Montgomery General Hospital

Montgomery General Hospital is a 149-bed, not-for-profit community hospital. Founded in 1920 by Jacob Wheeler Bird, MD,  the original hospital had 28 beds and was the first acute care hospital in Montgomery County. Montgomery General Hospital serves the greater Baltimore and Washington metro areas. The majority of our patients live in Montgomery, Frederick, Howard, and Carroll counties.

The hospital's first five patients were admitted in the midst of a blizzard and flu epidemic on February 6,1920. A report of the first year of operations lists semi-private rooms at $3.57 a day and 596 inpatient admissions.

A number of additions to the hospital's original structure were made over the years, including a maternity wing. In 1956, the building was expanded a final time and could be expanded no more. Planning for a new hospital was initiated in the early 1960s. It was during this time that the hospital dropped "county" from its original name. In 1969, groundbreaking took place for the new hospital.

The Women's Board, then called the "Ladies' Auxiliary," was organized in the spring of 1919 by eight charter members. The first Women's Board Annual Picnic and Bazaar in 1920 established a fundraising tradition of serving more than 6,000 ears of corn and 5,000 pounds of chicken to employees, volunteers and community members. More than 1,500 volunteers contribute to the ongoing success of this annual summer event.

View our Historical Image Archive.

In 1971, 14 volunteer ambulances from Montgomery and Howard counties moved 39 patients the few hundred yards from the old building to the new 229-bed, $9 million facility. Today, more than 550 physicians, and 1,200 staff are employed by the hospital, which has all major specialties and sub-specialties.

The hospital's bond rating was increased from Baa1 to A by Moody's Investor's Service in 1995. The rating increase was based on a stable outlook attributed to the hospital's location in a service area with an exceptional economic base, improved cash levels and favorable financial performance.

A newly designed Maternal Newborn Center was opened in 1994. In 1995, the hospital's emergency facilities were enlarged 300%; a new surgical services area including seven new operating suites were added; new cardiopulmonary and rehabilitation medicine areas were built; and the gift shop and lobby were refurbished.

In 1996, a 15-bed Transitional Care Center within the hospital (expanded to 21 beds in 1998) and a freestanding outpatient surgery center, the Surgery Center of Maryland, LLC. were opened. The Surgery Center of Maryland, located in the Leisure World Plaza Professional Building, is a joint effort between physicians, Montgomery General and Holy Cross hospitals.

In 1999, our 79th year, Montgomery General Hospital had more than 8,100 admissions, 18,000 outpatient visits, and 24,000 emergency room visits. Services include, among others, obstetrics, surgery, addiction and mental health treatment, physical and occupational therapy, community education, emergency services, critical care, cancer treatment, home healthcare, employee assistance programs and a 24-hour physician referral service.

In January 2001, the Helen P. Denit Center for Radiation Therapy began treating patients. The new facility offers both a patient-friendly environment and access to the most sophisticated radiation oncology treatment planning and delivery available. The Center is conveniently located on the Montgomery General Hospital campus. The Helen P. Denit Center for Radiation Therapy is a collaborative effort between Montgomery General Hospital and the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center and is staffed by board-certified University of Maryland radiation oncologists. The center is within walking distance of multiple diagnostic and ancillary medical services.

Vast improvements to the hospital facility have been made over the last two years. The Women's Board, which operates the hospital's gift and thrift shops and presently exceeds 125 in membership, raised and contributed more than $500,000 toward capital improvements.

During 2001 and 2002, two new floors were added above the emergency department and now serve as the new home to our state-of-the-art Samuel L. Riggs IV Critical Care and Step-Down Unit. The new unit occupies the entire third floor. Medical staff services, health information management services, and meeting space occupies the second floor addition. Construction of a new medical office building was completed in December of 2001. We also finished our first 300-car parking deck on the hospital campus.

Our long-standing history within our community and the growth and outreach of the hospital has proven to effectively serve the needs of not only the local community, but also other counties around our area.

The MGH Health Foundation provides funds to Montgomery General Hospital to purchase equipment, support programs and maintain facilities. Your gift to the MGH Health Foundation helps to ensure that the highest standard of healthcare is available to you and your neighbors. For information about the MGH Health Foundation and its many programs and services, call 301-774-8777.