CalvertHealth outlines $10 million Family Birth Center, seeks local support and fundraising
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Summary
CalvertHealth Foundation told the council it has secured $3.9 million in state bond support and is seeking the remaining funds and community donors for a roughly $10 million Family Birth Center renovation and expansion. The foundation and hospital plan a phased 16–18 month construction schedule beginning this spring.
CalvertHealth officials presented details on a planned Family Birth Center renovation and expansion at the Feb. 19 Chesapeake Beach Town Council meeting, describing a project budget the presenters described as just under $10,000,000 and an expected 16–18 month construction timeline.
Amy Phillips, executive director of the Calvert Health Foundation, said the foundation’s role is fundraising and community engagement; the foundation previously supported the hospital’s private‑room and cancer‑care campaigns and now will lead donor work to secure the local match for state bond funding.
Kasia Sweeney, senior vice president for strategy and transformation at CalvertHealth, outlined changes in the proposed design: larger LDRP (labor‑delivery‑recovery‑postpartum) rooms (four in the new design), improved nurse‑station sight lines, updated postpartum rooms and nursery space, and in‑hospital swing space during phased construction. “We intend to have rooms that are called LDRP rooms…patients and families will be able to stay there,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney and Phillips noted the county is medically underserved and that keeping modern obstetric services close to home reduces maternal and infant risk for patients who would otherwise travel long distances. The presenters said $3,900,000 of the project is funded through the Maryland Hospital Association bond program; the hospital and foundation will provide the remainder through hospital reserves and fundraising.
Council members asked about recruiting OB/GYNs, patient amenities and the timeline to break ground. Sweeney said the hospital has started investments (a laborist model and a new 15,000‑square‑foot women’s health center) that have improved retention and access and expressed cautious optimism about the capital appropriation being included in the state capital budget.
What’s next: CalvertHealth officials said they would continue fundraising and community outreach and expect to begin phased construction later this spring, with a public groundbreaking anticipated if funding and permitting proceed as planned.
