Maryland Health Care Commission Dockets UM Shore Regional Health’s Application for Certificate of Need for New Regional Medical Center

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s plans for construction of a new Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Easton have moved a step forward as hospital officials have received notice that the Maryland Health Care Commission has docketed the application for the project’s Certificate of Need (CON). 

MHCC provided public notice of the docketing in the Maryland Register on August 11th, which initiated a 30-day window for public comment. As of today, no comments have been posted, and the CON application is now ready for MHCC’s review and anticipated approval in the coming months.

Docketing of the application not only keeps the project moving forward as is required by MHCC’s procedural regulations, but also allows MHCC to gather any supplemental information needed to render a decision. 

“The Commission has all the information needed to assess the project’s viability, including anticipated sources of funds supporting the project, the status of state funding commitments, and plans for obtaining additional state funding,” said Ken Kozel, UM SRH President and CEO. “We anticipate that state and local funding, and our capital campaign will gain significant funding once the CON approval is received.”

The total projected cost of the new Shore Regional Medical Center is $550 million. 

The schematic design phase of the project, which has been completed, involved the participation of multiple departments in refining layout plans and creating new external renderings. The design development phase is now in progress, focusing on the design of individual rooms for optimal workflow.

Plans to build the new Shore Regional Medical Center in Easton are critical to the comprehensive health care delivery plan for Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. The new location on Route 50 at Longwoods Road will promote better access to care, the new design will accommodate advances in high-quality care and improve patient satisfaction, and the new facility will enhance UM Shore Regional Health’s ability to recruit and retain health care providers and staff.