Holy Cross Health and Montgomery College Expand Partnership with New Five-Year Collaboration Agreement

Holy Cross Health and Montgomery College have entered into a new five-year collaboration agreement to expand the innovative partnership between the two organizations. Montgomery College and Holy Cross Health’s relationship spans more than a decade in serving the students and the Montgomery County community. The original and very successful partnership helped expand nurse enrollment and graduation by 38 percent and 48 percent, respectively. Holy Cross supported the partnership with contributions totaling $600,000 for capital and program enhancements at the college.

This expanded relationship between the College and Holy Cross Health will enhance the educational opportunities for students, Holy Cross Health and College employees, and community members and create workforce development and career opportunities in nursing, health sciences and STEM fields. Highlights of the expanded partnership include:

• The expansion of the number of graduates with degrees in nursing and health sciences;
• Supporting joint opportunities between the College and Holy Cross Health to conduct programs in secondary schools for teachers and students regarding the life sciences;
• Providing at least 64 clinical rotations per year at Holy Cross Health locations;
• Expanding adjunct faculty and teaching opportunities for Holy Cross Health employees including as mentors and guest lecturers;
• Exploring joint partnership opportunities for the College and Holy Cross Health with community organizations to support health-related initiatives; and
• Increasing employment opportunities for Montgomery College students and opportunities for Holy Cross Health staff to expand their career opportunities through education and workforce development at the College.

As part of the collaboration agreement, Holy Cross Health will provide financial support for selected initiatives that enhance health care education and/or healthcare workforce development and training. A steering committee, with representation from both Holy Cross Health and Montgomery College, will oversee the overall collaboration and make recommendations on initiatives suitable for Holy Cross support.

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital anchors the Hercules Pinkney Life Sciences Park, which encompasses approximately one million square feet across 40 acres on the Montgomery College-Germantown Campus. Holy Cross Germantown Hospital is the first hospital in the United States to be located on the campus of a community college. Over the next several years, the park will be further developed with other business, government and non-profit tenants that can provide an integrated academic, business and research environment.

For more information about the partnership, please contact Marcus Rosano at Montgomery College at 240-567-4022 or Kristin Feliciano of Holy Cross Health at 202-550-0454.

For more information about the future plans of the Hercules Pinkney Life Sciences Park, please contact Martha Schoonmaker, Executive Director of the Hercules Pinkney Life Sciences Park at 301-754-7017..

About Holy Cross Health


Holy Cross Health, founded in 1963 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, is a Catholic health care system that includes Holy Cross Hospital, the largest hospital in Maryland and Prince George's Counties, a new hospital, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, and Holy Cross Health Network, which provides 30,000 primary health care visits annually and serves as the locus for physician and insurance relationships.

About Montgomery College


Montgomery College is a public, open admissions community college with campuses in Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus workforce development/continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout Montgomery County, Md. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 100 areas of study.