GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Greater Baltimore Medical Associates (GBMA), Gilchrist Hospice Care, and the GBMC Foundation.
Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC)
The 281-bed medical center (acute and sub-acute care) is located on a beautiful suburban campus and handles more than 26,700 inpatient cases and approximately 60,000 emergency room visits annually. Since its founding in Towson in 1965, GBMC's accomplishments have validated the vision of its founders to combine the best of community and university-level medicine. GBMC's main campus also includes three medical office buildings-Physicians Pavilion East, Physicians Pavilion West and Physicians Pavilion North I. In addition to its main campus located in Towson, GBMC's care can be found in several facilities located throughout the community including Hunt Manor, Hunt Valley, Owings Mills, Pikesville, Mays Chapel, Perry Hall and Bel Air.
GBMC's Community Needs Advisory Committee strives to improve the health of the local community. The committee focuses on providing outreach, education and clinical services as well as building partnerships with local organizations, businesses and individuals to promote good health and disease prevention.
GBMC Physicians
Nearly 1,300 physicians serve on GBMC's medical staff, making it among the largest of any community hospital in the mid-Atlantic region. With its size comes a wealth of clinical knowledge, combined with a collaborative spirit to better understand the medical issues that patients confront on a daily basis. Physicians' ability to cross-reference information with such a wide variety of colleagues leads to a higher level of medical sophistication and expertise not typically present in a community hospital setting.
More than 200 of its physicians are employed through Greater Baltimore Medical Associates (GBMA), a group of physician practices owned by GBMC. GBMA features a diverse collection of practices in a number of different specialties including Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, General and Specialty Surgery and Oncology.
GBMC and its physicians have long been recognized for outstanding quality and personalized service within the community. Over the past decade, U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly cited the medical center as one of "America's Best Hospitals" in several areas of service. Additionally, Baltimore Magazine's annual "Top Doctors" edition consistently recognizes more members of GBMC's medical staff than that of any other hospital in the state.
GBMC Nurses
GBMC's nursing staff consists of 1,100 Medical Center nurses and 126 Hospice nurses, with an average length of employment of 10 years. In fiscal year 2008, GBMC reported an RN bedside vacancy rate well below the state and national averages.
Professional growth opportunities for nurses begin with accessible continuing education programs made possible by GBMC's significant investment of resources and funding. Nurses are encouraged to continue their educations through a variety of advancement offerings such as bonuses for specialty certification, grant funding and scholarships for clinical specialist degrees, awards to offset expenses of attending national and local conferences and tuition assistance.
GBMC nurses have been recognized at professional society meetings on national, regional and local levels for the quality of care and personalized service they provide. On-campus, their achievements are lauded via Professional Nurses Council, Clinical Ladder group, employee publications and hospital-wide Nurses Week celebration, as well as unit-based awards.
GBMC Staff & Volunteers
GBMC employs approximately 3,500 people in clinical and non-clinical areas, making the organization one of the largest private sector employers in Baltimore County. Many of the organization's employees are quite loyal: as of late 2008, nearly 100 had worked for GBMC for 30-39 years, and an additional 15 were employed for more than 40 years. An additional 800 community members volunteer their time at the Medical Center and Gilchrist Hospice Care.
Employees are encouraged to continue their education through computer-based training, workshops and seminars for all levels of employees, and tuition reimbursement is available for many staff. Many incentives are offered especially in the area of nursing education, with special scholarships available and active affiliations with local schools. GBMC offers many opportunities for flexible schedules, especially in patient-care areas, including 4, 8, 10, and 12 hour shifts. In addition, compressed workweeks and telecommuting are options in some departments.
Additional benefits of working and volunteering at GBMC include participating in events such as holiday meals and receiving free turkeys for the winter holidays; cafeteria, computer and cell phone discounts; free parking on campus; yoga and Weight Watchers classes onsite; and discounted health club memberships. Employees also have access to private on-campus childcare.
Greater Baltimore Medical Associates (GBMA)
Greater Baltimore Medical Associates (GBMA) is a group of more than 40 physician practices owned by GBMC, operating on the hospital's main Towson campus as well as in satellite locations across the region. GBMA practices experienced more than 250,000 patient visits last year, with almost 200 physicians available to care for community members.
Gilchrist Hospice Care
Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Medicare/Medicaid-certified hospice program, is the largest hospice organization in the state of Maryland. Since 1994, it has provided care and services to over 19,000 terminally ill individuals who reside in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Care includes medical, nursing, social work, home health aid, spiritual and bereavement counseling/support and volunteer assistance. Hospice services are most often provided in the patient's home or place of residence. When more intensive medical care is required, patients may be admitted to a 24-bed inpatient hospice facility, Gilchrist Center, located on the campus of GBMC.
GBMC Foundation
Founded in 1987, the GBMC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization established to centralize and coordinate fundraising efforts to benefit GBMC. The Foundation executes fundraising events, annual appeals and capital campaigns and seeks gifts from grateful patients and other friends of GBMC, as well as grants from corporations and private foundations. The Foundation does not have any affiliation with federated funds or public agencies, instead relying on the generous financial support of people across Maryland and beyond. The Foundation is registered with the state of Maryland as an approved charitable organization.
Gifts to the Foundation support new facilities, equipment for GBMC physicians and staff, specialty programs and technologies that combine to make GBMC the community hospital of choice for residents of Central Maryland. Charitable contributions, totaling more than $100 million in the last two decades alone, have helped make GBMC the outstanding institution it is today, and they will continue to ensure the hospital's place at the top of the healthcare field in the future. No gift is too small and every contribution helps patients and their families.
Donating to the Foundation with an annual gift, perhaps in honor or in memory of someone who you want to commemorate, or a major outright or planned gift provides immeasurable benefits to hundreds of thousands of patients and their families seeking medical care and service of the highest quality now and in the years ahead. Some of the many ways to give include cash gifts, special event sponsorships, appreciated stock, real estate, Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, testamentary bequests and by designating GBMC as the beneficiary of a retirement account, such as a 401(k) or IRA. Partnering with the Foundation as a donor of charitable gifts helps ensure that GBMC continues to stand at the forefront of hospitals in Baltimore and across the state. Please call 443-849-2773 or visit the GBMC Foundation at the South Chapman Building.
