The nearly 50,000-square-foot building will act as a center for diabetes management, endocrinology, primary care, pediatrics, gastroenterology, and offer walk-in lab and X-ray services.

Atlantic Gnerral Hospital board members and staff join signatures and community members in cutting the ribbon on the the hospital’s new Gudelsky Family Medical Center off Route 589. TARA FISCHER/BAYSIDE GAZETTE

By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer

Healthcare just got even more accessible in Worcester County, as Atlantic General Hospital and Health System unveiled a much-needed and brand-new facility to serve the Ocean Pines community at lower costs.

AGH celebrated the grand opening of the Gudelsky Family Medical Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 25. The new site is off Racetrack Road in Ocean Pines. The nearly 50,000-square-foot building will act as a center for diabetes management, endocrinology, primary care, pediatrics, gastroenterology, and offer walk-in lab and X-ray services.

“The center creates a point of access for residents of Ocean Pines and beyond, providing a one-stop shop for adult and adolescent patients needing care,” AGH CEO and President Donald Owrey said.

The healthcare facility has an additional AGHRx RediScripts Pharmacy planned for a spring opening. According to Owrey, the hospital location is recognized year after year as a premiere regional pharmacy, and the AGH board and providers are excited to expand the excellent service to the Ocean Pines community.

The idea for the center was conceived before the pandemic. Despite the impact covid-19 continues to have on national, regional, and local healthcare, the commitment to the project never wavered, the president said.

The medical center has already attracted new providers, including a pediatrician and a gastroenterology doctor. Officials are hopeful the facility will entice even more medical professionals to help bolster healthcare in Worcester County.

“The Gudelsky’s donation, which made the center possible, is the largest single private donation to the Atlantic General Hospital that we have ever received,” Board of Trustees Chair Charlotte Cathell said. The family contributed $4 million. John Jack Burbage was another donor recognized at the ceremony.

“Ocean City has grown so much over the last few years, and we’ve been very fortunate to be part of this close-knit community,” Rolfe Gudelsky said, who attended the event with his wife, Iona, and their two children. “They take care of each other. This medical center will enable AGH to continue to grow and meet the community’s needs. My family and I are excited to be involved and proud of the project. We are looking forward to its future.”

Also at the ceremony were local elected officials, AGH medical staff, additional donors, chambers of commerce, and community members.

Atlantic General Hospital Foundation Chair, Steve Green, who is also the executive editor of the OC Today/Dispatch, said construction for the site began in Sept. 2021.

“Donations to Atlantic General Hospital stay right here. They stay in our community,” he said. “We are truly improving healthcare, which we should all be very proud of.”