UM Upper Chesapeake Health opens Aberdeen Medical Center, Bel Air Patient Bed Tower

University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), Tuesday opened the UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Aberdeen and the Patient Bed Tower at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air.

At the same time, UM Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace ended providing care to patients after serving the community for 112 years. Patients were transferred to the Bel Air or Aberdeen campuses.

Thirty-six patients were transferred by ambulance from UM Harford Memorial Hospital. Nineteen patients went to UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. Twelve patients in the UM Harford Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health Department were transferred to the Behavioral Health Pavilion in Aberdeen. Five patients were transferred to the Emergency Department at Aberdeen.

The 130,000-square-foot UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Aberdeen, located six miles from the Harford Memorial Hospital campus, includes an emergency department, observation care area and a helipad for transfers to the University of Maryland Medical Center for patients who need critical advanced care.

Features include a modern telehealth system in each patient room for better monitoring and specialty care consultation; select emergency department rooms designed to geriatric standards with padded floors, larger fonts on signs, warm colors, brighter lighting and located directly adjacent to the nurses’ station; large conference rooms available for community use; LED lighting with automatic dimming controls; and a helipad for quick transfers.

Also on site are a Behavioral Health Pavilion providing both inpatient and outpatient care and a 93,000-square foot Health and Wellness Center offering a range of clinical services including primary care, endocrinology and diabetes care, cardiology, hematology and oncology, infusion services, wound care, orthopedics, physical therapy and rehabilitation. Imaging and lab services will be added later in the month.

In Bel Air, a three-story, 75,000-square foot patient bed tower at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center was constructed on the top of the existing Kaufman Cancer Center at the hospital and includes 72 patient beds (42 observation and 30 inpatient). The 42 observation rooms are double-occupancy and include a private bathroom for each patient.