ANNAPOLIS, MD—The University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Center this week held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $540 million facility in Easton.

Governor Wes Moore attended the event, which he said reinforces his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare access and supporting rural communities in the state.

“We are all here because we each share a simple but powerful belief: Everyone deserves access to health care. This isn’t about politics — this isn’t about ideology — this is about basic, foundational principles of a functioning society,” said Moore. “We will not stop until that future is a reality for the 456,000 Marylanders who call the Shore home — and the millions more who live all across our state. Not just because we ‘say so,’ but because we are proving what it means to make it so. Together, we will leave no one behind.”

The 147-bed replacement hospital will offer a comprehensive array of emergency, behavioral health and cardiology services. Its location will provide easier and safer access for ambulance and helicopter transport, in addition to ample parking for patients, staff and visitors, according to a press release.

“Today has been a long time coming and is truly a historic day for the future of health care on the Eastern Shore,” said Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System.

“Our system and UM Shore Regional Health together have pioneered innovative solutions for the challenges of rural health care and we look forward to the new Regional Medical Center opening to continue meeting the needs of residents across the region. Health care has come a long way since Emergency Hospital opened its doors in 1907 in Easton, and 117 years later we are committed to giving residents of the region served by Shore Regional Health the state-of-the-art hospital that they deserve,” Suntha said.

The project’s estimated cost will be funded by bonds, public and private philanthropy, federal grants and $100 million in state funds from the governor’s capital budget through fiscal year 2028.

The new facility is expected to open by late summer 2028.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office