The Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center (JHHCMC) has initiated a fundraising campaign, titled “Together: Let's Support our Neighbourhood Hospital”, to raise $3m for the expansion of its new Behavioral Health Unit (BHU).
Located in the US, JHHCMC is a not-for-profit facility featuring a total of 262 licensed beds.
The expansion plan includes increasing the unit's size from the current 1,500ft² to 7,000ft².
This increased space will add 18 more beds to accommodate the growing number of patients experiencing mental health crises.
Currently, the emergency department (ED) at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center is reportedly witnessing an average of 250 adults and children each month with mental health issues.
With only six beds available, patients often face wait times of up to a day for an examination, which can lead to those in distress remaining in the ED alongside non-psychiatric patients, Johns Hopkins Medicine added.
Howard County executive Calvin Ball said: “Together we can ensure that on some of our most difficult days or the most difficult days of our family members, we can have our neighbourhood hospital have the resources that they need to be successful because when they’re successful, we’re successful.”
The total cost of the BHU development project is estimated at $10.3m.
To support this initiative, the Maryland state government has allocated $2.6m while Howard County has contributed $2m.
Ball said that this investment is well justified, considering the benefits it will bring to the community.
The campaign is reaching out to various community stakeholders, including nonprofit organisations, businesses, schools, and neighbourhood groups, to participate in the fundraising efforts.
Incentives are being offered, such as naming one public and one private school along with a fundraising business as Donor Champions, which comes with a financial award.
JHHCMC president Shafeeq Ahmed said: “The reason that it’s important to invest in your own hospital is that at any given time someone in your family or your friend network will need our services, and it’s just a matter of time.
“The nice thing about the Johns Hopkins Health System is that when you invest in the local hospital that money stays local for that hospital.”
