| Here's Why a New Hospital is Needed in Upper Montgomery County:
 While current hospital capacity is overextended at times, demographic trends will overwhelm hospitals in the next 5 to 10 years and beyond, particularly in upper Montgomery County.
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Over the next 20 years, Montgomery County's population is projected to grow by 175,000 people. Nearly 75 percent of this growth will be people age 65 and older. The growth of seniors is important because people over age 65 use hospital days at a rate six times greater than those under age 65.
- In particular, the upcounty area needs hospital capacity. The upcounty area is growing and aging rapidly - at a rate more than 50 percent higher than the county as a whole.
- Currently, there are 30 miles between the two closest existing hospitals serving that area of the county.
- The population density is 70 percent higher in the Germantown-Gaithersburg area than the county overall.
- A large number of patients from upper Montgomery County currently travel to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring-28 percent of our Montgomery County patients currently come from Rockville and points north.
- The proposed hospital will add capacity without taking patients from existing facilities. The additional patients for the new hospital will be generated from population growth and aging in upper Montgomery County coupled with a shift of some of our upcounty patients who currently travel to Silver Spring for care.
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