Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center is set to open its Cardiovascular Center for Diabetic Patients thanks to a $1,000,000 funding secured by Congressman Steny H. Hoyer. The facility will include a Diabetic Clinic, Diabetic Education and Resource Center, Diabetes Related Vascular Screening Center, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center, and Cardiovascular Clinic.
President of Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center, Eunmee Shim expressed her gratitude for the funding, stating, “Our community is plagued by diabetes and its complications but lacks adequate access to specialists who can effectively manage the progression of long-term complications.”
According to the Prince George’s County Department of Health, approximately 20.7% of adults between the ages of 45 and 64 live with diabetes, and that number increases to 33.2% for adults over 65. Despite these high numbers, the southwestern area of Prince George’s County, where around 350,000 residents live, does not have a practicing endocrinologist. This mismatch between disease prevalence and healthcare resources can create a perfect medical desert that leads to distance decay in healthcare outcomes among its residents over time.
The funding secured by Congressman Hoyer will help address this issue by providing comprehensive care to patients in the southwestern portion of the county, improving public health, and avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations.
Congressman Hoyer, who recently toured the facility, expressed his support for the project, saying, “The Cardiovascular Center for Diabetic Patients will fill an important gap in health care services in Prince George’s County, where diabetes is a significant health concern.”
This funding was secured as part of the FY2023 Omnibus, and Congressman Hoyer hopes that it will help pre-diabetic patients reverse the disease and equip and adequately treat those who are diagnosed so they can avoid becoming dependent on hemodialysis, losing a limb, or going blind.
The opening of the Cardiovascular Center for Diabetic Patients at Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center will provide much-needed healthcare services to the residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland. It will help address the lack of healthcare resources for diabetic patients in the southwestern portion of the county and improve public health outcomes.