MedStar Health Newsroom

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin to Visit for Discussion on Legislation to Appeal the Affordable Care Act

Baltimore—( June 22, 2017 ) Senator Ben Cardin will join leadership and associates of MedStar Franklin Square Hospital, along with residents from the hospital’s surrounding communities, for a town hall forum to discuss legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, (ACA).

Senate Republicans unveiled the bill today, called the "Better Care Reconciliation Act," which would repeal major parts of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Similarly, the House bill, called the American Health Care Act, which was passed in May, rolls back ACA’s Medicaid expansion and proposed federal tax cuts and large cuts to federal health spending.

Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Finance Committee that has jurisdiction for health care issues as well as Medicaid and Medicare, will explore the many potential impacts to Maryland citizens that could follow should either of these bills become law.  

WHAT:        Town Hall Meeting on Health Care

WHO:         U.S. Senator Ben Cardin

 Samuel E. Moskowitz, President, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

 Leaders and Staff, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

 Community Members                

WHEN:       Friday, June 23 at 11:15 AM

WHERE:    Medstar Franklin Square Hospital, 9000 Franklin Square Dr., Rosedale, MD 21237

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About MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center 

MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center is a not-for-profit 378-bed community teaching hospital located in the White Marsh section of eastern Baltimore County, Maryland. MedStar Franklin Square provides many medical and healthcare services, including a broad range of healthcare specialties, advanced technologies and treatments not traditionally found at community hospitals. The hospital is ranked third in admissions among all Maryland hospitals and is first in Emergency Department visits with more than 108,000 visits annually. MedStar Franklin Square is accredited by the Joint Commission and certified as a Primary Stroke Center and has earned some of the nation’s most prestigious quality awards including Magnet Designation for excellence in nursing, the Excellence Award for Quality Improvement from the Delmarva Foundation and inclusion in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital specialty ranking for four consecutive years. With more than 3,300 employees, MedStar Franklin Square is one of the largest employers in Baltimore County. Visit medstarfranklin.org for more information.

Leonardtown, Maryland (June 14, 2017) – June is National Aphasia Awareness Month and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital will be offering information sessions Tuesday, June 27, and Thursday, June 29, to help educate individuals about the communication disorder, which affects approximately 2 million Americans.

Aphasia is an acquired condition that impairs a person’s ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence. The most common cause of aphasia is stroke, however, it can also result from head injury, brain tumor or other neurological causes. Individuals with aphasia often have difficulty reading, writing, speaking and/or understanding language.

“Many people do not understand that aphasia is a loss of language, not a loss of intelligence,” said Anna Decker, MS, CCC-SLP, speech language pathologist at MedStar St. Mary’s. “There are strategies available to help those impacted improve their communication.”

Individuals who are interested in learning more about aphasia, may stop by the hospital’s Atrium, which is located inside the Café at Buena Vista, between noon and 1 p.m. June 27 and 29. A speech language pathologist will be available to offer information and talk to individuals about how to help those affected with aphasia.

About MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
MedStar St. Mary's Hospital (MSMH) is a full-service community hospital, delivering state-of-the-art emergency, acute inpatient and outpatient care in Leonardtown, Maryland. Nestled in a waterside community, MedStar St. Mary's provides advanced technology with a dedication to excellence in all services provided. The not-for-profit hospital has been named among the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals™ and is an eight time recipient of the prestigious Delmarva Medicare Excellence Award. In addition, MSMH received the Maryland Performance Excellence award at the Platinum level in 2014 – the highest in the state. Our staff is committed to providing quality and compassionate medical care for all patients by coupling innovation with our outstanding team of Medical Staff members, associates and volunteers. 

Same-day office procedure for BPH treatment offers faster recovery time, no sexual side effects 

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is the first center in the region to offer a new way to treat men with urination problems due to an enlarged prostate. The UroLift System is a minimally invasive procedure for men who experience difficulty urinating due to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as enlarged prostate.

“For men who can’t control their urine or get a good night’s sleep, they need to know that we offer superior options for BPH that are life-changing compared to traditional treatments,” says Gaurav Bandi, MD, urologist at MedStar Georgetown. “Everything is done through a telescope today.”

A man’s prostate gland grows as he gets older. According to the National Institutes of Health, BPH affects 50 percent of men over 50 and 90 percent of men over 80. When the prostate gland enlarges, it squeezes the urethra, the tube where urine flows out of the bladder. This compression irritates the bladder and limits the ability of the bladder to empty completely.

UroLift Treats BPH in 5 to 10 Minutes

The UroLift procedure offered at MedStar Georgetown is a five minute, office-based procedure to safely and effectively treat BPH.

