ADVANCING HEALTH
5565 Sterrett Place
Columbia, MD 21044
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MedStarHealth.org
2014 ANNUAL REPORT
Dear Friends,
As MedStar Health leads the important transformation of health care in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, we are thinking differently
about everything we do. In an ever-changing healthcare environment, our processes and approaches are evolving in order to best meet the needs of
our patients, our associates and the communities we serve. Our future depends on our ability to evolve a business model constructed long ago and
transform it to meet the expectations and available resources of tomorrow. And while all of this change requires us to be innovative, flexible and nimble,
we must also remain focused and committed to our foundational mission-driven work of providing the very highest quality, safest care to our patients.
A great deal of strength is derived from being the largest, most accessible not-for-profit healthcare system in the region. We must embrace and
harness this strength through the hands, hearts and minds of our 30,000 associates, physicians and nurses as we work to build a new care delivery
model. With this great strength also comes great responsibility: a responsibility to our fellow healthcare providers, our patients and the communities
we serve. We take this responsibility very seriously.
The theme of our Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report—Advancing Health—focuses on a key component of our vision to be the trusted leader caring
for people and advancing health. In this Annual Report, you will see the many ways in which MedStar is changing lives, and is firmly committed to
the evaluation of new and innovative ways to advance the health of our region.
We made bold and strategic moves this year in our quest to find new, better and faster responses to the challenges facing not only hospitals, but
the entire healthcare system in the United States. We are also tackling transparency and addressing the manner in which health systems handle
errors in care, learn from mistakes and engage former patients to prevent future occurrences. We are slowly transforming the formerly perceived
closed-door realm of medicine into an even more open and transparent culture, and we have engaged patient advocates to help us lead this change.
On the frontline of change is our new multispecialty healthcare center, which is highlighted in this Annual Report. The opening of this center
embodies health care’s continued need to expand into the community, and yet to do so as part of a seamlessly connected continuum of care that
is centered on the needs of our patients.
Through our medical education and clinical partnership with Georgetown University, we continue to bring the best and brightest together to
collaborate on research efforts certain to change the future of medicine, expediting the process for translational research to reach the bedside.
Thousands of MedStar patients from across the region joined one of our many studies on promising new drugs, emerging healthcare technologies
or novel approaches to care. Each patient contributed another piece to the puzzle, leading our physician scientists closer to understanding and
managing a variety of diseases and other serious conditions.
The highlights in this Annual Report are examples of the many clinicians and associates across our healthcare system who are dedicated to changing
the path of health care, serving as examples of the expertise, leadership and innovative thinking that are required to support our long-term strategy
—MedStar 2020. With the full support of our system-wide governance, medical staff and management leaders, we are building a truly connected
organization with a constant focus on quality and safety, service and access. We are truly advancing health.
In support of our patient-focused mission, our philanthropic partnerships and investments are critically important in our ability to advance, allowing
us to make significant differences in the lives of so many. We greatly appreciate the trust placed in our organization through your generous philanthropic
support. We know that our MedStar 2020 strategy continues to guide us well, and that we are leading the region in many important ways. However,
we also know that while strategy and operational excellence matter, they are meaningless if not grounded in the needs of the communities we serve.
With the support of our Board members, volunteers and donors, we never lose sight of our top priority—our patients and their families.
It is our hope that the transformation we are leading at MedStar Health will shine light on potential solutions for health care in our country and, most
especially, for the communities across our region. We could not do this important work without your support, guidance and friendship. Thank you.
Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE
President and CEO
MedStar President & CEO Kenneth Samet
and Board Chair William R. Roberts
visit the MedStar Institute for Innovation,
whose mission is to catalyze innovation
that advances health.
William R. Roberts
Chairman of the Board of Directors
ADVANCING HEALTH
R E VO LU T I O N A RY I D E A S
In April 2014, MedStar Health became
one of only four founding partners in the
technological start-up hub, 1776. The bold
and strategic move is the latest in our quest
to find new, better and faster responses to
the challenges facing America’s hospitals …
and to lead the transformation of the
nation’s healthcare system.
The odyssey began in 2009 with the launch of the MedStar
Institute for Innovation (MI2), followed by a unique relationship
with Cleveland Clinic in 2011. The result is the first-of-its-kind
Global Healthcare Innovations Alliance designed to advance
patient care through inter-institutional collaboration, technology
development and commercialization.
With 1776, our search for workable solutions now reaches a
new level. While the global incubator and seed fund identifies the
most promising start-ups in health care and related fields—and
helps engineer their success—MedStar also benefits.
“We’re looking to bring fresh ideas and approaches from the
outside into the system,” says Jeff Collins, MI2’s administrative
director and director of External Alliances.
As 1776’s sole healthcare partner, MedStar is an adviser and
sounding board for the incubator’s new health-related companies,
helping refine prototypes into practical, real-life applications.
Covering the full spectrum of patient demographics, clinical
specialties and care settings, the system is a microcosm of America’s
healthcare industry and an ideal testbed for fledgling products.
Currently, the team is working with six start-ups on remote
monitoring systems, informatics, telemedicine, and other
digital health solutions that could radically change healthcare
delivery. In exchange, MedStar gains first access to their
approaches and technologies.
“By combining the tremendous creative and intellectual
capital that exists at MedStar with 1776’s talented and driven
entrepreneurs, big change can and will happen,” says Mark S.
Smith, MD, director of MI2 and MedStar’s 1776 team leader.
Dr. William Krimsky, medical device inventor
and director of the Center for Interventional
Pulmonology at MedStar Franklin Square
Medical Center, confers with a patient.
From Concept to Completion
To transform great ideas into successful products, MI2’s MedStar
Inventor Services and the Global Healthcare Innovations Alliance
navigate the daunting process of market analysis, intellectual
property protection, product development, licensing, and more,
in partnership with MedStar associates.
The InVent Diaphragm Assist Device (DAD)—brainchild of William
Krimsky, MD, director of the Center for Interventional Pulmonology
at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center—is the latest beneficiary
of their combined support. Basically an implantable ventilator, the
novel device could free patients with pulmonary failure to live
independently, unleashed from stationary devices. Through a
licensing agreement with InnoVital Systems, the alliance’s first,
Dr. Krimsky’s concept is now moving closer to reality.
“If DAD reaches the market,” he says of the simple and elegant
solution, “there is potential to revolutionize care for patients
with advanced lung and neuromuscular disease.”
