Howard County General Hospital, which had 59 beds and six full-time physicians when it opened in 1973, has spawned today’s private, not-for-profit facility with 182 beds and medical staff of 800 physicians and health professionals representing 59 specialties and subspecialties. In 1998, the medical center merged with Johns Hopkins Medicine. The hospital’s new emergency facilities house three pods: one for acute care with 18 individual rooms; one for less serious injuries and illnesses with 18 rooms; and one for pediatric care with 12 rooms. A new and expanded labor and delivery unit featuring spacious private rooms and a Level III+ neonatal intensive care unit occupy the second floor of the new wing.

ER

Emergency care is handled in a 25-bed unit, with round-the-clock staff providing comprehensive emergency and urgent care. Nearly 70,167 patients received ER treatment during the hospital’s fiscal year 2004, which ended June 30. The hospital’s emergency department has 24-hour physician coverage linked by a statewide telecommunications network to all the special medical treatment centers in Maryland. Other inpatient facilities include critical and intermediate care units, a comprehensive pediatric unit, medical/sur­gical suites, operating rooms, perinatology service, a center for ambulatory surgery, the Central Maryland Heart Center, labor/deliv­ery/recovery rooms and a maternal-child unit with 26 private rooms with baths.


BY THE NUMBERS

Also in fiscal 2004, 14,091 patients were admitted to the hospital. Of 13,775 surgeries per­formed, 5,189 were done in the hospital, while 10,167 were handled as outpatient procedures at the hospital’s Center for Ambulatory Surgery. Of 3,532 babies born in 2004, 364 were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, born prematurely or with medi­cal problems. Radiation oncology services are offered to local cancer patients at the Central Maryland On­col­ogy Center, located adjacent to the hospital campus. For more information, call 410-740-7890 or log on to its Web site at www.hcgh.org.

MORE

Many medical practices offer a wide variety of services, including alternative therapies such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional counseling, chiropractic care, massage and yoga.

• The 182-bed Ellicott City Health and Rehabilitation Center in Ellicott City (410-461-7577) and the 239-bed Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Columbia (410-531-5151) offer care for patients who require skilled nursing services. St. Agnes also offers hospice care.
• The Howard County Health Department, which delivers state and federally funded services, conducts clinics for immunization, child health, prenatal care and family planning at its Ellicott City office and sites in Columbia and Laurel. Some services, such as venereal disease screening and treatment programs, are free and available to any local resident. For other services, preference is given to low-income resi­dents in need of medical assistance. Fees are based on the ability to pay.The health department also participates in a pro­gram to screen for breast and cervical cancer in women 50 and older with no medical insurance or whose insurance fails to cover yearly mam­mograms. Additional services for older residents include counseling and home visits available through the Office on Aging. Call 410-313-6300.
• Kaiser Permanente opened a center in Columbia in 2001. The HMO has primary care services in pediatrics, family practice, internal medicine and OB-GYN; and specialty services in surgery, dermatology and orthopedics. Other services include a laboratory, pharmacy, nutritional counseling, clinical pharmaceutical counseling and allergy shots. Call 1-800-777-7902.

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health services are provided by the county, counseling and community support groups, and by a large number of psychologists and certified counselors in private practice. In addition to Howard County General Hospital’s psychiatric unit, Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City provides counseling for children and adults.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Local counseling and support groups abound, such as Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in Columbia, which operates a hot line and drop-in counseling center staffed by trained volunteers. The agency is also part of the statewide youth crisis call-in counseling network and is certified as a suicide prevention service.
• The Sexual Trauma Treatment, Advocacy and Recovery Center (STTAR) in Columbia and the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County operate hot lines and free counseling programs.
• The AIDS Alliance of Howard County provides information and emergency financial assistance to people who have AIDS or are HIV-positive.
• The Family and Children’s Services of Howard County at Family Life Center (410-997-3557 or www.fcsmd.org) is among organizations that offer counseling services with sliding-scale fees.
• The Howard County Citizen Services Department provides referral services, resource coordination and technical assistance to those with disabilities. Services for people with physical disabilities, particularly those re­covering from brain injury or stroke, are available from private providers.
• The ARC of Howard County’s mission is to support full community life for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

FACILITIES

• The Tai Sophia Institute (formerly known as the Traditional Acupuncture Institute) moved into its new building at 7750 Montpelier Road in Laurel last year. The center offers outpatient care, master’s degree programs in acupuncture, botanical healing and applied healing arts, and classes in tai chi, feng shui, yoga and more.
• The Growth Center, Columbia: county-sponsored daytime psychosocial rehabilitation for the chronically mentally ill.
• Howard County Dialysis Facility, Columbia: service for kidney patients.
• Athelas Institute, Columbia: vocational training for people with developmental disabilities and head injuries.
• Cedar Lane School, Columbia: educational programs run by the county public school system for children with severe disabilities.
• Community Choice, Columbia: supervised communal living for adults with mental disabilities.
• Humanim, Columbia: founded in 1971 as a not-for-profit organization serving children, adolescents, adults and older adults with disabilities through many areas of human services, including mental health, vocational, neuro-rehabilitation, developmental disabilities and services for the deaf.
• Ellicott Enterprises, Ellicott City: vocational and prevocational training for adults with mental disabilities.
• Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center is a service of Howard County General. It has a li­brary with cancer-related media and is a source for finding local and national cancer resources, support groups, rehabilitation centers and financial aid. There are also a full salon, hair styling, image consultation, selection of wigs and prosthetic devices and more. Call 410-740-5858.
• Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks: integrated sports and arts programs for people with mental or physical disabilities.
• Howard County Early Beginnings: a program for children, newborn to age 3, who have developmental delays, handicapping conditions or are at risk for delay.
• Linwood Children’s Center, Ellicott City: includes day care, education and therapy for children with emotional disorders, especially autism.
• Loyola College Speech and Language Center, Columbia: hearing, speech and language diagnosis/therapy.
• Therapeutic and Recreational Riding Center, Glenwood: physical therapy on horseback for those with physical or emotional disabilities.