For nearly 80 years, Suburban Hospital remains strongly committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our community. Suburban Hospital supported over $35 million in community benefit contributions in 2022. Believing that quality health care should be accessible to all, we work deliberately to identify health priorities and address the growing challenges of preventing chronic disease and building safe and healthy communities in collaboration with local, state, and national affiliations and partnerships.
Specialty Clinics
Suburban Hospital demonstrates its commitment to the community and its health by reaching populations that otherwise might not receive healthcare services.
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Suburban Hospital has long provided free diagnostic, outpatient, and inpatient health services to Mobile Medical Care, Inc, a local clinic that provides free to low-cost medical care for the uninsured. Moreover, Suburban provides these same free services and more to additional Montgomery Cares clinics located throughout Montgomery County. Montgomery Cares is a public-private partnership composed of 11 independent safety-net primary care clinics, six hospitals, and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
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In Montgomery County and throughout the State of Maryland, the need for specialty care is substantial. Subsidized specialty care programs in the area are saturated with long waiting lists. As a result, many county residents suffer complications from their diseases because they are unable to access timely specialty care. This inequality and inequity provided the impetus for the MobileMed/NIH Heart Clinic, which strives to address a leading cause of death in Montgomery County—cardiovascular disease.
The MobileMed/NIH Heart Clinic served as a catalyst for addressing other county health priorities in similar manner. Alarmingly high rates of diabetes along with difficulty accessing specialty care led to the creation of the Mobile Med/NIH Endocrine Clinic at Suburban Hospital. The clinic addresses conditions resulting from dysfunctions of the endocrine system, such as diabetes, goiter, hyperlipidemia, obesity and hypertension. The Endocrine Clinic follows the MobileMed/NIH Heart Clinic’s best-practice model by drawing upon the expertise and resources of the three original partners—Mobile Medical Care, NIH and Suburban Hospital—to offer one-of-a-kind, comprehensive endocrine care specialty services to low-income, uninsured residents of Montgomery County.
To determine your eligibility for either specialty clinic contact Mobile Medical Care, Inc.
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Suburban Hospital is committed to eliminating disparities associated with colorectal cancer. Suburban focuses outreach efforts on identifying individuals that may be at high risk for colorectal cancer and connecting them to available free screening programs through the Montgomery County Cancer Crusade.
In addition, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in the DC area periodically offers free cancer screenings. Early detection is vital to improving treatment options and outcomes. For information about cancer screening guidelines and upcoming screenings, call 202-243-2320.
Building A Healthy Community
Every three years, Suburban Hospital develops an implementation plan in response to the hospital’s latest community health needs assessment. The plan is adopted by the hospital Board of Trustees and serves as a roadmap for addressing community health priorities and improving health outcomes. The plan considers where resources will generate the greatest impact by applying three critical lenses:
Healthy Equity
Reduce gaps in access to preventive services for vulnerable populations.
Access to Care
Increase access to specialty care for low-income and uninsured residents
Healthy Behaviors
Promote healthy and active living.
Community Impact Reports
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Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
The CHNA helps identify priority health issues affecting Montgomery County and residents living in Suburban Hospital’s service area.
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Community Health Improvement Report (PDF)
Learn how Suburban Hospital addresses local community health needs identified in the CHNA through its health and wellness programs and initiatives.
Meet Your Wellness Team
The Community Health and Wellness team is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the community. Meet the team to learn how they help community members access quality health care and support safe and healthy communities.
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Eleni Antzoulatos oversees many Health Promotion and Community Wellness initiatives at Suburban Hospital. She manages the healthy lifestyle program known as WellWorks which offers nutrition, safety and fitness classes to community members. She also coordinates Worksite Wellness initiatives which help local businesses encompass healthy lifestyle practices within the workplace. The Worksite Wellness initiative allows the Community Health and Wellness Division the opportunity to build strong ties with local businesses such as NASDAQ and Lockheed Martin.
