The announcement was made by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) along with top officials from the state university system and the University of Maryland Medical System, known as UMMS — a highly rated nonprofit hospital network that would take over and revamp the county-owned health-care facilities. Those facilities, with their heavy burden of nonpaying and uninsured patients, have been on life support for years, subsidized by the state and county with tens of millions of dollars each year.
Special credit for forging the blueprint goes to County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D), who since his election last fall has focused on reviving a deal to offer county residents better health-care options. The deal could not have been done by Mr. Baker’s predecessor, Jack B. Johnson, whose notoriety for corrupt practices — even before he was convicted on federal charges this year — drove away potential partners.
The memorandum of understanding signed Thursday is far-reaching. It could lead, within about four years, to construction of a centrally located regional hospital, with perhaps 300 beds, serving the county and Southern Maryland, to replace the current rundown facility in Cheverly; to the presence of a health sciences program run by the University of Maryland, Baltimore; and to an overhaul of outpatient services at the county’s medical centers in Laurel and Bowie. The hope is that many of the 25,000 Prince Georgians admitted to hospitals each year in neighboring jurisdictions could be served much closer to home.
Many unknowns remain, not least the precise location of what is expected to be a 100-acre campus for the new hospital. And it will take at least another 16 months to nail down details, particularly on financing. The $600 million price tag in the agreement includes neither the overhaul of outpatient care nor a definitive means for paying off the current system’s $200 million in debts and unfunded liabilities for retiree pensions and health care.
There are risks. Large neighboring hospital systems may object to losing patients and profits from Prince George’s and may seek to undermine the deal. The newly elected Prince George’s County Council, which, in a previous incarnation, killed a deal to rescue the hospital system in 2007, will need to stay onboard, even in the face of the financial burden and possible disputes over location. Council members have acted responsibly so far, but they must not allow their oversight to degenerate into a dispute over real estate development. The state will also need to pony up in the face of competing demands.
County residents, who deserve better health care, have cause to celebrate, cautiously. They should also expect their elected officials to keep their eyes on the prize by maintaining the consensus struck Thursday. Residents of Fairfax County, Montgomery County, the District and other area jurisdictions have access to world-class health care. There is no excuse for Prince George’s not having the same.
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