Press Release - Office of the Governor

Governor O'Malley, Lt. Governor Brown Break Ground On New Forensic Medical Center

New facility will enhance ability to fight crime, identify public health threats

 

Media Contacts:
Shaun Adamec Office: 410-974-2316 Cell: 410-919-3206	Christine Hansen Office: 410-974-2316 Cell: 443-336-5270

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 22, 2008) - Today, Governor Martin O'Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown joined other elected leaders, state agency officials and civic leaders at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the State's new Forensic Medical Center. The construction of this impressive facility will bring to Maryland a sophisticated crime fighting tool and a way to identify troublesome public health trends.

"The Medical Examiner, in partnership with crime labs statewide, serve as the backbone of our State's ability to fight crime," Governor O'Malley said. "This state-of-the-art forensic facility puts Maryland in the forefront of this type of science, while allowing the Chief Medical Examiner to assist with our efforts to keep Maryland families safe and protected."

The structure, scheduled for completion in July of 2010, will be the second largest stand-alone medical examiner facility in the nation. In comparison to the current building that opened in 1968, it will have more autopsy rooms, higher bio-safety levels and enhanced storage capacity. The latest autopsy technology will be available to forensic pathologists at the new facility, including a CT scanner for virtual autopsies.

"The Forensic Medical Center is the fourth of an award winning 12-building scientific complex that will bring 2,500 jobs to the west side of Baltimore," said Lt. Governor Brown. "In just four years since it was established, the BioPark already employs nearly 450 people and has generated more than $135 million in capital investments."

In addition, this building is part of the development of the University of Maryland BioPark, an area that is a cornerstone of the redevelopment of Baltimore's west side.

"This new state of the art building will give Maryland's citizens a facility with the physical capacity and the technology to enable our medical examiners to more efficiently and more effectively determine cause and manner of death," said Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) Secretary John M. Colmers. "The Maryland medical examiner conducts over 10,000 death investigations and 4,000 autopsies a year, gathering information that is critical to our public health efforts."

The facility's close proximity to the medical campus of the University of Maryland Baltimore enhances an educational partnership the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has with regional medical schools.

"The OCME is a major training institution for forensic pathologists and is the only source of accredited training for all Maryland and D.C. medical school pathology residents," said Dr. David Fowler, Maryland's chief medical examiner. "The increased laboratory space and 21st century technology of this new facility will enhance the learning experience for each of these individuals."

"In keeping with Governor O'Malley's energy initiatives, a number of 'green' efficiencies have been incorporated into the Forensic Medical Center's design," said DGS Secretary Alvin C. Collins. "For instance, this building will contain a curtain wall system that uses low E glass with argon gas, a feature that can be as much as three times more energy efficient than standard single-glazed glass."

The facility will have variable speed controllers on all fans and pumps, night set-back operations on all HVAC systems, use of high efficiency air-cooled chillers, sensors to turn off lights in unoccupied spaces, and water conservation measures on all plumbing fixtures. In addition, the HVAC system is designed to cool computer rooms via outdoor air in the winter to minimize the load on the chillers.

The new building will have two bio-safety Level 2 autopsy rooms with a capacity of eight stations per room. It will have one six-station room designed with negative pressure consistent with the technology of a bio-safety Level 3 laboratory. The facility will have additional storage capacity with more units that are larger than the current available storage.

OCME is responsible for the investigation of all deaths in Maryland that occur by violence, suicide, casualty or any other suspicious or unusual manner, and any sudden death if unattended by a physician or if the deceased previously was in apparent good health.

The new center will enable OCME to conduct on average twice as many autopsies per day. OCME currently conducts approximately 11 autopsies a day and more than 4,000 a year, in a building designed to perform a maximum of 2,000 a year.

Along with their critical role in helping to solve murders, medical examiners also study the causes of unexpected deaths to determine if previously unidentified trends or possible contagious diseases pose a threat to the health of all Marylanders.

Recognizing that quite often it is difficult for families to accept that a loved one needs to be autopsied, state officials have designed this new center for these procedures to be conducted in a way that is respectful to the deceased.

"This building is about people - people who have a need for closure with their loved ones and the people who care for those loved ones," said Dr. Fowler. "It insures that all who pass through here can be treated with the utmost care and dignity, and that we can respect and acknowledge as many cultural and religious beliefs as possible."

The contractor for the six-story, 120,000 square foot facility is Gilbane Building Company, a nationwide business that has its
Mid-Atlantic regional headquarters in Laurel. The design for the building was created by the joint venture of Gaudreau Incorporated/MWL.  The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) is overseeing the construction project.

This capital project will create 500 direct on-site jobs during 22 months of construction with salaries totaling $18 million. Additionally, Gilbane has exceeded the 25 percent minority business enterprise goal by awarding 34 percent of the project work to certified minority firms.