Baltimore-based contractors Whiting-Turner and Mahogany have begun work on a new $540 million hospital in Easton, Maryland, with plans to complete the six-story facility by the summer of 2028.

The project will replace the existing Shore Medical Center and serve over 450,000 residents across five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Located on a 230-acre site, the new facility aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality in a region historically underserved due to its rural and geographically isolated nature.

Ken Kozel, president and CEO of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, highlighted the project’s importance, saying, “Expanding access to healthcare across our 2,000 square mile region — with the goal of providing the ‘right care at the right place at the right time’ — has required us to think of innovative ways for transforming rural healthcare.”

The hospital will include 122 private inpatient beds, 27 emergency department treatment bays, a birthing center, acute rehab center, and more. The complex will also feature a 60,000-square-foot outpatient services building and a helipad for critical care transport. Completion is expected by 2028.