Community Involvement
Health Center for the Uninsured
Holy Cross Hospital opened two health centers – in
Silver Spring and in Gaithersburg – to bring affordable health care
to uninsured adults.
Some health center patients have never before received
care for their simple or complex health problems. Others have not maintained
their health because they lack the money or insurance needed to consistently
afford medications.
The centers offer various educational programs
and resources to help patients manage high blood pressure, diabetes
and other chronic conditions. Individual instruction, group education, and
low-literacy, culturally competent written materials are available onsite.
The Holy Cross Hospital Health Center at Montgomery College
in Silver Spring
The Holy Cross Hospital Health Center at Montgomery
College opened in 2004 to bring affordable primary health care to those
who needed it most – low-income, uninsured adults. Now this
unique center accommodates more than 6,000 patient visits per year.
This state-of-the-art center is a “medical home” for adults in
Silver Spring and surrounding areas who are not able to access primary care
elsewhere. Skilled clinicians provide emergency room follow-up, physical
exams, chronic disease management and care for patients discharged from the
hospital. The staff speaks English, French and Spanish, and offers interpretation
in other languages.
As a collaborative effort between Holy Cross Hospital
and Montgomery College, the center also offers a unique learning opportunity
for students working toward or considering careers in medicine, nursing,
health information and pharmacy. Students regularly rotate through
the clinic, contributing to the care of patients and receiving first-hand
experience that prepares them for a future in health care.
The Holy Cross
Hospital Health Center in Gaithersburg
In February 2009 a brand-new
health center — capable
of handling at least 10,000 patient visits a year — opened in Gaithersburg.
More than 15 percent of the patients using the Holy Cross Hospital
Health Center at Montgomery College came from Gaithersburg, Germantown,
Rockville or Montgomery Village. Holy Cross Hospital opened the Gaithersburg
center to better serve these communities.