County, UMd. Plan New Regional Medical Center

Prince George's County and the University of Maryland Medical System announced plans Wednesday for a $600 million overhaul of Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly.

The new center would have 278 beds—slightly more than the 265 beds currently in the hospital, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

Officials are hoping to change the perception of the county's medical services, the Washington Examiner reports, partly in response to bleak survey results from 1,000 residents who use the Prince George's public health system.

The study, conducted by the University of Maryland School of Public Health, concludes that 61 new physicians are needed to serve the residents in Prince George's county. Most residents say they currently go out of county for treatment.

Obesity is a major issue in the county, according to the survey: 60 percent of Prince George's residents are obese or overweight. Seventeen percent also have prediabetes, while another 33 percent have prehypertension.

County officials must still present the project to state lawmakers in 2013.

Read more on this story in The Baltimore Business Journal.