It’s a meeting of the minds every time 1776 cofounders
and entrepreneurs Evan Burfield (at left) and
Donna Harris (seated) get together with MedStar
experts Jeff Collins (center) and Mark Smith, MD.
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ADVANCING HEALTH
4
AC E O F H E A R T S
Reducing Cardiac
Readmissions
Can personalized support after a
hospital discharge help heart attack
and heart failure patients follow self-care
instructions, avoid re-hospitalization and
heal safely at home? Recently, MedStar
Visiting Nurse Association and MedStar
Heart & Vascular Institute became one
of the first 11 partners nationwide to be
awarded a grant from the American College
of Cardiology to find out, enrolling more
than 300 patients to date. The answer,
expected in 2016, could change the
future of cardiac care.
Now recovered, Sharon can enjoy more
quality time with her family—keeping
up with her five daughters.
Sharon Allen—40-year-old wife and mother
of five, including a newborn—lay in a suburban
Virginia emergency room, fighting for her life.
As staff worked to save her, one by one,
Sharon’s coronary arterial walls disintegrated
in front of their very eyes.
Doctors did what they could to stem the deadly progression and
prepare Sharon for immediate transfer to MedStar Heart & Vascular
Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center—the region’s nationally
recognized leader in advanced cardiac care and Sharon’s best hope.
There, cardiac surgeon Jennifer Ellis, MD, was ready and waiting.
“Sharon’s condition, spontaneous cardiac arterial dissection, was
extremely rare, severe and potentially catastrophic,” she says. “Basically
oxygen-starved, some of her heart tissue was already suffering, putting
her at risk for a massive heart attack.”
While Sharon was still airborne, Dr. Ellis plotted out her approach:
Get her to the OR, perform open-heart surgery and then hook her
up to the Hospital Center’s ECMO, one of a very few in the area.
Only available in top-tier heart centers, the “extracorporeal membrane
oxygenation” system can take over both cardiac and respiratory
functions, giving damaged organs precious weeks to rest, recuperate
and regain strength to resume their duties.
After undergoing a triple bypass procedure, Sharon’s heart needed
ECMO’s extra help for five days. Less than a week later, she was
discharged to a rehabilitation center, then home.
Such sophisticated technology, techniques and successful outcomes
for even the most critical conditions contribute to MedStar Washington
Hospital Center’s consistent ranking among U.S.News & World Report’s
top 50 cardiac programs—the only heart program in the Washington
region to earn this national recognition. It is also one of the nation’s
highest volume centers and a hotbed of innovation in cardiac care.
“The newest, most cutting-edge procedures and devices—what
you read about as ‘coming soon’—are already available at the
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute,” says Sharon’s husband, Dorian.
“It’s a testament to their expertise and leadership.”
So, too, is Sharon’s recovery. “The girls and I could have lost her,”
Dorian says. “Dr. Ellis is our hero.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
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B R A I N S TO R M
What mental magic empowers a 3-year-old
to absorb two languages at once, while adults
struggle to become bilingual? After a stroke,
what secret pathways lead a newborn’s brain
back to normalcy but seem sealed off to
grownups with the same damage?
Such questions inspire the creative minds at the interdisciplinary
Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, a joint enterprise between
MedStar Health and our medical education and clinical partner,
Georgetown University. Here, neuroscience researchers are examining
plasticity—the young brain’s ability to successfully reassign tasks to
areas unaccustomed to the responsibility—in hopes of unraveling
the mechanisms behind the process. Armed with the answers, they
can then pursue their ultimate goal: learning how to coax the adult
brain to once again respond like a child’s.
“It’s the most exciting research of my career,” says Alexander
Dromerick, MD, the center’s co-director and a specialist in stroke
rehabilitation and brain trauma recovery techniques at MedStar
National Rehabilitation Hospital. “Together, what we’re doing has
the potential to change people’s lives after stroke, traumatic brain
injury, and maybe even Alzheimer’s and other neurologic disorders.”
With 800,000 new cases each year, stroke is a major focus and the
subject of the center’s first clinical trial, the Critical Periods After
Stroke Study. Jointly designed by MedStar NRH and Georgetown
University, and led by Dr. Dromerick, the protocol aims to determine
if there are specific windows of opportunity when additional therapy
is particularly effective. If outcomes appear positive, the study will
be replicated in a multicenter trial.
In a related project, a university-based team is working to identify
the biomarkers associated with a positive response to therapy.
Results could lead to a blood test to indicate the most productive
time to initiate rehabilitation or, better yet, a drug to boost or prolong
the brain’s receptivity to relearn key tasks. Other current work centers
on transcranial magnetic stimulation to activate precise areas within
the brain and cellular/molecular studies of how new synapses—bridges
between brain cells—are formed, among others.
With the aging of the baby boomers, the timing could not be better.
“Everything we’re doing right now revolves around discovering how
to stimulate the brain to recover from damage, so we can preserve and
restore neurologic function,” says the university’s Elissa Newport, PhD,
an expert in language acquisition and the center’s co-director. “With
specialists in neuroscience, neurology and rehabilitation medicine—all
in one area, working together—we have a remarkable opportunity to
make a difference.”
MEDSTAR HEALTH AND GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY:
PARTNERS IN KNOWLEDGE AND COMPASSION
Advancing health through medical education, research and innovation is
core to MedStar Health’s vision and strategy. Serving as MedStar Health’s
medical education and clinical partner, Georgetown University enhances
our “advancing health” portfolio through collaborations in teaching,
scholarship and research.
Georgetown University medical students rotate through MedStar’s
hospitals for their clinical education and training. In addition, approximately
25 percent of the university’s graduating class is matched into MedStar
residencies and fellowships. Most of MedStar’s teaching faculty hold
academic appointments at Georgetown University, realizing the
meaningful collaborations in teaching, research and academic service.
In addition, Georgetown University Medical Center and MedStar Health
Research Institute have increased collaborative research activities through
their NIH-funded Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA), robust
joint scientific advisory board and joint intramural funding program.
GME Profile
Number of residents and fellows
1,070
Number of accredited programs
74
Number of specialties
54
Number of students rotating annually
Number of rotating residents and fellows annually
Number of teaching hospitals Both MedStar Health and Georgetown University
have devoted significant resources to the Center for
Brain Plasticity and Recovery, which include the
university’s functional MRI—a vital tool in understanding the mysteries of the mind, shown here with
Elissa Newport, PhD, and Alexander Dromerick, MD.
