Dear Friends,

The Coronavirus pandemic has had and continues to have a tremendous negative financial impact on Anne Arundel Medical Center and Luminis Health, just as it did on hospitals and health systems across the U.S. Fortunately, AAMC has a century-long track record of strong fiscal management that is allowing us to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality, leading edge care to patients across the health system as we rebound from these financial losses.

The truth of this pandemic is that mental illness and addiction struggles do not stop in quarantine – if anything, they are increased.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, behavioral health care at AAMC’s Pathways Substance Use and Treatment Center and J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center has continued, with safety measures and the highest level of precaution taken to protect the health of our patients and AAMC team. Unlike some behavioral health facilities throughout the region, AAMC’s Behavioral Health campus stayed open and accepted new patients during the entire pandemic, thanks, in part, to your support.

Now more than ever, as our family, friends and neighbors experience increased stress and uncertainty, mental health and addiction care remains a priority for AAMC, caring for patients and families from Anne Arundel County, the Eastern Shore, Prince George’s County, and Southern Maryland. The numbers speak volumes about the need:

• In the first four months of opening, the McNew Medical Center provided inpatient mental health care for more than 200 patients who previously would have had to leave our community for care.
• AAMC has seen a steady increase in behavioral health visits to the emergency department. Using state data for AAMC, in calendar year 2019, just under 30,000 patient visits to AAMC’s ED had some degree of behavioral health diagnosis.
• At Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department (PED), in FY19, 60 out of the 78 (77%) of the unique pediatric behavioral health patients who returned to the PED within 45 days were identified as suicidal during at least one visit. 10 of these patients returned at least 3 or more times within 45 days.
• Pathways saw 1,719 patients in FY19 for substance use disorder treatment.
• In FY19 Pathways provided $32,000 in charity care to patients. Many Pathways patients are underinsured-in FY19, 2,057 Pathways patient encounters were supported by Medicaid (out of 3,172 total patient encounters), and 62 encounters were self-pay patients.
• As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pathways enhanced telehealth services. From March 30, 2020 to June 30, 2020, Pathways completed 891 telehealth visits with substance use patients.

Mental health and addiction care are notoriously underfunded and unreimbursed. Without continued support from the community, these critical areas of care are at even greater risk. Now more than ever, your generosity as a philanthropic partner of Denim & Diamonds is vitally needed if we are to continue to make these very important patient and family centered care programs and services available to our friends, loved ones, and neighbors who need it most.

Every dollar raised through Denim & Diamonds helps thousands of mental health and substance use patients in our community with services and programs including:

• Family Wellness Workshops at Pathways
• Partial Hospitalization Program
• Inpatient and outpatient mental health care
• Inpatient and outpatient substance use services
• Medication-assisted treatment

We are humbled by the support of local businesses like yours during these unprecedented times, and we know that our success is not possible without our sponsors. We hope you will consider forging a mutually strategic partnership with us, one that will position your organization as a leading community partner in the support of mental health and addiction care at AAMC in times of greatest need. Please join us as a sponsor of our Denim & Diamonds Bash.

With gratitude,

AAMC Foundation 2021 Denim & Diamonds Chairs

Claudia & Randy Boldyga
Founding Chairs

Jill & Rick Springer • Sarah & Jay Walsh
Denim & Diamonds Co-Chairs