Holy Cross Hospital to unveil $90 million expansion

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005

Silver Spring’s Holy Cross Hospital recently completed a four-year, $90 million expansion project and will celebrate its renovations Friday with county and state officials and Saturday with area residents.

‘‘It’s really been enhanced, not only for our patients, but for our staff,” said Mike Hall, a Holy Cross spokesman. ‘‘It’s better service in a more pleasing environment.”

The expansion involved the construction of 210,000 square feet of new space and the renovation of about 155,000 square feet of existing space. More than half the hospital is now new or renovated. This is the largest expansion of the hospital since 1978.

Holy Cross, touted for its maternal and newborn services, has also made improvements to other areas of the hospital, including its oncology unit. The expansion will allow the hospital to take on more patients, as well as make them more comfortable during their stay.

Holy Cross serves about 200,000 inpatients and outpatients annually. The hospital is anticipating about 80,000 births there this year.

The final phase of the project, completed in early August, includes a glass-enclosed concourse across the front of the building, designed to improve access to ambulatory care services on the first floor. There are also two express-service elevators to the hospital’s new maternal and newborn services, including 21 labor and delivery rooms and 68 maternity suites.

That improvement will allow better access to and navigation around the hospital for patients and staff, Hall said. It also separates outpatient from inpatient services.

The new lobby includes a gift shop, coffee shop and patient registration.

The renovations also allow for more private patient rooms.

‘‘We’ve more than tripled the number of private rooms throughout the hospital,” Hall said. ‘‘... When you’re sick, it’s not always pleasant being in a room with someone else, depending on what you’re going through. ... It’s a time to not have to be concerned about who else is in the room.”

On the west side of Holy Cross, there is a new professional and community education center with audio⁄visual technology for the hospital’s clinical teaching programs and community health education classes.

That facility, Hall said, will be available for public use.

A new wing houses the inpatient oncology unit of the Holy Cross Cancer Institute. The hospital also has a new emergency center and surgical care unit, as well as four floors of physician offices and a new four-level garage with 520 parking spaces.

On Friday, a special event will be held to show the hospital to officials. On Saturday, the hospital will be open to the public with demonstrations, tours and refreshments.

And at 10 a.m. Sunday, a special Mass will be held in the new education facility to celebrate the project, as well as the accomplishments of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Hall said.