7
2,000
700
7
ADVANCING HEALTH
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KNITTING A NEW LIFE
After more than a year in hospitals and
rehabilitation, Debra Long finally felt well
enough to rejoin her church’s knitting and
crocheting group this past July.
Debra Long celebrated her birthday twice
this year: officially on Feb. 28, and again
on July 11—the first anniversary of her new
life as a multi-organ recipient, thanks to
MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute.
It’s a tradition she shares with others who
feel dramatically reborn when healthy
organs replace the failing.
Intestinal transplants are few and far between, with only about 100 or
so procedures performed annually, mostly on children and young adults.
Averaging about 20 each year, MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute
is one of the busiest and most experienced intestinal transplant centers
nationwide, with the deep infrastructure and range of subspecialists
required to tackle the rare and complex operation.
Debra, however, needed not one new organ, but five, complicating
her case.
Confident in Dr. Matsumoto and the transplant institute—and fearful
of leaving her teenage son parentless if she didn’t get off TPN—Debra
joined the organ waiting list.
Nearly 10 months later, she got the call. Dr. Matsumoto, two other
surgeons, residents, and students flew to Florida for the first part of
their mission: to carefully retrieve the donated organs. Meanwhile
Debra picked up her yarn, knitting needles and pre-packed bag, and
headed off to the transplant institute for the surgery of her life.
Debra’s life-threatening drama began with a preventive double
mastectomy and hysterectomy to avoid the cancers that claimed her
mother and aunt. But the 53-year-old developed a dangerous blood
clot in her abdomen, eventually causing the loss of most of her intestines.
Six months later, she was home, tethered indefinitely to the 14-hour
intravenous feeding regimen called total parenteral nutrition (TPN),
and facing an uncertain destiny.
Then she found MedStar Health.
“While short periods of TPN can be invaluable, the therapy exacts a toll
on the body when used long term,” says Cal Matsumoto, MD, Debra’s
principal surgeon with the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute.
On July 11, 2013—after 17 hours on the operating table—Debra had
a new pancreas, liver, small bowel, stomach, and duodenum.
“My transplant team was simply awesome—some of the most
compassionate, caring professionals I’ve ever encountered,” she says.
“Their support and encouragement helped me persevere, recover
and, for the first time in two years, feel good again.”
One more surgery, a kidney transplant, awaits her, but Debra’s not
terribly concerned.
“It’s all good: It’s the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute.”
“As a result of TPN, Debra’s other digestive organs were starting
to fail. Basically, she needed an entirely new gastrointestinal
tract—an extremely difficult procedure for patients in their 20s,
let alone someone middle-aged.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
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10
R estoring B odies
and S pirits
That procedure—scapulothoracic fusion—can restore and
improve upper extremity function for select patients, like
Lauren, with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).
“People with FSHD experience progressive weakening of
skeletal muscles,” says Leigh Ann Curl, MD, of MedStar Harbor
Hospital—one of a few orthopaedic surgeons on the east coast
who performs this highly specialized operation. “By melding the
shoulder blade to the underlying adjacent ribs, patients with
FSHD gain more mobility and have a better quality of life.”
Like others who have trekked to Baltimore from as far away
as New Jersey and Florida, Lauren and her parents thought
nothing of driving six hours or more each way, after learning
of the procedure and Dr. Curl’s reputation.
This past spring, Lauren Brown’s dream
came true: to perform at Disney World®
with fellow members of North Carolina’s
Lee County High School marching band.
As the parade passed by, none of the
spectators could have guessed that—
only four months earlier—the 16-year-old
bass drummer had undergone a rare and
challenging shoulder blade surgery.
“As soon as we met her, we knew we had come to the right place,”
says Lauren’s mother, Rachel, a physical therapist. “The entire
experience was incredible. It means a great deal when your
child is taken care of so well.”
Care for children and adolescents with musculoskeletal
conditions recently received another boost with the arrival of
Andrew Abramowitz, MD, at MedStar Franklin Square Medical
Center. One of a very few pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in the
region, Dr. Abramowitz has a special interest in children with
cerebral palsy—which represent some of his most complex cases.
In the space of two weeks this spring, for example, he spent two
12-hour days in the operating room, basically rebuilding an
adolescent boy’s lower body, from his pelvis and hips down to
his ankles and feet, so he may one day walk again.
“Children are not just small adults,” says the fellowship-trained
expert who also specializes in limb-lengthening. “They’re still
actively growing, so we have to consider the effect of the current
procedure on future development.”
That caliber of services and personalized care has earned
MedStar Orthopaedics a national reputation for excellence.
With fellowship-trained specialists in nearly all musculoskeletal
conditions—and a major sports medicine program—it provides
The beat goes on for drummer Lauren
and the rest of the Lee County High School
marching band, thanks to the orthopaedic
experts at MedStar Harbor Hospital,
part of MedStar Orthopaedics.
11
Lauren’s mom, Rachel, researched and found the rare, highly specialized
procedure her daughter needed at MedStar Harbor Hospital, part of
MedStar Orthopaedics.
team physicians to the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals,
Washington Nationals, and Washington Wizards, as well as coverage
for many collegiate and youth programs throughout the area.
The addition of pediatric orthopaedics to the roster is MedStar’s
latest step to fulfill community needs.
“By helping young patients sit, stand and walk better,” Dr. Abramowitz
says, “we restore both body and spirit.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
12
Pat i e n t- P ow e r e d
With a decade of work in safety, quality and patient-centered care,
MedStar began our formal evolution into a high reliability organization
(HRO) in 2013. Perfected by the aviation and nuclear power industries,
the HRO model helps high-risk, complex fields successfully avoid
catastrophes. Now, the nation’s most enlightened and forward-thinking
hospitals are adopting this approach.
“No one goes into health care to harm
patients,” says Kelly M. Smith, PhD,
scientific director for Quality and Safety
Research at MedStar Health. Yet
unintentional harm happens—physically,
financially, psychologically. The manner in
which hospitals handle errors in care, learn
from mistakes and engage former patients
to prevent future occurrences is slowly
changing the formerly closed-door
realm of medicine into an open,
transparent culture.
MedStar Health’s David Mayer, MD—a nationally
recognized expert, educator and lecturer on patient
safety and quality—discusses how patient advocates
are helping change the healthcare environment,
here and elsewhere.
