University of Maryland Medical System Announces Expanded Partnership With Kaiser Permanente For Hospitals in Baltimore & Prince George’s Counties

UM St. Joseph Medical Center & UM Capital Region Medical Center Named Kaiser Premier Hospitals

The University of Maryland Medical System today announced the expansion of a partnership with Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic, with UM St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson and UM Capital Region Medical Center in Largo designated as Kaiser Premier hospitals.

"This designation, which is afforded only to hospitals who meet high standards for patient safety, quality of care and patient comfort and experience, deepens the partnership between our two organizations and reflects UMMS' reputation for safety and quality," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA,President and CEO of UMMS. "As two of the leading healthcare providers in the region, we are both committed to the transformation of healthcare by improving access to high quality care while providing an efficient, service-friendly patient experience."

"It is clear that Kaiser Permanente shares an aligned mission and commitment to delivering high-quality, inpatient care with the University of Maryland Medical System," said Ruth Williams-Brinkley, regional president, Kaiser Permanente. "We are pleased to expand inpatient access to healthcare that is aligned with our geographical footprint, and with a first-rate health system by adding Capital Region and St. Joseph's Medical Center who will be joining our network of premier hospitals. I am confident that our members will value these additional options for superior hospital care in our region."

As Kaiser Premier hospitals, UM Capital (in Prince George's County) and UM SJMC (in Baltimore County) will provide dedicated inpatient beds for Kaiser patients, who will be cared for primarily by Kaiser providers with the support of UMMS team members. At UM Capital, non-surgical services will be available for Kaiser patients starting in July. At UM SJMC, labor and delivery, cardiology, neurology, urology and orthopedic surgery services will be available for Kaiser patients beginning in September.

UMMS and Kaiser Permanente already have a successful record of accomplishment as partners. In 2018, UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie (Anne Arundel County) became the first Kaiser Premier Hospital within UMMS. This successful, foundational partnership has allowed our two healthcare systems to continue to transform the way care is delivered in the Mid-Atlantic region. UM BWMC serves the acute medical, surgical and obstetrical care needs of thousands of Kaiser members each year.

This expanded partnership benefits people in the communities served by UMMS, who will now have greater access to the System's network and our focus on improving the health and well-being of all Marylanders

"UM St. Joseph Medical Center is very pleased to engage with Kaiser Permanente providers in our relentless mission to provide the highest standards of patient safety, quality of care and comfort to community members who put their trust in us", said Thomas B. Smyth, MD, President and CEO of UM St. Joseph. "This is a wonderful opportunity to provide more members of our community with clinical excellence, loving service and compassionate care."

"This partnership compliments our vision to ensure access to quality care for Prince George's County residents," said Nathaniel Richardson, Jr., President & CEO of UM Capital Region Health. "Kaiser has a proven care delivery model which will assist us in delivering on a promise to transform health care in Prince George's County."

Kaiser has also designated UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air (Harford County) as a regional geographic access hospital, where its members will have access to certain acute care services.

"Our relationship with Kaiser is expanding because of UMMS's growing reputation for high-quality and compassionate care with an emphasis on providing a great patient experience," Dr. Suntha added. "This combination of market presence, scale and expertise will help to advance our delivery of value-based care across Maryland."

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state's future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system's more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 12 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/

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