A grant of $3.5 million from the Horizon Foundation will push Howard County General Hospital closer to raising the $30 million in private donations that officials are seeking as part of a large-scale renovation and expansion of the Johns Hopkins-owned facility in Columbia.
The gift is the largest grant to a single institution in the foundation's decade of existence and is also unusual because the foundation doesn't normally give money to capital projects.
Horizon Foundation was founded in 1998 by merging Howard County General Hospital with Johns Hopkins Medicine.
"The relationship between the hospital and the foundation is broader and deeper than that of a grantor-grantee," said Horizon CEO Richard M. Krieg. He said the average daily number of patients has risen 25 percent in the past five years.
"I hope that other segments of the community really do some soul searching about their contributions. This really is an essential project for everyone who lives or works in Howard County," Krieg said.
The $105 million project will include a four-story pavilion, renovation of 122,970 square feet and a 550-vehicle parking garage. The pavilion is scheduled for completion in late 2009 and the entire project two years later.
"This transformation will enhance our service delivery and enable us to address the total patient experience from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and wellness," said Victor A. Broccolino, the hospital's president and CEO.
Horizon's grant makes a total of $4.26 million the foundation has contributed, part of $17 million given or pledged so far from private sources, officials said.