13
“Seeking to become an HRO is an all-inclusive, top-to-bottom process,”
says David Mayer, MD, vice president of Quality and Safety. “It’s the
biggest, system-wide initiative we’ve tackled in memory, and it won’t
be fully implemented for another three to four years.”
So far, Dr. Mayer and his team have introduced 2,200 executives, managers
and others to the model’s essential leadership principles. At each of our
10 hospitals, hundreds of other HRO-prepared “champions” are walking
frontline associates through the training necessary to achieve system-wide
resilience and accountability, the hallmarks of HROs. Fewer than 25 percent
of America’s hospitals have attempted the transition.
As part of HRO’s second phase, MedStar is leading 14 hospitals from
three healthcare systems nationwide in a 24-month project for the
Health Research and Educational Trust, funded by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality. Called CANDOR—short for
Communication and Optimal Resolution—it involves developing
and testing an educational toolkit to help hospitals respond to,
defuse and quickly resolve potential patient harm situations.
“It takes significant institutional courage and commitment to follow
this route, and MedStar has both,” says Dr. Smith, principal investigator
for MedStar’s project. “With rollout scheduled to begin in early 2015 at
eight of our hospitals, we are CANDOR’s largest site.”
Consumer engagement, another important piece in our HRO journey,
continues through our Patient and Family Advisory Councils for Quality
and Safety (PFACQS). These committees comprise patients, family
members, hospital staff, and community residents, all interested in
sharing their experiences and perspectives to improve patient care and
satisfaction. First introduced at the system level in 2012, the concept is
now up and running at five MedStar hospitals, with the remainder in
varying stages of implementation.
HRO, CANDOR, PFACQS. Each component brings us one step closer
to our ultimate goal: to provide the highest quality, safest care possible
for our community and our associates.
Pictured are some of the many MedStar associates, national advocates
and community members lending their time and healthcare experiences
to help move MedStar Health from good to great.
ADVANCING HEALTH
14
MILES AHEAD
And within months, Miles returned to the active lifestyle he loves,
thanks to his determination—and the equal determination of
MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital—to get him there.
“I had done a segment about prosthetic arms and rehab a few
years ago,” says Miles, who has covered science, technology and
aerospace for such media giants as CNN and PBS. “So when I
started looking at possible places for rehabilitation, Chicago,
Baltimore and New York made the list.”
But then a friend introduced him to MedStar NRH, and the
deal was sealed.
Consistently ranked among America’s “Best Hospitals” for
rehabilitation by U.S.News & World Report, MedStar NRH offers
an innovative arm amputee program—a rare program for a rare
problem. Part research, part rehab, it is the only comprehensive
interdisciplinary clinic of its type in the mid-Atlantic region.
Together, a team of physicians, occupational therapists, prostheticists,
and others are evaluating whether systematic training can teach
patients to master their arm replacements, maximizing function
and independence.
“Typically, patients receive an upper arm prosthetic, practice using
it a few times in the maker’s office and are sent on their way,”
explains Jessica Barth, MS, occupational therapist and researcher.
“Out of frustration, many either abandon the device or develop
awkward movements that can cause problems later.”
When a freak, on-location accident in the
Philippines separated Miles O’Brien from his
left arm, the 55-year-old broadcast journalist
faced a tough decision: follow his feelings on
their downward spiral or summon the strength
to rise to a new, unknown challenge.
In contrast, MedStar NRH specialists determine which activities
patients would like to resume, then devise a plan to strengthen
specific muscles, maintain flexibility and improve range of
motion for the task at hand.
Five-time Emmy winner Miles O’Brien clasps his latest award,
presented this fall for “Manhunt—Boston Bombers,” his documentary
for PBS’s NOVA. The hour-long special aired at the end of May 2013,
a mere six weeks after the attacks that killed three and injured hundreds.
That “can-do” attitude appealed to Miles, who most wanted to ride
in a 300-mile bike trip for cancer in memory of his sister.
And on July 13, 2014—nearly five months to the day after losing his
arm—Miles finished the entire 300-mile ride. He’s also running again
and hopes next to return to scuba diving.
Soon he was outfitted with a custom-designed arm expressly for
biking—one of many devices MedStar NRH’s specialists can craft for
tumbling, kayaking, flying, and other high-performance athletics.
“How to deal with this type of loss is a very personal decision,” he says.
“But the experts at MedStar will work to get you back to the activities
that add meaning to your life. They are amazing.”
He chose the latter.
ADVANCING HEALTH
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CO N T R I B U T I N G FAC TO R S
Dedicated donors Emily and Neil Kishter believe, “A lot
of work needs to be done at our medical institutions.
That can’t happen without the support of private donors.”
Adds Neil, “You can’t take it with you.”
Neil has remained deeply appreciative of the quality of care
and compassion Dana received from Lombardi—the area’s
only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center and one
of only 41 nationwide—and the special concern and expertise
of Craig Kessler, MD, her hematologist/oncologist.
Not long afterward, the 54-year-old philanthropist asked
Dr. Kessler what he could do to help.
“I realized I couldn’t change Dana’s outcome,” Neil says,
“but I could try to make things a little better for others.”
From breaking ground for a new building to
groundbreaking research … and from investing in
the most advanced lifesaving technology to testing
a fresh approach to manage chronic conditions,
philanthropy powers progress. MedStar Health’s
donors—often grateful patients or family members
seeking a meaningful way to thank us for care
received—provide the critical financial margin
needed to move from good to great and make
a difference for the people we serve.
In the refurbished Infusion Center, each patient spends up
to five hours a day receiving proven and promising therapies
with the potential to change future cancer care. To comply
with stringent research protocols, staff is specially trained in
the intricacies of administering experimental drugs, including
cancer cell-targeted antibodies and more standard chemotherapybased treatment. Thanks to the Kishters, more comfortable
surroundings, enhanced work stations, and a welcoming and
healing environment now make life in the Infusion Center
better and more efficient for patients and professionals alike.
Neil and Emily Kishter are prime examples.
“All contributions are important and valued,” Neil says, “but a large
gift helps get things done. Otherwise, it can take years for a worthwhile
project to finally make it through budget approval.”
So in 2013, the couple fulfilled a significant pledge toward improvements
to the Infusion Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, a place Neil knows all too well.
His first wife, Dana, fought a losing battle there with three different acute
leukemias over a decade, spending countless hours in the outpatient facility.
“Whether it’s a bricks-and-mortar project or a specific
research study that could lead to promising therapies,” says
Dr. Kessler, “philanthropy provides so many opportunities
to benefit patients, directly and indirectly.”
