MILLSBORO ─ Beebe Healthcare broke ground on Dec. 17 on its newest health campus in Millsboro, a pivotal chapter in expanding access to care for one of Sussex County’s fastest-growing communities.

Anchoring the Millsboro Health Campus will be a hybrid freestanding emergency department serving adults and children, supported by a full suite of services for routine and daily care. The first floor of the three-story medical building spans 48,000 square feet and will include:

• 16 emergency exam/treatment rooms and two dedicated pediatric rooms staffed by Nemours Children’s Health specialists.
• 12 walk-in care exam rooms for non-emergency needs.
• Advanced diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammography, and X-ray) with a separate outpatient waiting area.
• On-site lab services for faster results.
• Pharmacy operations and retail pharmacy for convenience.
• A dedicated on-grade helipad for rapid air transport when higher-level care is needed.

Future phases will add medical office space on the second and third floors, each 25,000 square feet, allowing Beebe to expand services as the community needs grow.

“This groundbreaking is more than the start of a building – it’s the start of a new era of access for central Sussex County,” said Dr. David Tam, Beebe Healthcare CEO and president. “Families and EMS have faced long travel times for emergency care, sometimes 45 minutes or more. This campus changes that. It keeps care in Sussex County and close to community members’ homes.”

The campus is strategically located near the new DelDOT bypass at Dupont Boulevard and Hardscrabble Road, improving access for residents and emergency responders.

It reflects Beebe’s commitment to responsible growth, ensuring care keeps pace with Sussex County’s rapid population rise, which grew at a rate of 10% between 2020 and 2023 and projects an increased demand for healthcare services over the next decade.

“Beebe has worked with numerous groups to ensure the needs of the Millsboro community are met,” Dr. Tam said. “We worked with DelDOT to provide land for the new bypass to streamline travel and improve emergency response times, and we’re proud to say that Nemours Children’s Health will offer pediatric emergency services for families in this growing region. The town of Millsboro and Plantation Lakes have also offered insightful feedback on our plans. We want this campus to be able to provide all the healthcare services that area residents or visitors may need.”

The campus also features acreage for Beebe to continue to grow or add needed community resources in a prime location.

“This will be Beebe’s third emergency department, strategically located to serve a community that needs faster access to care,” said Dr. Nick Perchiniak, Beebe Healthcare emergency medicine physician. “We’ve already seen the positive impact that Millville emergency department has had on patients and EMS in the South Coastal region. With emergency services, walk-in care, advanced imaging, and lab all under one roof, this campus will give patients and EMS a centralized location for high-quality care.”

In January of 2025, the capital costs for the project are anticipated to be between $32 million and $36 million.

Barring any delays in construction due to weather or materials, Beebe expects a late 2027 opening.