• Community Benefit Report
• Community Partnerships
• Health Initiatives
• Youth and Teen Programs
• Senior Programs
• Screenings and Seminars
• Worksite Wellness

Demonstrated Commitment

to Our Community

In times of great uncertainty, it helps to know that someone cares. Suburban Hospital has been caring for the community for 65 years, and our mission has never been more important than it is today. Through our partnerships, affiliations, and programs, Suburban Hospital continues to find innovative ways to provide needs-based health education, wellness and promotion services for our immediate community and beyond.

As part of our commitment to care for our community, Suburban Hospital dedicated more than $11.8 million to outreach programs and services in fiscal year 2008. Improving the health of the community means providing the services needed to help residents take better care of themselves and their families.

Below are some of Suburban Hospital's FY08 accomplishments:

• To alleviate the identified gap in specialty providers, Suburban Hospital operates the MobileMed/NIH Heart Clinic, which provides access to Suburban cardiologists, cardiovascular specialty diagnostic screenings, and open heart surgery for patients who require advanced care. This onsite specialty care clinic has provided care to 411 patients to date and conducted four open heart surgeries at no cost to the patient.
• In June 2008, a formal agreement was signed to enable Suburban Hospital to support Proyecto Salud in achieving Montgomery Cares’ goal of increasing uninsured adult patients’ access to primary care. Suburban Hospital’s financial support will enable the clinic to provide approximately 1,680 additional patient appointments.

  Community members attended the Healthy Heart Carnival at the Gaithersburg Community Center in partnership with our HeartWell Program.

• In fiscal year 2008, Suburban Hospital provided 7,001 uninsured patients with just under $8.7 million in medical care.
• In June 2008, Suburban Hospital joined forces with Holy Cross Hospital to fund operational support for the Gaithersburg  Health Clinic.

• In 2008, Suburban’s Community Health and Wellness Department organized and participated in more than 2,400 health education and screening events, reaching approximately 126,000 community members.
• More than 500 Proyecto Salud patients have been enrolled in the diabetes school, taking advantage of proper disease management education. The first annual prostate cancer screening served more than 50 clinic patients, facilitating access to specialty care and proper management for abnormal results.

• Through the NIH Heart Center at Suburban Hospital, 427 health and wellness events reached 19,303 individuals in Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties.

• Suburban Hospital’s cancer care program provided 481 community members with access to free colorectal, prostate, and skin cancer screenings.
• Suburban Hospital was awarded a grant by the Montgomery County Council to facilitate the acquisition of new screening equipment for conditions affecting the eyes, lungs, and heart, reaching 3,972 Montgomery County residents, 2,048 of whom were ethnic minorities. 
• Suburban Hospital was recognized as a “Top 10 Fundraising Company” for the American Heart Association Greater Washington Heart Walk. More than $27,000 was raised for American Heart Association programs and services to fight heart disease and stroke.
• Suburban Hospital was named one of the Top 10 Safe Sitter teaching sites based on the number of students enrolled in the program in 2008.
• In fiscal year 2008, Suburban Hospital held 29 educational events for 542 students interested in pursuing careers in the healthcare field.

• The 413 blood pressure screenings held at our Stepping Out mall walking programs and community centers reached more than 30,000 individuals. These older adults are able to monitor their own health and to benefit from educational seminars and prevention counseling, and increase their social health with friendships established.

• The 416 free Senior Shape classes held in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties helped more than 23,000 seniors build flexibility and strength to maintain a healthy heart, and improve balance for fall prevention.

• Our ElderWell nurses made 1,680 home visits in fiscal year 2008 (an average of 140 per month), optimizing the health of our patients with chronic diseases and allowing them to live independently in their own homes.

• Seniors visit our free HeartWell nurse-run clinics 6,194 times (an average of 516 visits per month). This chronic-disease management program is located in five Montgomery County community centers.

• Community Home Care Management team members vaccinated 1,130 people in a variety of venues, including newly piloted walk-in clinics where residents received free health advice along with their flu shots.

The MobileMed/NIH Heart Clinic is operated and staffed by volunteer cardiologists, surgeons, nurses, echo techs, registrars and hospital staff who extend their workday to improve the health of the community.