Greater Baltimore Medical Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greater Baltimore Medical Center |
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|---|---|
| GBMC Healthcare | |
Main Entrance Prior to 2021
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| Geography | |
| Location | 6701 North Charles St. Towson, Maryland, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°23′24″N 76°37′10″W / 39.3899°N 76.6194°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Community Hospital |
| Hospital type | Private, not-for-profit |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes |
| Beds | 231 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1965 |
The Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) is a hospital in the Baltimore area. It is located in Towson, Maryland. GBMC first opened its doors in 1965.
This hospital helps many people each year. It serves over 20,455 patients who stay overnight. About 52,000 people visit its emergency department every year.
GBMC's main campus has three medical office buildings. These are called Physicians Pavilion East, West, and North I. Besides its main location in Towson, GBMC has other health centers. These are found in places like Hereford, Hunt Valley, Owings Mills, and Timonium.
GBMC HealthCare is a private, not-for-profit company. This means it uses its money to improve the hospital, not to make a profit. GBMC HealthCare also runs Gilchrist Hospice Care. This is the largest not-for-profit hospice group in Maryland. A hospice provides special care for people with serious illnesses. The GBMC Foundation is also part of this group. It helps raise money for the hospital. GBMC is known as one of the top hospitals in Baltimore. It is also one of the best employers in Maryland.
GBMC works closely with Sheppard Pratt. Sheppard Pratt is a hospital that helps people with mental health needs. They are located next to each other on the Towson campus.
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How GBMC Started
GBMC HealthCare was officially formed in 1960. It brought together two older hospitals from Baltimore. These were the Hospital for Women of Maryland and the Presbyterian Eye, Ear and Throat Charity Hospital. GBMC opened in 1965. It became a major medical center for the northern Baltimore area. It offered many different health services.
The Hospital for Women of Maryland opened in 1882. It was the second hospital for women in the country. The Presbyterian Eye, Ear and Throat Charity Hospital started as a small clinic in 1887.
Since moving to Towson, GBMC has been close to Towson University.
In 2020, GBMC received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award recognizes excellent organizations. It also got a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This shows it provides high-quality care.
GBMC started a big renovation project in 2021. This project added 60 new patient beds. It also included a new cancer institute.
In March 2025, the hospital faced some financial challenges. A company called S&P Global Ratings changed its credit rating. A hospital spokeswoman explained that these challenges were due to the COVID-19 pandemic. High labor costs and inflation also played a part. She said that new building projects would help GBMC improve its finances.
Gilchrist Hospice Care
Gilchrist Hospice Care is a special program. It helps people who are very sick and need comfort care. It is the largest not-for-profit hospice organization in Maryland. Since 1994, it has helped over 17,000 people. These services are offered in Baltimore City and several nearby counties.
Gilchrist Hospice Care provides many services. These include medical care, nursing, and social work. They also offer spiritual support and help for families. Most of the time, hospice care is given in a patient's home. If more medical care is needed, there are special inpatient hospice centers.
- Towson: This center is on the GBMC campus.
- Columbia: This is a 10-bed unit in Howard County.
- Baltimore: This location has units for adults and children. It is where the old Memorial Stadium used to be.
GBMC Foundation
The GBMC Foundation was started in 1987. It is a non-profit group that helps raise money for GBMC HealthCare. The Foundation organizes events and asks for donations. It also seeks grants from companies and other foundations. The money raised helps build new facilities. It also buys equipment for doctors and staff. This support helps GBMC provide excellent care to the community.
Working with Johns Hopkins Medicine
In 2007, GBMC and Johns Hopkins Medicine started working together. They began with programs in cardiology (heart care), pediatric surgery (children's surgery), and oncology (cancer care). They might work together on more programs in the future. This could include shared health centers and research.
2020 Cyberattack
In late 2020, GBMC was attacked by ransomware. This is a type of computer virus. It caused many of the hospital's computer systems to be shut down. This was done to protect patient information. Many other hospitals in the United States faced similar attacks around that time.