For Neil and Emily, the new Infusion Center was a rewarding
venture, with an immediate return on investment.
“I firmly believe in giving during your lifetime, especially while
you’re young,” he says. “I want to be around to see the results.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
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Con q uering C ancer
The first news Bruce Raaka heard was bad enough:
He had colorectal cancer. But the more refined
diagnosis, delivered a few weeks later, devastated
the 61-year-old and his wife, Liz. The malignancy,
already advanced, had metastasized to his liver.
That change in status rendered surgery—the best
line of attack—fruitless, unless chemotherapy could
first halt his cancer’s progression.
At that point, the federal research scientist—a man accustomed to digging
for facts and figures—didn’t want to know any more, including statistical
outcomes. “Whatever the prognosis, I vowed then and there that I would
beat the odds,” he says.
So Bruce threw himself into a year-long battle, led by the medical triumvirate
of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s Michael Pishvaian, MD, PhD,
oncologist, and Thomas Fishbein, MD, director of the Center for Liver and
Pancreas Surgery; and Thomas Stahl, MD, interim chairman of the Department
of Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and regional director of
Colorectal Surgery, MedStar Health.
“Both Liz and I had worked previously at medical schools in New York,”
he says. “Knowing that the MedStar system included an academic medical
center was important to us.”
To buoy his spirits during chemotherapy,
Bruce MacLachlan Raaka summoned his
inner Scot, frequently piping “Scotland the
Brave” at home. The self-taught player hopes
to join a bagpipe band following retirement.
Thanks to MedStar’s commitment to become a Distributed Care Delivery
Network, Bruce received much of his advanced medical care at MedStar
Montgomery Medical Center, closer to his Rockville home. Because
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center is part of the MedStar Georgetown
Cancer Network, patients can consult with and receive certain standard
therapies from some of the network’s most highly trained cancer and
colorectal specialists right on site. When patients need more complex
procedures and services, those same experts can treat them at MedStar
Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Bruce’s treatment, for instance, began with aggressive chemotherapy at
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, the site of his original diagnosis,
to contain and shrink his primary and secondary tumors. Once down to
an operable size, the tumors and neighboring sections of Bruce’s colon
were removed at MedStar Washington Hospital Center; 10 weeks later,
The avid golfer, bagpiper and research scientist—with his wife and fellow
scientist, Liz—now has one more distinction to add to his list: cancer survivor.
at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, the affected portions of
his liver were also removed. The intensive and successful treatment
came full circle with a final round of chemotherapy back at MedStar
Montgomery Medical Center, with professionals from MedStar VNA
assisting at his home.
“More and more colorectal cancers like Bruce’s can now be controlled
—and even cured—thanks to the combination of surgery and today’s
advanced chemotherapies,” says Dr. Pishvaian, who will continue to
monitor Bruce in the future.
That’s music to Bruce’s ears.
“There were so many moving parts, so many opportunities for error,
every step along the way,” he says, likening his personal experience to
a biomedical research experiment. “But the whole process was flawless.
I’ve been around medical institutions my entire life and am incredibly
impressed by MedStar Health.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
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20
H A N D I WO R K
For 24-year-old Andrew Guthrie, the future
looks bright. After a triple major in college,
he’s pursuing a PhD in computer science,
he’s a skillful woodworker, and he loves lifting
weights whenever he can. But in March 2013,
a brutal injury to his right hand cast a shadow
over the years ahead.
“Andrew’s surgery was incredibly complex: an approach available
at only a few centers in the world,” says James Higgins, MD, chief of
The Curtis National Hand Center, a key contributor in planning and
executing Andrew’s surgery, and co-leader on the multi-institutional
team that—in 2013—performed one of the very few double arm
transplants ever attempted. “From the most drastic cases to more
common elective procedures, we work diligently to achieve the best
possible outcome for each individual.” The results speak for themselves.
“I had no idea I could ever make a recovery like I’ve done,” Andrew concludes.
While Andrew was milling lumber for a prized piece of furniture,
the planer blade sliced through the palm side of his little, ring and
middle fingers.
Paramedics rushed Andrew to The Curtis National Hand Center
at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital—one of the most advanced
hand trauma centers in the world, and right in Andrew’s backyard.
Acutely aware of the gravity of his situation, Andrew prepared
himself for the worst: a future without three fingers.
With the help of the experts at The Curtis National Hand Center,
Andrew Guthrie has returned to the hobby he loves.
But the center’s surgeons—experts in treating the most serious
and complex hand, arm and shoulder disorders—had other plans.
“While we receive trauma patients and those needing either
reattachment or toe-to-hand transfers somewhat regularly, Andrew’s
case was unique,” says Ryan Katz, MD, lead surgeon. “His injury,
though devastating, spared some bone and all the tissue on the
back of the fingers. We felt we had enough to work with to rebuild
a new, and useful, hand.”
So Andrew willingly relinquished the second toe from each foot
as the first stage in a highly specialized procedure. Instead of just
transferring the toes onto Andrew’s hands, however, Dr. Katz and
team carefully deconstructed the digits, using specific parts to
fashion new fingers and advanced microscopic techniques to
reconnect delicate blood vessels and nerves. Five days later,
Andrew was home.
Since then, he’s undergone several more surgeries to refine the
appearance of his fingers, culminating in the removal of plates and
pins this July. But 18 months after this harrowing accident, Andrew
can type on a computer keyboard—crucial to completing a doctoral
candidate’s rigorous demands—and resume the activities he enjoys.
ADVANCING HEALTH
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22
R EC I P E FO R R ECOV E RY
Mary Kelly loves to cook. So much so, she
made a career out of it, spending 47 years in the
kitchens of the Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
But leg pain from diabetes forced her off her
feet and into retirement. Then she developed a
common yet serious complication: non-healing
wounds, the bane of a diabetic patient.
Fortunately, nearby MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital had just opened
its Wound Healing Center, the only one of its kind within a 40-mile
radius. The state-of-the-art facility features the most advanced
treatments available, including bioengineered tissue substitutes,
negative pressure wound therapy, growth factor therapies, and
the highly effective but time-consuming treatment Mary needed:
hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
“HBOT is the pinnacle for treating difficult wounds,” says Olivia
N. Sartain, RN, MSN, and the center’s program director. “But the
full course of care can be intense—two hours, Monday through
Friday, for up to six weeks. So proximity to an HBOT facility is
key for the best outcomes: It makes it easier and more convenient
for patients to follow through with their complete treatment.”
