New Bayhealth Sussex campus complete, weeks away from opening its doors

MILFORD, Del. – It’s been a long time coming, but Bayhealth’s Sussex campus is now complete. It’s a hospital that will provide better care, access, and convenience to residents here in Sussex County.

“The resources we are bringing to the community are huge between our ability to treat more patients from a trauma standpoint, from a behavioral health standpoint, from a pediatric standpoint it’s just a great addition to the area,” explains Emergency Dept. Clinical Coordinator Kate Santry.

The new Bayhealth facility is housing a state-of the art hospital and outpatient center, a facility that’s designed with the patients in mind.

“The facility itself is going to be 128 beds all private rooms, which is very unique. It’s going to have spaces not only for the patients but for the family members who are a very important part of the care team,” explains Bayhealth CEO and President Terry Murphy.

It’s a hospital that’s now able to take on the growing population in Sussex County.

“So our ability to treat more patients is one of the huge advantages we have with this campus we went from 16 monitor beds at Milford to 32 monitor beds here at Sussex and that includes a behavioral health area and a sexual assault nurse examiner room.”

Bayhealth has also partnered with Nemours, so physician specialists will soon be at the Milford location, so families won’t have to travel to New Castle County for pediatric care.

It’s a health care facility that Sussex County has needed for years, one that local representatives think is a win-win for everyone.

“The health professionals working in this kind of environment is I think very invigorating. It will bring us new physicians who want to work in the state of the art facility and we need more primary care. So from the layout to the emergency room to the walk in triage, people are going to be amazed at the services that are going to be available here,” adds Rep. Ruth Briggs King.

So now that the building is complete, they’re gearing up welcome their very first patients in early February. The Sussex campus is also bringing more jobs to the area.

They say the expansion will lead to the addition of health care professionals and others who will help to run the facility.

Now the old Milford Memorial hospital also has plans to meet the growing needs in Sussex County. We’re told the hospital is being re-purposed to a 150 bed skilled nurse facility and that Nationwide Healthcare Services will be taking it over.

In addition to that, Nationwide has plans to develop a senior wellness village, which will bring another $10 million in re-investment to the facility.

Added services that are crucial for Sussex County.

“For me it’s saying to the community we know that we have an aging community so we have rehab beds now and how we’ve re-purposed what’s the current location for Milford Hospital will be a new facility for assisted-living and for skilled nursing care. All the things just go really well to show how well thought out it was,” adds Briggs King.

The new facility will also bring another 300 jobs to the area.