A community health philanthropy, The Horizon Foundation typically supports programs, not buildings, but it made an exception for the expansion of Howard County General Hospital in Columbia. It kicked in $4.2 million toward a massive building project that is adding a four-story patient tower and a new parking garage, while also renovating 123,000 square feet of existing space. The tower is slated to open in fall 2009. In all, the $105 million expansion will include $20 million raised from local philanthropies, and Horizon’s gift is the largest in the foundation’s own 10-year history. Howard General gets a high-profile boost as a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, which gives the community access to a world-renowned network of care. HealthGrades gave the hospital a 2008 specialty award in pulmonary care. The facility is a busy place. Its outpatient surgery center handles close to 10,000 procedures annually. With 208 patient beds, it has a staff of more than 800. But demand keeps growing, along with residential growth in Howard County. That’s why The Horizon Foundation kicked in some cash. The foundation itself was set up with proceeds of the hospital’s sale to The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation in 1998. Though separate from the hospital, the foundation’s community health mission often puts the institutions together. In 2006, for example, they collaborated to improve geriatric and psychiatric care at the hospital and to improve access to general health care for residents without insurance. Other local providers include Kaiser Permanente, which opened a new facility in Columbia in 2001. Students, practitioners and patients have access to alternative medicine at the Tai Sophia Institute, formerly the Traditional Acupuncture Institute, in nearby Laurel. The institute offers outpatient care and master’s degree programs. For older residents needing skilled nursing or hospice care, Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation offers 239 beds. Brighton Gardens and Sunrise of Columbia offer assisted living and Alzheimer’s and hospice care. Harmony Hall is another popular place for assisted living.