Expanding Care and Empowering Teams: Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Opens a New Eighth-Floor Unit

Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, has expanded its ability to serve the region with the opening of a new 20,620-square-foot inpatient unit on the hospital’s eighth floor. This thoughtfully designed 30-bed expansion increases the hospital’s inpatient capacity by more than 15 percent, addressing the growing healthcare needs of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.

The the new unit is part of White Oak Medical Center’s long-term strategy to strengthen access to high-quality care, streamline clinical workflows, and enhance the patient experience — from the emergency department to the patient room.

“This expansion supports the hospital’s mission to extend God’s care through the ministry of physical, mental, and spiritual healing,” notes a spokesperson from Adventist HealthCare. “It’s about more than adding beds — it’s about expanding our ability to serve.”

Designing for Connection, Comfort, and Collaboration

Every element of the new unit was crafted to balance healing and high performance. Each private patient room features a vibrant, color-accented footwall that integrates digital displays for real-time care information and communication between staff, patients, and families. These displays reinforce transparency, safety, and personalized care — aligning design with compassion.

A light-filled public corridor connects the unit, offering views of the outdoors and curated artwork that bring warmth and calm to the space. Comfortable waiting areas were designed with family members in mind, transforming what could feel clinical into a welcoming, restorative environment.

Meanwhile, staff workflow and collaboration were at the forefront of planning. The unit’s interconnected team stations foster a sense of community among caregivers, while windows between decentralized nurse stations and the central medication supply room maintain visual connection and efficiency. The result is a space that helps teams work cohesively while staying close to the patients they serve.

“The new unit builds on the principles of healing design — spaces that support both clinical excellence and human connection,” says a member of the Wilmot Sanz design team. “Every decision, from daylight access to staff sightlines, was made with intention.”

Preparing Teams for Success: Staff Training and Simulation

A successful opening depends as much on preparation as it does on design. In the months leading up to occupancy, White Oak Medical Center’s staff participated in extensive training and simulation exercises within the new unit — a vital step in ensuring seamless operations and confident transitions.

These sessions allowed caregivers, clinicians, and support staff to test equipment, practice workflows, and understand how the space supports real-world scenarios before welcoming patients. From decentralized team stations to digital monitoring systems, every training exercise was designed to build familiarity and trust in the environment.

“We wanted to make sure every team member felt confident in how the space supports their workflow,” shared one project leader. “By training in the actual environment, the staff was ready to provide exceptional care from day one.”

This proactive approach reflects White Oak’s commitment to operational excellence — blending evidence-based design with evidence-based training to improve both patient and staff experiences.

The new unit does more than expand capacity. It also creates meaningful opportunities for the community by adding new full- and part-time positions across nursing, clinical, and support services — strengthening both the hospital’s workforce and the region’s healthcare system.

By accommodating more patients and enabling smoother care transitions, White Oak Medical Center continues to build on its legacy of compassionate, community-driven care.

“This project represents a true investment — in our people, our patients, and the communities we serve,” said one Adventist HealthCare executive.

The opening of the eighth-floor unit marks an important milestone for Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center — one that reflects what’s possible when thoughtful design, technology, and teamwork come together around a shared purpose.

The insights gained from this project — from staff engagement to space optimization — are helping inform future phases of White Oak’s campus development and Adventist HealthCare’s ongoing expansion across the region.