EASTON – During his Fiscal Year 2025 budget announcement on Jan. 17, Governor Wes Moore introduced a state budget that includes $100 million in capital commitments for the construction of the new regional medical center in Easton.

“This commitment from the Moore-Miller Administration and the State of Maryland reflects a remarkable pledge to the future of rural health care and to the people of the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” said Ken Kozel, UM SRH president and CEO. “Our patients and communities will benefit from this investment for generations, as will our team members who will have the opportunity to deliver world-class care in a modern facility. Today's news is an incredible step forward, and we offer our most sincere thanks to the governor, lieutenant governor and our dedicated delegation to the General Assembly.”

Shore Health received approval Jan. 18 from the Maryland Health Care Commission to construct the center. Once completed, the UM Shore Regional Medical Center in Easton will replace the existing hospital in downtown Easton, which is outdated and obsolete, a statement from Shore Health said, with the majority of the hospital constructed between 1955 and 1975. Additionally, its location in a residential neighborhood bordering the town’s Historic District prevents expansion and creates access issues for patients and staff. 

The new UM Shore Regional Medical Center campus will occupy 200-plus acres off Longwoods Road near the intersection of U.S. Route 50, adjacent to the Talbot County Community Center. Approximately 3.5 miles from the current hospital, this location will offer greater visibility, and easier and safer access for ambulance and helicopter transport as well as ample parking for patients, staff and visitors.

Proposed project specifications:

• Main Hospital Tower: 6 levels; 325,294 square feet
• Adjacent medical office and outpatient services building: 60,000 square feet
• Licensed beds: 147 (all private rooms / includes observation beds)
• Emergency Department treatment bays: 27
• Operating rooms: 7
• Helipad (ground level)

Core Programs & Specialty Centers:

• Acute Rehabilitation Center
• Behavioral Health
• Birthing Center
• Cardiac Intervention Center
• Critical Care/Acute Care Medicine
• Emergency Services
• Neurosciences
• Orthopedics
• Women’s Services

UM SRH has spent the last several years laying the groundwork for the advancement of the new Regional Medical Center by making investments in other key supporting projects identified in the system’s integrated facility and clinical service delivery plan. The completion of the freestanding medical facility in Cambridge, several medical pavilions and stand-alone emergency centers in the region, urgent care facilities in Denton, Easton and Kent Island, and numerous major equipment upgrades have totaled over $150 million in capital investments.

“We are so grateful for our communities’ patience and trust as we have implemented key strategies to improve health care access and services to each of the counties of the mid-shore,” Mr. Kozel said. “We were honored to include as part of our CON application multiple letters of support from state, county, city and town officials, health departments, law enforcement, chambers of commerce, educational institutions, safety-net health care providers, and economic development agencies in all five counties of our service area.”

Shore Health plans to begin site work this spring, construction starting in spring 2025 and final building occupancy in the summer of 2028.

The Regional Medical Center will bring a new standard of patient-centered care to the Eastern Shore. The six-floor, 325,000-square-foot, 147-bed hospital will replace the existing hospital in Easton and support the future health needs of the community. It will feature expanded services in recognized areas of medical expertise and health care needs on the shore.