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Horizon Foundation and HCGH Jointly Fund $3 Million Partnership

(The Business Monthly) --

The Horizon Foundation is granting $950,000 to Howard County General Hospital (HCGH) during the next four years to help establish a center for excellence in geriatric health, address emergency psychiatric needs and improve access to care for lower-income county residents.

The unprecedented funding, the largest to a single institution in the foundation's nine-year history, supports The Community Health Partnership, a joint initiative of the foundation and the hospital. HCGH has committed $2.1 million to the partnership, for a total commitment of approximately $3 million from the two organizations.

"The relationship between the hospital and the foundation is broader and deeper than that of a grantor-grantee," Horizon President & CEO Rich Krieg said. "We share a number of priorities, such as improving access to care and expanding programs and services for seniors."

Kreig said that the Community Health Partnership was developed over several years with input from both organizations' boards of trustees. The hospital and the foundation have achieved an exemplary working relationship, Krieg said. "We work closely on many issues, including some that fall outside the focus of this partnership." He cited the community emergency response network and strategic planning as two examples.

The foundation and the hospital have jointly earmarked more than $2 million of partnership funding to address the needs of older adults in Howard County, which has the fastest growing population of seniors in Maryland. The funding will be used to evaluate the feasibility of including dedicated geriatric facilities within the current Campus Development Plan (CDP). If the studies determine such a project is feasible and supported by projected demographics, it then will be determined how the center of excellence might be structured and what programmatic enhancements could be included.

"Over the next decade, the fastest growing segment of our population is those 50 years of age and older. As Howard County ages, we will continue to expand and change to meet the community's health care needs," said Vic Broccolino, president and CEO of HCGH. "This feasibility study will help determine the best ways to meet those needs."

In addition to improved services for older adults, the partnership funding has been directed at developing a state-of-the-art behavioral emergency unit. The hospital's new emergency department facility opened in February. As the only provider of emergency services in Howard County, the hospital has seen a 4% increase in emergency psychiatric evaluations during the past two years.

Funding also will support a program that includes physician care of hospitalized patients served by the Columbia Center of Chase Brexton Health Services. This facility, which was created with Horizon Foundation financial and planning support, serves a clientele which includes Medicaid, Medicare and uninsured patients. Hospital-based physicians, or "hospitalists," will be attentive to Chase Brexton patients needing acute care services.

In addition, the hospital and the foundation will create a special partnership fund to assist the Chase Brexton facility, with the hospital contributing $200,000 over a four-year period to that fund and The Horizon Foundation adding $50,000 more.