Baltimore -- Baltimore Medical System (BMS) welcomed more than 200 civic and business leaders at its formal dedication of the Highlandtown Healthy Living Center yesterday. 

The ceremony included the official awarding of the LEED-Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and remarks from dignitaries, including members of Congress and Federal health officials. 

The Highlandtown Healthy Living Center is the first Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the country to receive LEED Platinum Certification. The award was presented by Peter Templeton, President of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

"For more than 25 years, Baltimore Medical Systems has done an outstanding job in providing critical medical services and management to thousands of East Baltimore residents," said Senator Benjamin Cardin, a long-time supporter of BMS. "Today, the opening of this new LEED-certified building means that BMS can take the next step in expanding its patient-centered care to an additional 7,000 residents of East Baltimore."

The Highlandtown Healthy Living Center delivers comprehensive primary care to more than 22,000 patients from more than 50 countries each year.