UPCOUNTY HOSPITAL:

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Holy Cross Proposes New

Germantown Hospital

Partnership with Montgomery College

May Still Leave Residents at Risk

Providing a patient with emergency medical attention really is all about time. The time it takes for emergency personnel to respond to a 911 call. And the time it takes for the ambulance to reach the nearest Emergency Department.

Residents in upper Montgomery County currently have two unsatisfactory options: hospitals in Rockville and Frederick. When every second counts, that is just too far away. Finally, but not without controversy, there is a proposal for a hospital in Germantown. And unlike the Suburban Hospital expansion scam here in Bethesda, it is actually giving us new hospital beds in the county.

This is not a perfect solution. It is a sensible start, as Germantown is the logical connecting point for Poolesville, Clarksburg, and Damascus. That is the same reason that I would only support a Corridor Cities [Rail]way through Germantown if it connects to those three outermost towns.

However, logistically, the Germantown hospital will still be far for those nearest the Frederick County border. It would really make sense to have another hospital in Clarksburg, Mount Airy, or somewhere else between Germantown and the City of Frederick. This is not just important for Montgomery County citizens near the border, but for Frederick County citizens north of our border. All would mutually benefit from an additional emergency facility that would be minutes away.

Remember, a person can only go 4 minutes without oxygen before suffering brain damage. Two new upcounty facilities are needed, as this literally is a matter of life and death.