UroLift  is performed under local anesthesia and requires no cutting or heating of the prostate. During a single office visit, doctors insert four to six implants into the prostate to lift the prostate gland and relieve the compression, removing any blockage in the urethra. The procedure preserves sexual function and relieves symptoms. Patients experience minimal post-procedure bleeding or pain and require no special follow-up or medical management.

Men with a prostate size between 20 and 80cc are candidates for Urolift. Patients on blood thinners are also eligible for this procedure. For men with a prostate size over 80cc, other minimally invasive surgical options are available to treat BPH.

Traditional treatments for BPH were invasive, had significant sexual side effects, or required a man to take one to three medications daily for the rest of his life. New treatment options are less invasive, give the doctor better access to the prostate gland, and require minimal downtime after treatment.

BPH symptoms include:

• Frequently urinating or trying to urinate during the day
• A feeling that the bladder is not fully emptied
• A slow or weak stream of urine
• Trouble with starting to urinate
• Feeling the constant need to urinate
• Interrupted sleep in the middle of the night
• Dribbling or leaking of urine

“A lot of what I do relates to the patient’s quality of life, so our team provides evidence-based care in an individualized fashion,” says Dr. Bandi. “Men should be encouraged to seek help for any prostate problems. A majority of the time, we can relieve their symptoms and improve their quality of life. And today the options we can offer are minimally invasive. There is help available!”

For more information about other treatments for BPH or schedule an appointment with a urologist, call 202-444-4922. Watch Dr. Bandi talk more about BPH and other condition of the prostate in this video.

Ensuring the Future of Health Care

Leonardtown, Maryland (May 30, 2017) – The St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation recently presented 10 area students with scholarships totaling $180,000. The students were recognized during a reception held May 23.

“We were truly impressed by all of the applicants this year,” Rick Tepel, chair of the Foundation scholarship committee said. “It is inspiring to meet all of the candidates and learn about their dreams and aspirations.”

Receiving the scholarships this year were:

• Bailey Schneider of Mechanicsville, speech-language pathology, Appalachian State
• Dana King of Lusby, nursing, Salisbury University
• Brenna Duke, of Hollywood, nursing, University of Mount Union
• Jordan Janshuk of Mechanicsville, nursing, College of Southern Maryland
• Jessica Thompson of Hollywood, nursing, Lynchburg College
• Kylee Wickline of Callaway, nursing, York College of Pennsylvania
• Cassie Oliver of Hollywood, occupational therapy, Misericordia University
• Sydney Guthrie of California, occupational therapy, Towson University
• Megan Long of Mechanicsville, physical therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Hayley Mesmer of Lexington Park, physical therapy, St. Francis University

The Foundation has been presenting scholarships to area graduates since 2001 and including this year’s recipients, it has awarded 142 scholarships. Funds for the scholarships are raised through the Foundation’s annual Gala held each November. This year’s gala, Diamonds & Pearls: Cheers to 30 Years, will be held Nov. 17 at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department’s Social Hall. Many former recipients are currently employees of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital.

“The Foundation believes all of this year’s recipients will play an important role in the future of health care in our community,” Tepel said. 

St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation 2017 Scholarship Winners (pictured from left to right):
Sydney Guthrie, Brenna Duke, Hayley Mesmer, Kylee Wickline, Bailey Schneider, Megan Long, Jessica Thompson, Jordan Janschek and Cassandra Oliver. Not pictured is Dana King.

(Washington, D.C.,) - On behalf of the patients we serve and the community organizations that have partnered with us, we are pleased to receive the Zoning Commission’s approval to bring this new, state-of-the-art medical/surgical pavilion to fruition.

Offering the latest in healthcare delivery and advancements in medical technology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s pavilion will be one of the largest new healthcare developments in Washington, D.C., in more than ten years. The new medical/surgical pavilion will allow us to expand our efforts to provide world class health care to our patients.

The 156 private rooms, new Emergency Department, 32 new operating rooms and rooftop helipad will all be outfitted with the latest technology. The six story pavilion will also have three levels of underground parking. In addition, the pavilion will support MedStar Health and Georgetown University’s partnership and commitment to excellence in medical education and research.

We greatly appreciate the support we have received from numerous community leaders and organizations to ensure this facility becomes a reality for the patients we serve. The bench ruling is a major milestone that allows MedStar Health and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital to continue the high quality of care we provide for our patients, fulfill the growing demands of our community’s healthcare needs and offer an unprecedented patient experience for all who receive care here.

For more information about the new building, please visit: buildingmedicalexcellence.com