FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2008
Contact: Alison Eatough (aeatough@bwmc.umms.org)
410-787-4375
GLEN BURNIE, MD – Edmond F. Notebaert, president and chief executive officer of the University of Maryland Medical System, has named Karen E. Olscamp as interim president and chief executive officer of Baltimore Washington Medical Center (BWMC), effective August 1. Olscamp is BWMC’s senior vice president and chief operating officer. She will take the helm when current hospital leader James R. Walker retires after a successful, 39-year tenure at BWMC, including serving as hospital president and CEO for the past 16 years.
“We’re fortunate to have Karen’s leadership and expertise to guide BWMC during our search for a permanent successor to Jim Walker,” says Notebaert. “Karen has held a variety of leadership roles at BWMC and she’s a capable and effective executive who is highly respected by staff, and physicians,” adds Notebaert.
Melvin L. Kelly, Chairman of the BWMC Board of Directors, says, “Karen has years of health care experience and knows the community well. The Board of BWMC is confident that Karen will lead the organization well during this exciting time of expansion and growth. She will continue moving BWMC forward to further develop patient services and provide the highest quality of care for the community."
As the senior vice-president and chief operating officer of BWMC, Olscamp has been responsible for the overall management of hospital operations. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1981 from the University of Rochester, and her master of health services administration degree in 1987 from the George Washington University.
Olscamp completed her master’s degree residency program at BWMC, and assumed an assistant administrator position for a brief time before being promoted to vice president of Operations in November 1988. She has served in her current position since 1997.
Olscamp serves on the Board of Baltimore Washington Emergency Physicians, Inc., Baltimore Washington Senior Living, LLC, and Shipley’s Choice Medical Park, Inc. Ms. Olscamp is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the Maryland Association of Healthcare Executives.
“This is an exciting time for BWMC as we open new facilities and expand our clinical programs for the community”, says Ms. Olscamp. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such a tremendous organization during this transition period.”
Walker announced in 2007 that he planned to retire this summer. Under his leadership, BWMC has achieved significant growth in terms of patient admissions, major building projects, as well as new and expanded clinical programs. He guided BWMC through its merger with the University of Maryland Medical System in 2000. In 2005, he spearheaded the hospital’s name change from North Arundel Hospital to Baltimore Washington Medical Center to reflect the hospital’s growth and expanded role in serving the greater community.
Major programs developed since 2000 include the Tate Cancer Center, the Joslin Diabetes Center and the Maryland Vascular Center. The hospital has a $117 million expansion project underway that will add private inpatient beds, increase critical care capacity, expand the emergency department further and bring obstetrics back to the hospital for the first time since 1968.
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