By Chris Miller, Assistant Editor, Facility Market

The Greater Baltimore Medical Center is starting construction on additions to its Towson hospital that are intended to improve the patient experience, according to The Baltimore Sun. Referred to as The Promise Project, the campaign somewhat funded by donors is meant to create a modern experience for the 342-bed hospital's patients. The estimated cost of the total project is $166 million.

The project entails a three-story, 117,000-square-foot inpatient facility as well as a two-story, 70,000-square-foot pavilion. The project is going to replace 60 existing patient rooms and create a new main entrance to the hospital and will help consolidate services under the same roof. The inpatient facility will cost about $108.2 million. The funds come mostly from bonds with smaller amounts coming through donations. The projected date of completion for the new facility is mid-to-late 2021. 

Upgrades to the current facility have been a priority for the medical center for over a decade, but other matters such as lowering healthcare costs and providing advanced services have been more important. Some of the hospital rooms haven’t been updated since they were built in the 1960s. The new rooms will be equipped with negative air flow to prevent the spillover of infectious diseases into other areas of the hospital. Spacing of inpatient rooms will be increased to offer patients more privacy throughout their stay.