphere." During the first two years of operation, the hospital brought 18 new physicians to Worcester County, including two family practitioners and a variety of specialists, such as emergency physicians. The hospital created 400 full- and part-time jobs in the county with an annual payroll of over $11 million. Another $3 million in jobs were created because of new physician office construction related to the hospital. Internist Edwin Castaneda, M.D., was the first specialty doctor to join Atlantic General Hospital. He remembers when there were just a few specialty physicians on the floor. "It was challenging at the time, but we all just worked through things and kept moving,” he said. “Bringing in new doctors, specialty physicians in particular, is key to the hospital's success." Twenty-five years later, Dr. Castaneda still practices at the hospital and says he is proud to be part of "a rural hospital that provides excellent primary, specialty and surgical care for the community, along with many other physicians and medical providers."
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"The people here are what have made this hospital a success." - Dan Harris
Culture The culture of Atlantic General reflects those who brought the hospital to life. It truly is a hospital created by a community, where the staff is treated like family. More than 25 associates have worked at the hospital since the beginning, and many more are just as passionate about Atlantic General as the founders. Atlantic General’s hospital leadership understands the road traveled and is optimistic about what the future holds for “the family.” Janet Holloway, director of laboratory administration at Atlantic General, said that one of her favorite things about being a part of the staff is “the camaraderie with a group of individuals who share a common goal — that of caring for the patient. In the end, it’s knowing what a great team we are part of and knowing how well we work together to adapt and grow. We are united, serving our community and its needs.” Just two months before the hospital opened, the AGH Auxiliary formed and established its mission: to promote the welfare of the hospital by fostering good public relations, providing service to the hospital, organizing health-related projects and conducting fundraising activities. The hospital now boasts the second-largest, single-hospital auxiliary in the state, with almost 500 members. Nearly 400 comprised the auxiliary during that first year. Auxiliary members help in many aspects of the hospital, from filling traditional volunteer roles like patient liaison to providing input on the hospital’s committees and fundraising activities. They operate the hospital’s “We Care” program, a vital service that provides daily contact with community members living alone, which allows them to remain independent. The volunteers work in almost every hospital department and community physician office, support patient care through the volunteer retired nursing program, and manage the Atlantic General Thrift Shop, which both saves money and raises funds for Atlantic General Hospital. Atlantic General Hospital
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Penguin Swim "The hospital is one of the best economic investments, yielding a huge return for the community. We didn’t just build a hospital, we built an industry.� - Sen. Jim Mathias
Momentum Community members, such as J. Bergey, and Hale Harrison watched their “baby” carefully. Meetings continued on a regular basis with the board and the foundation. The first administrative staff hired at the hospital were carefully recruited. Anne Bergey and Kim Justice, initially hired as clinical staff, were promoted to directors. In 1995, Toni Keiser came on board to oversee public relations, and Cheryl Nottingham joined the staff in 1997 to manage the organization’s finances. These women, now Vice Presidents, continue to help guide the organization. During the first year of operation, there were 13,316 emergency room visits, which exceeded initial projections by 10 percent. Atlantic General Hospital also exceeded first-year revenue projections. All factors supported what the founders knew all along — the need for a hospital was real. More and more people who had watched for some time became involved in the hospital as they too saw the need for its continued growth. In 1992, local businessman Michael James first got involved by sponsoring a golf tournament fundraiser for the hospital. James said he was in the emergency room so often with his kids early on that it became a “standing joke ... ‘Michael’s here again!’” He valued Atlantic General’s role in the community so much that he accepted a position on the Board of Trustees and served for eight years. "The hospital is our only source for that level of medical care, and it's such a vital part of the infrastructure needed to support the busy summer season," said James, who is General Manager of the Carousel Resort Hotel and Condominiums in Ocean City. Phil Houck, owner of several restaurants in Ocean City, has become the linchpin for the hospital’s signature fundraiser — the annual Penguin Swim. The event was founded by an ER physician, Dr. Dan Carlin, in 1994. Houck has been involved since that first year. The swim took place near his business on the beach,
Bob Warfield participating in the Robert E. Warfield Memorial Fall Golf Classic.
