The System provides inpatient and outpatient care, medical education, community health services, and emergency medical treatment in Baltimore and the surrounding area. Components of the System include the University of Maryland Medical Center (including R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center; Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center; University of Maryland Hospital for Children); Kernan and University Specialty Hospitals; Maryland General Health Systems; Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital; and the North Arundel Health System.

The University of Maryland Medical System Corporation is governed by the Board of Directors. The Board consists of between twenty-two and twenty-seven voting members appointed to five-year terms by the Governor. Ex officio, six are nonvoting members. The Board elects the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.

University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, Maryland, December 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

The James Lawrence Kernan Hospital, Inc., serves orthopedic, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, dental and medical patients. Kernan Hospital is the designated orthopedic hospital of the University of Maryland Medical System. It originated in 1895 as the Hospital for Crippled and Deformed Children and became affiliated in 1986 with the University of Maryland Medical System. In 1995, Kernan Hospital legally merged with the Montebello Rehabilitation Center (formerly under the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene).

University Specialty Hospital originated as the Deaton Specialty Hospital and Home, Inc., which the University of Maryland Medical System purchased from Christ Lutheran Church in July 1996. Deaton closed its nursing home in July 2001, and was renamed University Specialty Hospital in October 2001. In downtown Baltimore, the Hospital has 180 beds and provides chronic specialty care for patients with complex medical needs. Programs include ventilator care, coma emergence, traumatic brain injury, and long-term acute care with specialized nursing and therapy services.

MARYLAND GENERAL HEALTH SYSTEMS

Maryland General Health Systems began in 1881 as a teaching hospital for Baltimore Medical College. In 1911, it became Maryland General Hospital after merging with the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In 1965, Maryland General Hospital and the Baltimore Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital merged and, in 1999, affiliated with the University of Maryland Medical System. That affiliation in 1999 renamed the merged institutions as Maryland General Health Systems, a comprehensive health care network managed through Maryland General Hospital. The Hospital has 300 beds and offers residency programs for physicians in internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, opthalmology, and otolaryngology.

MT. WASHINGTON PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital was founded in 1922 as Happy Hills Convalescent Home for Children. In 1974, it incorporated under its present name. The Hospital affiliated with North Arundel Medical System, and became part of the University of Maryland Medical System in July 2000. The Hospital offers inpatient, outpatient and home-based care, as well as day programs for infants and children with complex medical needs or rehabilitation after illness, injury, or surgery. The Hospital also maintains a 15-bed satellite facility in Cheverly (Prince George's County), and a developmental evaluation clinic at Nightime Pediatrics North in Pasadena (Anne Arundel County).

NORTH ARUNDEL HEALTH SYSTEM

The North Arundel Health System joined the University of Maryland Medical System in July 2000. The System is responsible for four centers in Anne Arundel County: North Arundel Hospital, Nightime Pediatrics North, Special Beginnings Birth and Women's Center, and Sunrise Assisted-Living Center.

North Arundel Hospital opened in July 1965 with 107 beds. It now is a 329-bed facility, which provides acute care, emergency services, inpatient psychiatric services, a cardiac catheterization laboratory, and a wound-healing center.

Nighttime Pediatrics North provides pediatric urgent care on nights, weekends, and holidays. To treat minor illnesses and injuries, the center has radiology, laboratory and pharmaceutical services available on-site.

Special Beginnings Birth and Women's Center is a free-standing birth center staffed by certified nurse-midwives. The Center offers free pregnancy testing, preconceptual counseling, prenatal and postnatal care, delivery services, home-visits after delivery, and "well-woman" gynecological care.

Sunrise Assisted-Living Center houses up to 150 residents in 75 assisted-living suites and 60 independent-living areas. Senior service options include independent living in a maintenance-free environment, assisted living, and respite and hospice care. The Center also offers a reminiscence program for seniors with Alzheimer's disease or other memory-related conditions.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER

The University of Maryland Medical Center originated in 1823 as the Baltimore Infirmary formed by the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The Infirmary became the University of Maryland Hospital in 1897 and affiliated with the University of Maryland Medical System in 1984. Often called University Hospital, it was reorganized as the University of Maryland Medical Center in 1998. The Center provides patient care, education, and research. It is a regional referral center for cardiac care, high-risk obstetrics and neonatology, oncology, neuro care, pediatrics, transplant and women's health services. In addition, the Center remains the primary teaching hospital for the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center was founded in 1961 as the clinical hub of the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Services Systems. Following the reorganization of the Institute in 1993, the Center continues under the management of the University of Maryland Medical System. The Center is Maryland's primary adult trauma center, treating patients with severe multiple trauma, and head and spine injuries.

The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center was formed in 1965 as the Baltimore Cancer Research Center of the National Cancer Institute. It affiliated with the University of Maryland Medical System under contractual arrangement in 1974, and was renamed the Baltimore Cancer Research program in 1978. The Program became the University of Maryland Cancer Center in 1981 and was renamed the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center in 1996. The Center is the focus of cancer treatment and research within the School of Medicine of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and the University of Maryland Medical System.