About Us

Welcome to Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Howard County General Hospital has been serving our community for nearly 40 years. Our mission, "Provide the highest quality care to improve the health of our entire community through innovation, collaboration, service excellence, diversity and a commitment to patient safety" is carried through in all that we do.

When the Columbia Hospital and Clinics Foundation was founded in 1973, it was conceived as simply a 59-bed, short-stay facility for members of the Columbia Medical Plan. However, in response to the immediate demand for services and rapid rate of growth in the County, the hospital was incorporated the following year as Howard County General Hospital, an independent not-for-profit hospital with a mission to provide high-quality, comprehensive care and, in the process, improve the health of its community. In 1998, the hospital entered into a strategic partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, thereby augmenting the strong, community-focused, integrated delivery system already in place with the benefits of a formal connection with a world-renowned academic medical center. The alliance with Hopkins has positioned HCGH to pursue new initiatives that will provide improved services, facilities, and medical technology to the residents of Howard County.

Today, Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine is a comprehensive, acute-care medical center with 249 licensed beds specializing in women`s and children`s services, surgery, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, gerontology, psychiatry, emergency services, and community health education. Last year, the hospital had more than 19,000 admissions; performed over 13,500 surgical procedures; delivered over 3,200 babies; and treated more than 76,000 patients in the Emergency Department.

Facts:

• HCGH staff includes over 1,800 full- and part-time employees.
• HCGH is the fifth largest private employer in Howard County and employs more than 1,000 Howard County residents.
• More than 470 volunteers contributed over 42,000 hours of service in FY 2011, working in all areas of the hospital and the community in support of the hospital and its services.
• The professional staff is comprised of nearly 900 physicians and allied health professionals, representing more than 90 specialties and subspecialties. Ninety-three percent of the physicians are board-certified in their specialty.
• Hospital expenditures total approximately $225 million per year, much of which is spent locally for supplies and services. This figure includes salaries and benefits of more than $107 million.

Fiscal Year 2011 Utilization Statistics:

• HCGH provided services to more than 198,000 people.
• Provided outreach and wellness programs to more than 40,000 people.
• Admitted 19,297 patients to the hospital.
• Performed 13,563 surgeries. Of these, 3,697 were performed in the hospital and 9,866 were performed as outpatient procedures.
• Delivered 3,229 babies.
• Evaluated and treated 76,093 patients in the Emergency Rooms.
• Treated 62,313 patients with a wide variety of outpatient services.