Demand for the therapy is high. In the year since the Wound
Healing Center opened, its two HBOT units regularly treat four to
eight patients a day, the center’s capacity. In addition to MedStar
St. Mary’s Hospital, HBOT is also available at MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital.
Sporting her cook’s coat, Mary demonstrates
the culinary skills she used during her long
career. Thanks to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital,
she can still pursue her passion.
While HBOT is prescribed for chronic bone infections, burns,
side effects from radiation oncology treatment, and other
difficult-to-heal conditions, diabetic wounds comprise the bulk
of cases. Poor circulation is the culprit, reducing the flow of
oxygen-rich blood to the lower extremities, resulting in foot and
leg ulcers. During HBOT, patients breathe pure oxygen inside
a highly pressurized chamber, which mobilizes infection-fighting
white blood cells, promotes new collagen growth to close open
wounds and stimulates the body’s other natural healing abilities.
John Harvey, MD, Mary’s vascular surgeon, is a huge proponent of
both the limb-saving treatment and the hospital’s new center.
“It’s quite comprehensive and advanced, with the latest technology
and specially trained, dedicated staff,” he says. “With this service,
MedStar has filled a big void in this community.”
HBOT certainly provided the missing ingredient Mary needed.
“I miss cooking for my work family,” she says. “But thanks to God,
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and the support of my family and friends,
I’m once again back on my feet and at my stove.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
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G R A D E “A” R E S E A R C H
Overseeing it all is MedStar Health Research Institute, among the
top 15 percent of centers nationwide in terms of NIH and other
federal funding, and a force for advancing health.
Last year, thousands of MedStar Health
patients and others across the region joined
one of our many studies on promising new
drugs, emerging healthcare technologies or
novel approaches to care. Each contributed
another piece to the puzzle, leading our
physician scientists closer to understanding
and managing cardiovascular disease, cancer
and other serious conditions.
The research institute complements the key clinical services of
MedStar’s 10 hospitals with work that spans basic bench studies
to community-wide initiatives. In 2013, institute staff managed
more than 850 grants system-wide, generating more than 500
peer-reviewed publications. Our current portfolio shows $30 million
in basic, clinical and translational research, including major trials
on a long-standing MedStar interest: diabetes.
In the NIH-sponsored GRADE study, for instance, the research
institute’s team, led by principal investigator Vanita Aroda, MD,
compares the effectiveness of four commonly prescribed, glucoselowering medications when taken with the front-line drug,
metformin. Results from the seven-year study could change the
lives of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Francisco Estrada of Virginia welcomed the chance to participate.
“I tried diet, exercise and metformin. Nothing worked,” says the
retired senior manager for the Federal Aviation Administration.
“But within three months of enrolling, my assigned drug—plus the
extra follow-up, support and education MedStar provided—helped
me lose 30 pounds, finally bringing my diabetes under control.”
One of the first of 45 sites to initiate the nationwide study, MedStar
is also among the most successful study recruiters. That distinction
earned us an additional $3 million to expand the GRADE study to
Baltimore, beyond the original $4 million award.
“Diabetes is a significant problem among our patient population,”
says Stuart M. Levine, MD, vice chairman, Strategic Growth and
Research at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, GRADE’s second
MedStar site. “With a strong program and an equally strong
bond with the community, we’re an ideal real-world lab to test
academic concepts.”
Dr. Stuart Levine championed GRADE’s expansion to MedStar Good
Samaritan Hospital, which cares for a significant diabetic population.
Baltimore resident Jimmy Kelly immediately answered the call for
volunteers and was soon accepted into the hospital’s GRADE study.
“My numbers have been slipping a little recently, and I felt like it was
an opportunity to manage my condition better,” he says.
For Francisco, joining the trial had a twofold benefit.
“I am forever grateful to MedStar Health and GRADE for the chance
to restore my health, while advancing knowledge about diabetes,”
he concludes. “I hope study results will one day help diabetic
patients everywhere.”
Leaner, healthier and happier, diabetes study participant
Francisco Estrada attributes his newfound success to
MedStar Health Research Institute.
ADVANCING HEALTH
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F rontline S olutions
Kenneth Veenema, MD,
medical director of MedStar’s
multispecialty healthcare center
in Federal Hill, sees one of the
many patients grateful for high
quality, comprehensive and
convenient health care right
in the neighborhood.
Baltimore’s historic Federal Hill is back on
the frontlines of change. This time it’s not
a battle that’s put it there but a building:
the new 28,000-square-foot multispecialty
healthcare center, MedStar Health at Federal
Hill. Its July opening embodies health care’s
continued expansion into the community
and MedStar’s position as a standard-bearer
for readily accessible, convenient care.
“Organizing care around patients’ needs, with respect to their busy work
and life schedules, makes it a lot less likely that someone will put off seeing
a doctor or ignore symptoms,” says Bob Gilbert, president of MedStar
Ambulatory Services.
So in 2012, the system began introducing MedStar PromptCare—urgent
care centers—followed by multispecialty care centers with a range of
services. Ten urgent care and three multispecialty care centers later, the
network is still growing.
MedStar Health at Federal Hill is the largest and most comprehensive to
date and the first integrated, multispecialty care center to serve the south
Baltimore community. Under one roof, patients can receive urgent, primary
and preventive care; radiology and laboratory studies; and specialty
27
services in cardiology, orthopaedics, sports medicine, surgery, rehabilitation,
podiatry, and women’s health. The space’s design promotes quick and easy
collaboration for the best, most thorough treatment plans, while an integrated
electronic health record makes patient medical information readily available
throughout the system. Free or low-cost health screenings, injury clinics,
and health promotion and support programs are planned for the future.
Its opening came just in time for Federal Hill resident Scott Schaefer.
After being rear-ended by a texting teenager, excruciating back pain sent
Scott to the site’s MedStar PromptCare center, where he was seen by
Kenneth Veenema, MD, medical director and sports medicine specialist.
In one visit, Scott was examined, X-rayed and diagnosed, without leaving
the building. After a few weeks of on-site physical therapy, he returned to
his active routine.
Then misfortune struck again.
“I sprained my knee playing tennis and immediately went back to the
Federal Hill site,” says Scott. “Once again, Dr. Veenema examined me on
the spot, and I received the orthopaedic care I needed right upstairs.”
