New emergency health facilities proposed for Sussex Co.

SUSSEX CO., Del. – Beebe and Bayhealth are proposing two new emergency departments in Sussex County with the hope of closing that healthcare service gap.

Both providers have submitted applications to the State to build freestanding emergency facilities in southern Delaware. Officials from the two health systems tell 47 ABC they’ve been looking at the area’s medical services for the last couple of years and noticed a gap in emergency coverage for that part of the state. Bayhealth tells 47 ABC that the population in that part of the state has grown a lot but services have not kept up.

“When we looked to our south there was an area that folks brought to our attention an area that basically had no significant health care services that was in the heart of the area in part of the faster growing area in the state,” says John Van Gorp, Bayhealth’s Senior Vice President for Planning & Business Development.

Bayhealth’s new facility would be built on Route 9, just east of Harbeson. Officials say it is estimated to cost 15 to 17 million dollars.

47 ABC also spoke to a Beebe spokesperson who reiterated the same concerns about improving emergency health care coverage in Sussex County. Beebe is planning to build its facility across from Del Tech’s campus on Route 404. Approval for both projects will be discussed at the State’s meeting at the end of this month.

If given the green light, construction would start within the next year and both facilities would bring about 60 new positions each.