MD legislators tout state investment in Kennedy Krieger facility upgrades

Maryland legislators and hospital officials on Monday touted a $2 million state investment in the Kennedy Krieger Institute, saying the money will help the institute expand and upgrade its East Baltimore facilities for providing care for those with neurological, rehabilitative or developmental needs.

The world-renowned institute’s inpatient and outpatient facilities are both too small to handle the roughly 27,000 patients who seek care at there each year, said Bradley Schlaggar, Kennedy Krieger’s president and CEO.

“We struggle to serve every child and individual who needs our care,” Schlaggar said during a press conference at the East Baltimore hospital. “We need more space to serve more patients.”

With specialized care helping an increasing number of children survive traumatic injuries and illnesses, the demand for continuing, inpatient services has risen — and with it, the need for more long-term care facilities, Schlaggar said.

Most of the state funding will cover part of the cost for the institute to transform 16,000 square feet of administrative office space into areas for providing medical and mental health services for children and adults who have nervous system disorders or who are at risk of developing them.

Senate President Bill Ferguson said that projected budget deficits have forced legislators to hone in on what investments matter most. Including $2 million in this year’s multibillion-dollar budget for capital programs was an indication that the Kennedy Krieger Institute is among the state’s vital services.

“That is what this day is about — is investing in the things that matter the most for the state of Maryland,” Ferguson said at the press conference, alongside Sen. Cory McCray, a fellow Baltimore city Democrat.

Kennedy Krieger uses a patient-centered model for outpatient care, wherein the patient stays in one room and different specialists come to them. This model saves patients and their families the hassle of traveling to a variety of providers for diagnoses and treatments.

“It’s not necessarily efficient for the providers, but that’s not the priority,” Schlaggar said.

Roughly $750,000 of the state’s investment will be used to design and plan a new, state-of-the-art inpatient facility at the East Baltimore campus, where staff members will provide neurorehabilitative care for children, teens and young adults recovering from traumatic injuries and life-threatening illnesses.

Institute executives have also requested that legislators and Gov. Wes Moore set aside an additional $10 million in the capital budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins in July. Legislators will vote on the next capital budget during the 90-day session that begins in January.

That money would go to building and outfitting the new center. The total cost of the project is roughly $200 million.

Kennedy Krieger has requested a total of $55 million over five years from the state. Legislators have approved $2.75 million in the last two capital budgets.

Philanthropy, financing and federal aid are expected to cover the rest, according to the institute.