While the county's current estimated population of 942,000 is not expected to reach 1.1 million until the year 2030, according to the Maryland Department of Planning, the county has seen a significant jump in the number of area residents from when the hospital was first developed; at that time, a quarter-decade ago, the population was only 579,000. The expansion will consist of a new 200,000-sf building.

Located at 9901 Medical Center Dr. off Interstate 270, Shady Grove Adventist Healthcare first opened its doors in 1979. The addition, which will be a four-story medical facility, will allow for an increase in the hospital's stable of patient beds by 144. A new and improved surgery department, a larger emergency department and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will also be within the confines of the new structure. There will also be space for a new Women's and Children's Center, and a medical library and education conference center.

Shady Grove Adventist is not alone in the category of multimillion-dollar hospital expansion efforts in Suburban Maryland. Anne Arundel County's Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis plans to begin construction of a $200-million, nine-story medical tower in 2007. Shady Grove Adventist expects to complete its project two to three years.