Beebe Breaks Ground on South Coastal Health Campus
Beebe Healthcare broke ground on its planned South Coastal Health Campus which will include a freestanding Emergency Department and second cancer center on Route 17 in Millville on November 1. On an unseasonable warm fall afternoon, many Beebe team members, local community members, and supporters gathered for this celebratory moment to show their support for this significant forward progression.
The South Coastal Health Campus will allow residents and visitors in southern Delaware and into Marylan to access services instead of having to travel up to Lewes or Rehoboth Beach, particularly during the summer when there’s a lot more traffic. They’ll be able to come right here and get the same level of care. And, if they are experiencing a cardiac or other life-threatening event that needs a higher level of care, Beebe will be equipped at the South Coastal Health Campus to easily transport – by helicopter or ambulance – patients to Lewes or other trauma centers.
Earlier in the same week on October 29, the excitement kicked off as the Beebe Medical Foundation launched into the public phase of its I Believe in Beebe Campaign, the largest campaign goal in Beebe’s 102-year history. This campaign will support Beebe’s multi-pronged expansion plans, creating the next generation of care and bringing services close to home. The campaign has currently raised $29 million dollars, with the goal of reaching $34 million. The total cost of the expansion is more than $200 million.
On behalf of the Foundation, Judy Aliquo as well as I Believe in Beebe Campaign Co-Chairs, Terry and Vanessa Megee and Mike and Kelli Meoli, thanked the community for their generous donations and support thus received, but also emphasized that the work is not done. The more money that can be raised, the more Beebe can bring to the community in terms of services.
Building off this momentum, Nick Perchiniak, MD, announced at the groundbreaking ceremony that Sussex Emergency Associates will be donating $500,000 to the I Believe in Beebe Campaign. For someone experiencing a health emergency such as a heart attack, minutes to care make such a difference. Having a freestanding emergency department in the South Coastal area will be a tremendous benefit and potentially save lives.
“We are very excited about the creation of a brand-new, top notch facility, centered on providing high quality care for our patients. We recognized the needs of the community in this area and the challenges, especially in the summer, with travel to the main campus and are happy to be able to bring care closer to home,” said Dr. Perchiniak. “The members of our group live in the community and are passionate about Beebe Healthcare, the care we provide our patients, and the projects underway that will expand and enhance our ability to provide that care. We truly believe in Beebe.”
In addition, Barry Hamp, executive director of Beebe’s Oncology Service Line joined in the excitement and need of the new south coastal cancer center, touting the benefits and convenience local cancer patients will soon receive, not having to travel such a distance while still receiving the same top-notch care.
Lori Roessler, former Tunnell Cancer patient shared, “On the last day of my treatment at the Tunnell Cancer Center, the anticipated happiness of being finished with the treatment, instead became a sad realization that I was leaving behind the staff whom had become my family, friends, and support group over the past year. I have stopped in many times over the past 10 years to visit, hug and (I hope) inspire those who work so tirelessly every day to provide compassion and comfort to me and every patient they encounter. For that, I will always be eternally grateful.”
State Senator Gerald Hocker added how he is a “Beebe Baby” and during his lifetime has witnessed the tremendous growth in the community and the need for this expanded care to the South Coastal area. He also joked that when people will ask how to get to Beebe’s new South Coastal Health Campus, people will say “it is right down the road from Hocker’s grocery store.”
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, a reception was held at the Roxana Firehall. Beebe thanks the Roxana Fire Department and all its volunteers for the contributions and use of the space. Beebe looks forward to being closer neighbors, come late spring of 2020!
Photo Caption (shown left to right): Vanessa Megee, I Believe in Beebe Campaign Co-Chair; Terry Megee, I Believe in Beebe Campaign Co-Chair; Judy Aliquo, President & CEO, Beebe Medical Foundation; David Herbert, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Beebe Healthcare; Nicholas Perchiniak, MD, Beebe Healthcare; Jeffrey M. Fried, FACHE, President & CEO, Beebe Healthcare; Barry Hamp, Executive Director of Oncology Service Line, Beebe Healthcare; State Senator Gerald Hocker; Kelli Meoli, I Believe in Beebe Campaign Co-Chair; and Michael Meoli, I Believe in Beebe Campaign Co-Chair.