The population served by MedStar Health at Federal Hill is a mix
of longtime residents who can’t or won’t travel far for health care,
commuters working in the area and young transplants like Scott
looking for quick, convenient service.
“Scott is a good example of how we fast track patients so
they can get a rapid and accurate diagnosis from a specialist,
and start early, definitive treatment,” says Dr. Veenema.
“By concentrating care in one place with fewer appointments
and eliminating long waits, we’re literally changing the
way people experience health care.”
ADVANCING HEALTH
28
LEADERSHIP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
William R. Roberts (Chair)
President and Chief Executive Officer
WR Roberts Company
Rosie Allen-Herring
President and Chief Executive Officer
United Way of the National Capital Area
Chandralekha Banerjee, MD
Chief of Infection Control
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Andrew J. Berry
President, Drew Berry & Associates
Anthony J. Buzzelli
Vice Chairman, Deloitte (Retired)
William Couper
Retired President
MidAtlantic – Bank of America
John J. DeGioia, PhD
President, Georgetown University
Donovan Dietrick, MD
Director of Obstetrics and
Gynecology Residency Program
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Marc N. Duber
Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer
The Bernstein Companies
Barbara R. Heller, EdD, RN, FAAN
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives,
Nursing and Health Sciences
Laureate Education, Inc.
CORPORATE EXECUTIVES
ENTITY PRESIDENTS
CORPORATE AND OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Mark T. Jensen
Co-Founder, Bowie & Jensen, LLC
Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Traci K. Anderson
President, MedStar Visiting Nurse Association
Christopher G. Kalhorn, MD
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Director of Epilepsy Surgery, Functional
Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Michael J. Curran
Executive Vice President
Chief Administrative and Financial Officer
Bradley S. Chambers
President, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Gregory J. Argyros, MD
Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and
Chief Medical Officer
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
M. Joy Drass, MD
Executive Vice President
Operations – Washington Region
Robert J. Gilbert
President, MedStar Ambulatory Services
Roberta M. Loker
Loan Officer, Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc.
Vincent J. Martorana, DPM
Section Chief, Podiatric Surgery
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Catherine A. Meloy
President and Chief Executive Officer
Goodwill of Greater Washington
William J. Oetgen, Jr., MD, MBA (Vice Chair)
Senior Vice President, Science and Quality
American College of Cardiology
Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
MedStar Health
Allen J. Taylor, MD
Chief of Cardiology
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Sara E. Watkins
Senior Vice President, Capacity Partners
The Honorable Togo D. West, Jr.
Chair, TLI Leadership Group
Stephen R. T. Evans, MD
Executive Vice President
Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer
Oliver M. Johnson, II
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Maureen P. McCausland, DNSc
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer
Carl J. Schindelar, FACHE
Executive Vice President
Operations – Baltimore Region
Christine M. Swearingen
Executive Vice President
Planning, Marketing and Community Relations
Eric R. Wagner
Executive Vice President
External Affairs and Diversified Operations
Richard L. Goldberg, MD
President, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Jeffrey A. Matton
President, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Peter W. Monge, FACHE
President, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Samuel E. Moskowitz, FACHE
President, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE
President, MedStar Harbor Hospital
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
John D. Rockwood
President, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
John Sullivan
President, MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Neil J. Weissman, MD, FACC
President, MedStar Health Research Institute
Christine R. Wray, FACHE
President, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital
Center and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Bruce A. Bartoo
Senior Vice President and
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Stuart B. Bell, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Martin L. Binstock, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Jennie P. McConagha
Chief of Staff and Vice President
Operational Communications
Stephen T. Michaels, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
Susan K. Nelson
Vice President, Finance and
Accounting Operations
David P. Noe
Vice President, Human Resources
Lisa M. Boyle, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Edward W. Robinson
Vice President, Performance Improvement and
Operational Support
Joel N. Bryan
Vice President, Treasurer
Anthony O. Sclama, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Diane L. Caslow
Vice President, Strategic and
Business Planning
Larry L. Smith
Vice President, Risk Management
James Farley
Senior Vice President, MedStar Medical Group
Mark S. Smith, MD
Director, MedStar Institute for Innovation
Frederick Finelli, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
Pegeen A. Townsend
Vice President, Government Affairs
Debora J. Kuchka-Craig
Vice President, Managed Care
Michael R. Yochelson, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
Stuart M. Levine, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs
MedStar Harbor Hospital (effective Dec. 1, 2014)
David B. Mayer, MD
Vice President, Quality and Safety
ADVANCING HEALTH
29
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OV E R V I E W
MedStar Health combines the best aspects of academic medicine, research and innovation with a complete spectrum of clinical services to
advance patient care. As the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, MedStar’s 10 hospitals, the MedStar Health
Research Institute and a comprehensive scope of health-related organizations are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care.
MedStar has one of the largest graduate medical education programs in the country, training more than 1,000 medical residents annually, and is the
medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University. MedStar Health is a $4.6 billion not-for-profit, regional healthcare system based in
Columbia, Md., and one of the largest employers in the region. Our 30,000 associates and 6,000 affiliated physicians all support MedStar Health’s
patient-first philosophy that combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. Visit us at MedStarHealth.org
MedStar Health Hospitals
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Located in northeast Baltimore County,
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center is
the largest community teaching hospital in
Maryland, and offers a full range of services
for children and adults. MedStar Franklin
Square Medical Center’s Emergency
Department sees more patients annually
than any other hospital in Maryland.
MedStarFranklin.org
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
is an acute care teaching and research hospital
located in northwest Washington, D.C.
Its centers of excellence include neurosciences,
transplantation, cancer, and gastroenterology.
Advanced research and cutting-edge
technologies have given the hospital a
national reputation for medical excellence
and leadership. MedStarGeorgetown.org
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital is a
comprehensive community hospital located
in northeast Baltimore City. Known for
excellence in orthopaedics and rehabilitation,
it also excels in rheumatology, nephrology,
wound care, and burn reconstruction.