In addition, Eleni arranges Suburban Hospital’s health and wellness seminars and special events, including the Annual Women’s and Men’s Health Symposiums, alongside the physician liaison, marketing and service line administrators. Eleni is also responsible for producing Suburban Hospital’s Community Benefit Report, which provides specific insight on the health improvement initiatives that service the community. Currently, Eleni is serving a two-year term as a member of the Montgomery County Food Council.
Eleni holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Biology from McDaniel College and Masters of Public Health from the George Washington University.
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Kate McGrail leads health improvement efforts specifically related to cardiovascular, diabetes, and stroke prevention for the Hospital’s community benefit service area as well as in Southern Maryland (Prince George’s and Calvert counties). In this capacity, Kate coordinates the planning, organization, development, and implementation of community education programs, health partnerships, and blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. As program manager of health outcomes and evaluation, Kate also leads the implementation planning process, which guides the work of the community health and wellness division and measures the impact of its programs on identified health needs. Kate also supports the county’s growing aging population through robust, collaborative approaches to aging-in-place. Through the Village Ambassador Alliance, Kate works to bridge the village-hospital connection through education, training and resource allocation to support those community members who wish to age in their own homes to be informed, safe, and connected.
Kate holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics-Accounting from the College of the Holy Cross and a Masters of Public Health from George Washington University.
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Monique leads Suburban Hospital’s health transformation and improvement commitment to the community, which aims to improve the quality of life and reduce hospitalizations. Aligning hospital and community assets as well as focusing on unaddressed identified needs, she links health partnerships, community initiatives, strategic affiliations and collaboration with health coalitions, outreach activities, wellness programs and corporate projects to address established health barriers, disparities and inequities.
Monique serves on the boards of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase YMCA, Nexus Montgomery, the Healthy Montgomery steering committee and the advisory council board for the Archdiocesan Health Care Network. She is a graduate of the American Hospital Association and the Health Forum’s Leadership Creating Healthier Communities Fellowship, as well as a 2013 graduate of Leadership Montgomery. An 18-year member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club, she has served for multiple years on the Board of Directors. As a member of the United States Peace Corps, Monique also volunteered as a Health Extensionist in Ecuador.
Monique completed her undergraduate degree at Washington College, Master’s degree at Middlebury College and Master of Business Administration at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. -
Patricia Rios is the Community Health Improvement Manager for Suburban Hospital. Through quantitative and qualitative data collection and research methods, Patricia leads Suburban Hospital’s triannual Community Health Needs Assessment process. As the liaison for ethnic and multicultural populations, Patricia seeks to reduce health disparities in Montgomery County by working closely with safety net clinics and local health coalitions that increase access to chronic disease treatment and prevention for uninsured and underserved residents. Specific efforts include screening and education for colorectal cancer, diabetes management, as well as coordination of access-to-care. Patricia is also responsible for overseeing the hospital’s quarterly blood drive, and is the primary contact for public health internships and volunteering.
Patricia holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Promotion from American University and Masters of Public Health from the George Washington University. -
Sharon Shapiro, RN, Leni Barry, RN, CDE, & Mary Flynn, RN, CDE (left to right)
HeartWell is a free health education program designed for seniors to increase awareness about preventative guidelines, symptom recognition and management, medications, blood pressure monitoring, diet and lifestyle enhancements. The program is staffed by Suburban Hospital registered nurses at three senior centers in Montgomery County. Learn more about the programs, services, and locations of the HeartWell program.
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Anna Stokes, Janice Pliner, Susan Moser, Leah Russi, and Karla Lazarte (left to right)
Oasis is a national education organization designed to enhance the quality of life for mature adults. Offering challenging programs in the arts, humanities, wellness and volunteer services, Oasis creates opportunities for older adults to continue their personal growth and provide meaningful service to the community. Learn more about the programs, services, and location of the Oasis program.