Mercy Medical Center of downtown Baltimore has opened a $400 million facility that will better support quality care delivery and patient preferences.
Mercy moved patients from its old facility to the adjacent Mary Catherine Bunting Center Dec. 19. Named for a philanthropist who gave a large-scale gift to Mercy, the new tower has all-private rooms with private bathrooms, flat-screen televisions, internet access, sofas, private phone lines and other amenities.
The center opened with 190 patient rooms; it has the capacity to grow to 259 rooms.
The old facility was built in the 1950s, and administrators said its design was not conducive to the way medicine is practiced today. Constructing a new building allows for more efficient use of advanced technology, including robotics.
During this first phase of the opening, Mercy's medical-surgical, critical care and operating units moved into the center. By spring 2012, the labor and delivery, mother-baby, pediatrics and neonatal intensive care units will follow. Down the road, the emergency department also will move and will be updated.
Some of the center's rooms overlook rooftop gardens and offer an expansive view of downtown Baltimore.