Additionally, the campus includes the Good
Samaritan Nursing Center and two senior
housing complexes. MedStarGoodSam.org
MedStar Harbor Hospital
Since its founding in 1903, Baltimore’s MedStar
Harbor Hospital has grown alongside the
community it serves. MedStar Harbor Hospital
offers a full range of healthcare services for
patients—from infancy through the senior
years. The hospital’s specialty areas include
orthopaedics, women’s services, cancer care,
diabetes care, fetal assessment, cardiopulmonary
rehabilitation, and the treatment of chronic
lung conditions. MedStarHarbor.org
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, a
community hospital located in Olney, Md.,
remains true to its roots by offering sophisticated,
high quality medicine in an atmosphere of
personal, individualized care. With the addition
of specialists from MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital and MedStar Washington
Hospital Center, the hospital brings specialty care
closer to its patients. MedStarMontgomery.org
MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
Located in northwest Washington, D.C.,
MedStar NRH is a specialty hospital offering
inpatient, day treatment and outpatient programs
specifically designed to aid in the rehabilitation of
individuals with disabling injuries and illnesses.
Centers of excellence include brain injury and
disease, spinal cord injury and disease, stroke
recovery, cardiac rehabilitation, orthopaedics,
and pediatric rehabilitation. MedStarNRH.org
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
Located in Prince George’s County, MedStar
Southern Maryland Hospital Center is a
255-bed, full-service community hospital.
Its specialty areas include asthma and allergy
care, behavioral health, cancer, cardiac care,
emergency and critical care, orthopaedics,
radiology, rehabilitation, sleep disorders, stroke
care, and women’s and newborn services.
MedStarSouthernMaryland.org
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, located in St. Mary’s
County, is a full-service hospital committed to
delivering state-of-the-art emergency, acute
inpatient and outpatient care to residents of
southern Maryland. The only hospital in this
growing area, it offers advanced technologies and
a highly trained staff with excellence in behavioral
health, diabetes management, emergency and urgent
care, hospice, oncology, orthopaedics, radiology,
wellness, and women’s services. MedStarStMarys.org
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Located in northeast Baltimore City, MedStar
Union Memorial Hospital is a regional specialty
and teaching hospital. It is known nationally
for The Curtis National Hand Center, cardiac
care and orthopaedics, and developed the first
hospital-based sports medicine program in the
nation. The hospital offers a comprehensive range
of inpatient and outpatient services, including a
diabetes and endocrine center, general surgery,
oncology, thoracic surgery, and vascular surgery.
MedStarUnionMemorial.org
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is a 926-bed,
acute care teaching and research hospital located
in northwest Washington, D.C. The largest private
hospital in the nation’s capital and one of the 50
largest hospitals in the country, MedStar Washington
Hospital Center is a national leader in the research,
diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease
and cancer. The hospital operates the area’s only
adult burn center, surgical critical care center and
the region’s premiere shock trauma center.
MedStarWashington.org
MedStar Health Related Organizations
MedStar Health Research Institute
MedStar Health Research Institute is the research arm
of MedStar Health. It provides scientific, administrative
and regulatory support for research that complements
MedStar’s clinical services and teaching programs.
MedStar Health Research Institute conducts clinical,
healthcare delivery and outcomes research in hospital and
ambulatory settings, and its expertise includes translational
research into disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
MedStar Ambulatory Services
MedStar Ambulatory Services is rapidly developing
convenient and accessible care centers, making quality
health care available by bringing primary, urgent and
specialty medical care close to where people live and
work. MedStar Ambulatory Services will continue to
develop innovative ways to ensure the community can
easily access the quality health services and programs
they need, when they need it.
MedStar Visiting Nurse Association
MedStar Visiting Nurse Association, a non-profit, in-home
healthcare provider, offers skilled nursing, rehabilitation
and infusion therapy for homebound, disabled and chronically
ill patients in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and the northern
Virginia region. Personal care services are also available
through its residential services agency. To support good health
in the community, MedStar VNA offers traveling vaccination
and wellness programs across the region.
MedStar Family Choice
MedStar Family Choice is a licensed HMO serving more than
100,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in Maryland and Washington,
D.C. The Maryland plan is a top-ranked Medicaid managed
care plan by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,
and is ranked 17th nationally among Medicaid Plan Providers
by the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Health
Insurance Plan Rankings 2014 - 2015. MedStar Family Choice
also operates MedStar Medicare Choice, a Medicare Advantage
Plan, in the District, with expansion across seven counties in
Maryland beginning Jan. 1, 2015.
ADVANCING HEALTH
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32
NUMBERS
Fiscal Year 2014 Total number of inpatient admissions / observation stays
Number of inpatient admissions
Number of observation stays
Total number of outpatient visits
Number of home health visits
Number of emergency department visits
Number of physician office visits
Number of ambulatory visits and surgeries
Net operating revenue
Money spent caring for patients
Earnings from operations that were reinvested
Investments in information technology
Philanthropy
Number of associates, residents and fellows
Nurses
Residents and fellows
Number of affiliated physicians
Employed physicians
Community Benefit 2013 - $309.7 M
207,731
148,685
59,046
3,965,578
293,063
549,258
1,444,043
1,679,214
$4.62 B
$4.49 B
$136 M
$60 M
$38 M
30,000
8,400
1,070
Research
$7.0 M
Throughout the region, the associates of MedStar Health lead with
knowledge and compassion. The growing philanthropic support
received from grateful patients, families, community members, and
others serves as a powerful validation of the value that MedStar brings
to the health and well-being of the region.
Community
Services†
$54.2 M
Charity Care/
Bad Debt*
$109.2 M
You are invited to partner with MedStar Health by making a philanthropic
investment in the way that matters most to you. Your investment may
be motivated by gratitude for the excellent care and service a loved one
received, or from a desire to improve the health of others. No matter
the reason, philanthropic support enhances care delivery, innovation,
research, and quality and safety programs that enable clinicians to
provide world-class care right here in the community.
Medical
Education
$139.3 M
* Includes unfunded government-sponsored
programs; D.C. hospitals only.
Partnering With MedStar Health
Through Philanthropy
As a not-for-profit organization, MedStar Health is proud to reinvest
income to fund our mission of caring. Philanthropic support matters
in everything we do. We encourage you to engage us in a conversation
to explore how we might work together to fulfill our mission and
advance health across our region. Your return on such an investment
promises to be real, meaningful and life-changing for thousands of
patients and families, including those closest to you.
To explore philanthropic investment opportunities at MedStar Health,
please contact Bruce A. Bartoo, CFRE, senior vice president and
chief philanthropy officer, at 410-772-6517, or visit us online at
MedStarHealth.org/Philanthropy.
†
Includes subsidies, community health improvement
services, community building activities, financial
contributions, and community benefit operations.
6,000
1,700
ADVANCING HEALTH
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