At a time when rural hospitals are closing, donation helps to secure the future of health care on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Inspired by a desire to ensure unparalleled health care in the region for generations to come, an Eastern Shore resident has made a $25 million gift to University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), toward construction of the new UM Shore Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Easton. The gift, from a supporter born over 90 years ago at the former Memorial Hospital at Easton who wishes to remain anonymous, marks the largest private donation in the history of UM SRH and one of the largest individual philanthropic donations ever for UMMS.
This gift helps launch UM SRH’s $100 million comprehensive fundraising campaign for the new hospital, which will allow the organization to improve clinical programs and advance teaching initiatives across the five-county region served by UM SRH. For more information about UM SRH’s comprehensive campaign, please visit: umshoreregional.org/supportRMC
“This extraordinary gift will make an incredible impact for health care on the Eastern Shore,” said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of UMMS. “It reflects a deep commitment to the well-being of our communities and is transformative — advancing our campaign to build a state-of-the-art medical center that delivers compassionate, high-quality care for generations to come. We are profoundly grateful for this visionary investment in the future of medicine and in the health of every family we serve.”
Over the last decade, UM SRH and UMMS have worked with community partners to develop an integrated clinical service delivery plan that reimagines and improves health care delivery across the Mid-Shore region, making investments in key projects such as the rural hospital designation in Chestertown, the emergency center in Queenstown, the freestanding medical facility in Cambridge, several medical pavilions and three urgent care centers across the shore.
“The new regional medical center is the cornerstone of this long-term plan, setting a national standard for rural health care by combining cutting-edge technology, academic research, specialty centers of excellence, and a modern, patient-centered design to deliver unparalleled care,” said Ken Kozel, President of UM SRH.
“At a time when rural hospitals are in crisis, with over 200 closing their doors in the past two decades and one-third of the rural hospitals in the country at risk of closing, we aren’t just transforming health care, we are expanding and building a better state of care for the region’s future,” Kozel added.
Designed as a hub for integrated rural health services, the regional medical center will serve as an anchor for a sustainable model of care while also serving as an economic engine for the Mid-Shore. UM SRH and UMMS are partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, as well as with other University of Maryland, Baltimore clinical professional schools (Nursing, Dentistry and Pharmacy) and local clinical programs, providing scholarships and incentives to attract health care providers and address the shortage in rural areas.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to community and purpose, we are building a culture where generosity leads the way — one where giving isn’t just encouraged but embedded in who we are and how we operate,” said Rebecca Bair, Vice President of Philanthropy, UM SRH. “From leadership to frontline staff, we believe every act of service and support has the power to spark lasting change. Through volunteer initiatives, philanthropic partnerships and opportunities for individual giving, we are creating an environment where generosity is both lived and celebrated, driving a once-in-a-generation visionary endeavor.”
The public can follow construction progress and sign up to receive the quarterly project newsletter at umshoreregional.org/rmc.
About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.
About the University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.
University of Maryland Shore Medical Group (UM SMG) – Nephrology recently welcomed Jamshid Amanzadeh, MD, PA, to its practice based at 5 Martin Court in Easton. UM SMG is an affiliate medical practice of the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System. 