and he got to see firsthand that it was an event truly about "good people for a good cause," he said. “I just had to be a part. I joined the Foundation Board at the hospital to help with more ‘fun-raisers’ and have never looked back." By January 2017, his “Bull on the Beach” team had contributed more than $478,000 to the Penguin Swim over the years. When local Realtor Robert Warfield moved to Ocean City in 1971, there was no physician’s office open on weekends or after 6:00 p.m. When the quest began for a local hospital, Warfield wanted to be involved. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Worcester Memorial Hospital Corp. In 1999, he took a position on the Atlantic General Hospital Board of Directors (now the Board of Trustees), and joined the Foundation Board at the end of his 10-year term. “Building a hospital is never really complete,” Warfield said in an interview with the hospital’s OnCall Newsletter, in 2006. “You always want it to be the best it can be at any given moment, so it’s absolutely vital to continue to raise funds and recruit highly trained people. You don’t want yesterday’s technology. The ‘best’ makes your nurses better, your doctors better, and ultimately your patients better.” Recognizing Warfield’s commitment to the hospital, in 2016 the Foundation officially renamed the Fall Golf Classic to the Robert E. Warfield Memorial Fall Golf Classic. Restaurateur Bill Gibbs was recruited to the AGH Foundation Board in 2000 and says it has been an "incredible experience." He was chairman of the hospital’s Fall Golf Classic for several years, and Gibbs said he is there to help with whatever comes up. "It's about community, and I'm continually involved with whatever is needed to keep things moving. We need the hospital,” he said. Atlantic General Hospital
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"The hospital has succeeded better than anyone, in the beginning, had ever expected. Their future is so very bright. It's one of the singularly important accomplishments for the health and well-being of the Worcester County community, and its location has saved many lives." - Joe Moore, Esq.
Growth While the hospital became the community’s core for medical care, its physician recruitment and expansion of critical services continued. Satellite offices were set up to provide continuity of care for patients. In 1995, the AGH board established the Atlantic General Health System with just three primary care providers. Now, the network encompasses 19 offices and more than 30 providers, offering both specialty and primary care in Worcester County, Maryland, and Sussex County, Delaware. Due to the overwhelming growth in the community’s infrastructure that was largely driven by the economic impact of Atlantic General’s presence, in 2002 the Board recognized the need to expand the hospital. It sought help from the Foundation to launch a $7 million capital campaign to fund the expansion, and again the community responded overwhelmingly, quickly exceeding fundraising goals. In 2003, a 29,000-square-foot addition to the north end of the hospital allowed for an expansion of the emergency department, with 19 beds and a "fast-track" area for minor injuries and illnesses. On the second floor of the addition, the Sleep Disorders Diagnostic Center opened under the direction of pulmonologist Robert Durkin, D.O. The second floor also allowed for additional space devoted to pulmonary medicine, the hospital’s administration and patient financial services. Areas of the original building were renovated to house expanded laboratory and imaging services, which were previously located across the street in the Atlantic Health Center. Atlantic General Hospital
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The 2006 construction of the James G. Barrett Medical Office Building.
The year 2005 saw the opening of the Eunice Q. Sorin Women's Diagnostic Center, which is a unit dedicated to women’s health diagnostic services including mammograms, bone density measurements, and minimally invasive breast biopsies. A diabetes education program was also established in 2005. The next year, the hospital broke ground for the James G. Barrett Medical Office Building on the corner of the growing health campus. This building houses some of the expanding number of specialty physicians who now called the hospital home. In 2008, this building would incorporate Atlantic General’s Wound Care Center and the Atlantic General Endoscopy Center, in addition to independent health care providers. Eventually, the hospital’s Bariatric Center, Atlantic General Surgical Associates, and the Regional Cancer Care Center would move into the building. In 2007, Atlantic General pioneered the “30 Minute ER Promise” in response to the two- to three-hour minimum wait that had become typical for hospital ERs across the country. “There’s that time frame when you’re just waiting for something to happen, someone to take your insurance, and just to talk to someone about what’s wrong,” Pendleton said. “If people sit too long, they just get up and leave, maybe putting themselves at risk. Of course, if you’re having a heart attack or a stroke, you are seen immediately. But everyone is important, and the ER team really does care about everyone that comes in the door.” The program has been very successful over the last 10 years. It has become a hallmark of the hospital’s focus on innovation and improved patient experience. Over the last 25 years, the population of Worcester County alone has increased by 35 percent. Sussex County’s population has increased by more than 75 percent. During this time, more than 1.2 million annual check-ups, sick visits and screening appointments have been made with providers in the Atlantic Health Care System. About 650,000 patients have visited the emergency room, and 57,000 patients have been admitted for care. Atlantic General Hospital
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L/R: Michael Franklin, Jack Burbage, Todd Ferrante, Louis H. Taylor, and Michelle Fager. "The future of AGH is infinite. It is our connection to telehealth and intuitive medicine, serving as the home to many of Maryland's finest primary and specialist health care providers, state-of-the-art testing facilities, and future wellness centers. AGH will continue to be the catalyst to the recruitment of the top-tier health care providers and administrators. I look forward to the next 25 years of growth." - Sherrie Beckstead, Esq.
