Contact:
Kristin Feliciano
Chief Strategy Officer
Holy Cross Health
Kristin.Feliciano@holycrosshealth.org
301-754-7017
(Silver Spring, Maryland) - Holy Cross Health proudly announces the opening of Holy Cross Germantown Hospital on October 1, 2014. The hospital is the first in the nation to be located on the campus of a community college – Montgomery County Community College - Germantown Campus – and the first new hospital in Montgomery County in 35 years.
A grand opening celebration was held on September 19, 2014 to honor donors, express appreciation and celebrate. Public officials, community supporters, board members, employees, volunteers and physicians joined project teams and many others in attendance for this historic event. All were invited on tours to experience the long-lasting results of their hard work and philanthropy.
"Our vision was to increase access to hospital and community based care, educate nurses and other healthcare workers, and reduce the rate of increase in overall healthcare cost through a variety of methods including integration among hospital and non-hospital based services," said Kevin J. Sexton, president and CEO of Holy Cross Health, who led the organization to this impressive expansion and community investment. “Opening the doors to Holy Cross Germantown Hospital on October 1st, represents our long-term commitment to serving the health care needs of the upcounty community and marks a major milestone in accomplishing our vision.”
The partnership between Holy Cross Health and Montgomery County Community College was established in 2004 with the opening of the Holy Cross Health Center on their Takoma Park campus. This new venture represents a model for similar partnerships throughout the nation. "The expansion of clinical rotations for our students is significant, as we look to the future and our goal of sustaining a positive economic impact for Montgomery County and Maryland,” said Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, president of Montgomery College. “Education and health care are intricately and intimately connected to the wellbeing of the community. When they thrive together, the community thrives as well."
The grand opening ceremonies began with an invocation by His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl and a welcome by Edward H. Bersoff, Ph.D., chair of Holy Cross Health. The keynote address was delivered by Kevin J. Sexton, CEO Holy Cross Health. Also addressing attendees were Sister Ruth Marie Nickerson, CSC, The Honorable Christopher Van Hollen, The Honorable Isiah Leggett, The Honorable Craig Rice, Dr. DeRionne Pollard, and Doug D. Ryder, President, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital.
Holy Cross Health officially announced a $25 million capital campaign, having already raised $14 million during a "quiet phase". The campaign will help fund Holy Cross Germantown Hospital as well as the new patient tower being constructed at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, which is slated to open in November of 2015.
Holy Cross Health will hold its 50th Annual Harvest Ball at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center on October 18, 2014. Proceeds of which will benefit the capital campaign.
For more information, contact Kristin Feliciano, chief strategy officer at Kristin.Feliciano@holycrosshealth.org or visit holycrosshealth.org/hcgh.
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Holy Cross Health, founded in 1963 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, is a Catholic health care system that includes Holy Cross Hospital, the largest hospital in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, a new hospital, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, which will open October 1, 2014, and Holy Cross Health Network, which provides 30,000 primary health care visits annually and serves as the locus for physician and insurance relationships.
Public officials, community supporters, board members, employees, volunteers, physicians and many others attended Holy Cross Germantown Hospital's grand opening event.
Media Coverage:
The Gazzette: Upcounty residents apprciate access to a new hospital and ER closer to home
Washington Business Journal: Holy Cross Health will open its new $202 million hospital in Germantown next week
Washington Business Journal: As Holy Cross opens Germantown hospital, it also fills critical need for inpatient psychiatric beds
Holy Cross Germantown Hospital ribbon-cutting ceremony during the grand open celebration held September 19. Pictured from left to right: Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, president of Montgomery College; The Honorable Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive; Edward H. Bersoff, Ph.D., chair, Holy Cross Health Board of Directors; Kevin J. Sexton, president and CEO, Holy Cross Health; His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington; Doug Ryder, president, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital; Sister Ruth Marie Nickerson, CSC, Member, Holy Cross Health Board of Directors, Area Coordinator for North America, Sisters of the Holy Cross; The Honorable Christopher Van Hollen, U.S. Representative, 8th District; The Honorable Craig Rice, president, Montgomery County Council; John F. McShea III, Chair, Holy Cross Health Foundation.