Transforming Pediatric Care Close to Home: Investing in Baltimore County's Only Pediatric Emergency Department

For more than 65 years, GBMC has cared for children in life’s most critical moments—quietly building a comprehensive, community-based system of pediatric care that serves families across Baltimore County and beyond. Today, that legacy takes a significant step forward. 

GBMC has received a transformational $6 million leadership gift—providing critical momentum for investments that will strengthen pediatric emergency and inpatient care for the children of Baltimore County and beyond. This leadership investment marks a major milestone in GBMC’s $20 million initiative to modernize and expand pediatric services—ensuring that children and families will always receive exceptional pediatric care close to home. 

Meeting a Growing Need 

GBMC is home to Baltimore County’s only fully dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department. In fiscal year 2025, the department recorded an all-time high of 12,668 pediatric emergency visits, reflecting sustained demand for dedicated pediatric care across the region. 

As pediatric services have closed or scaled back at neighboring hospitals, GBMC has stepped forward as a vital safety net for families who need timely, specialized care for their children. 

Building on Strength 

But the current space—designed more than 20 years ago—was built for a different moment in pediatric care. 

Today, more families than ever are turning to GBMC. As pediatric services have declined in other settings, our Pediatric Emergency & Inpatient Department has become an essential and trusted resource for the community. This sustained growth reflects something powerful: families know they can count on GBMC for expert, compassionate care close to home. 

That trust is backed by nationally recognized quality— GBMC’s Pediatric Emergency Department recently earned a Pediatric Readiness Score of 98 out of 100 from the National Pediatric Readiness Project, far exceeding national averages and reflecting our deep investment in specialized pediatric care. Higher pediatric readiness is directly linked to better outcomes, safer care, and lower mortality for children when every second matters. 

Our teams continue to deliver that care every day with skill and dedication. At the same time, rising patient volumes, increasing behavioral health needs, and the complexity of care have created an opportunity to enhance the environment in which that care is delivered—ensuring it matches the excellence of our clinical teams. 

This renovation is about building on what already works—expanding capacity, enhancing the patient and family experience, and ensuring that GBMC remains ready for every child who needs us, now and in the future. 

With this next phase of investment, GBMC continues to advance the evolution of pediatric care—expanding what is possible for the children and families who rely on us every day. 

A Vision for What Pediatric Care Should Be 

The renovation of the Pediatric Emergency & Inpatient Department is more than a construction project. It is a reimagining of how pediatric care is delivered in a community setting. 

The transformed space will: 

• Expand capacity to meet growing patient volumes 

• Create dedicated areas for pediatric behavioral health 

• Enhance privacy, safety, and dignity for children and families 

• Provide a calming, child-centered environment designed for healing 

• Improve flow and efficiency so children receive care more quickly 

This investment will allow GBMC to continue delivering care that is not only clinically excellent, but deeply human—care that recognizes that treating a child means supporting an entire family. 

A Unique Model—Close to Home 

What makes GBMC’s pediatric program distinctive is not just its scale, but its integration. 

The Pediatric Emergency & Inpatient Department serves as the hub of a broader continuum that includes maternal and newborn care, pediatric primary care, genetics and rare disease services, behavioral health partnerships, and trauma-informed programs for vulnerable children. 

It is a model built over decades—one that ensures children can receive coordinated care close to home, rather than navigating a fragmented system.

At a time when pediatric services are shrinking in many community hospitals across the country, GBMC has remained committed—continuing to invest, expand, and lead. 

A Gift That Changes What’s Possible 

The $6 million leadership gift represents more than financial support—it is a statement of belief. 

A belief that every child deserves access to high-quality care, regardless of where they live. 

A belief that community hospitals play an essential role in pediatric health. 

And a belief in GBMC’s vision for the future. 

This leadership investment brings the project significantly closer to its $20 million goal and will inspire additional philanthropic support in the months ahead. 

Looking Ahead 

At GBMC, we strive to achieve our vision: To every patient, every time, we will provide the care we would want for our own loved ones. 

This project brings that promise to life for the youngest members of our community. 

Because when a child is in crisis, nothing matters more than knowing care is close, ready, and designed just for them. 

Thanks to this transformational generosity, GBMC will continue to lead, innovate, and care for children when it matters most. For every child. For every moment. 

To learn more about the renovation of GBMC’s Pediatric Emergency & Inpatient Department—and how you can help ensure exceptional pediatric care remains close to home for generations to come—please contact, Kate Thorne, Senior Director of Philanthropic Engagement, kthorne@gbmc.org 443.849.2794