Onward Atlantic General’s Campaign for the Future According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer mortality is 10 percent higher on the Lower Shore than anywhere else in Maryland, and on Delmarva, the incidence of cancer is higher than the U.S. average. Cancer care is now one of the most critical health care needs in the area. Atlantic General has made a commitment to increase survival rates and enhance the quality of life for patients on the Lower Shore. The new John H. “Jack” Burbage, Jr. Regional Cancer Care Center opens this year, offering advanced technology and enabling patients to smoothly move through the steps of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The new 18,000-square-foot center is located on the corner of Route 113 and Old Ocean City Boulevard, on property purchased from the Bainum family more than 15 years after the hospital opened. The building will house an outpatient chemotherapy infusion center, imaging services including PET scanning, a radiation therapy center, supportive care and other comprehensive services directly related to the treatment of cancer, and blood disorders. New telemedicine capabilities will allow patients to connect with specialists at University of Maryland Medical Center for consultations, treatment plans and access to current clinical trials during office visits with their local oncologist. The center’s support services, for both patients and families, include nutritional counseling, palliative care, rehabilitation services, support groups, smoking cessation counseling, and health screenings.
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Tele-Med "The way health care services are delivered is changing, but Atlantic General’s commitment to state-of-the-art medicine only grows stronger. We can help AGH meet the challenges of providing the very best health care services right here – close to home.” – Jack Burbage, CEO, Blue Water Development Co.
Atlantic General Hospital has plans to modernize the inpatient care area and surgical suites by incorporating the latest in technology to enhance the best practices in surgery and pre- and post-operative care. Emergency care will continue to expand as the demands of the community require. The hospital will continue to expand its comprehensive community outreach for monitoring patient’s health after a hospital stay. This program works with patients when they leave the hospital to help prevent readmission and provide better overall outcomes. “At Atlantic General Hospital, you are not a number. You are being cared for by your friends, family, and neighbors,� said Public Relations Director, Toni Keiser.
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The original Foundation Board of Atlantic General Hospital; circa 1995. Seated L/R: J. Pendleton, P. Russo, L. McCray, D. Harris, S. Moore, S. Hales, A. Berger. Standing L/R: R. Dean, P. Davis, B Colbert, T. Babcock, J. Phillips, N. Lynch, S. Beckstead, J. Watts. Not pictured. T. Mears, J. Pilchard, M. Ochse, W. Shockley, J. Turner, R. Smith, R. Montagna, S. Savage, W. Booth, D. Parker, C. Mumford, J. Pruitt, and K. Bates.
The mural in the lobby is by nationally renowned local artist Patrick Henry. He painted the wall completely free hand during the construction process. Board members and associates had the opportunity to add a brush stroke to the mural.
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Acknowledgments Nancy Barrett Sherrie Beckstead Anne Bergey
J Bergey Jack Burbage Edwin Castanada, M.D.
Bill Gibbs Michael Guerrieri Dan Harris
Hale Harrison Janet Holloway
Phil Houck Michael James Kim Justice
Jim Mathias Joe Moore Sue Moore
Julie Pendleton Linda Pohulski Bill Sturgis
Stephen Waters, M.D. Brian Yermal, Editor
Eunice Q. Sorin
Roland “Fish” Powell
James “Jim” Mathias
Hale Harrison Jr.
Jack Burbage
Patti & Alan Guerrieri
James Barrett
Brice & Shirley Phillips
Photo courtesy Inside Ocean City by Next Wave Studios
Photo courtesy Inside Ocean City by Next Wave Studios