UMMS Elevates Downtown Baltimore's Skyline with New Highrise Signage

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is soaring to new heights with the placement of its name and System logo atop a landmark downtown 25-story building at 250 West Pratt Street, the former "Pandora" building. Standing at an impressive 23 feet tall and 48 feet wide, the sign reflects UMMS as an anchor institution in Baltimore and its status as Maryland's largest health system.

Visible from home plate beyond the centerfield wall at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and from Interstates 395 and 95, the sign stands directly opposite the Baltimore City Convention Center. This strategic location broadcasts Baltimore's reputation for advanced healthcare to countless residents and visitors. UMMS leases nearly 40,000 square feet across several floors in the building, which serves as its corporate headquarters.

"This is not just a new sign. It's a symbol that reminds Baltimore and the whole of Maryland that our city and state is a destination for world-class, groundbreaking, academic medicine," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of UMMS. "It also reflects UMMS' growth over 40 years into Maryland's most comprehensive healthcare System and an anchor institution, backed by almost 30,000 team members who wake up each day thinking about the health and wellbeing of Marylanders. We are pleased to be able to make Baltimore's skyline and its future a little brighter."

The sign includes the System's logo, a black, yellow and red representation of Davidge Hall, the historic domed structure that has been in continuous use for medical education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine since 1813. Letters on the sign, "University of Maryland Medical System," will be visible at all times and lit up at night, with customizable colors to recognize causes dear to Maryland—from health awareness months to honoring veterans to celebrating our state's sports teams.

A better state of care

With 11 hospitals and more than 2,450 licensed beds, UMMS provides 25% of hospital-based care in Maryland. The System's flagship hospital in downtown Baltimore, the University of Maryland Medical Center, includes two campuses and is home to the world-renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and the University of Maryland Children's Hospital.

The health system sees over 100,000 in-patient admissions every year and 330,000 Emergency Medicine visits. Outpatient medical facilities are located across Maryland, serving urban, suburban and rural communities, with more than 1.2 million outpatient visits and 68,500 outpatient surgical cases annually.

An economic pillar

UMMS stands as an economic force in Maryland, employing over 27,000 healthcare professionals, with nearly 10,000 staff members based at its Baltimore City hospitals and 41% of staff residing and working within the city. UMMS is particularly committed to West Baltimore, hiring 600 residents from the neighborhood in fiscal year 2023 alone.

Additionally, UMMS has invested $14 million in social impact initiatives that benefit West Baltimore. These efforts, alongside $2.3 million in community grants and $630,000 in contributions to Baltimore Community Lending, underscore the health system's dedication to revitalizing the area.

Over the next five years, UMMS's $1.2 billion capital budget is projected to create 10,000 construction jobs in the state and significantly boost economic activity, with a substantial portion supporting minority-owned businesses and revitalizing downtown Baltimore.

"UMMS's new sign is more than a nameplate; it's a bold declaration of our city's enduring spirit and dedication to healthcare excellence,” said Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “It stands as a proud reflection of the strength and resilience of our communities."

See photos and videos of the new sign. (Credit: UMMS)

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state's future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System's anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.