By Tim Mastro

LEWES — Another health system is bringing care to Sussex County.

Nemours Children’s Health announced last week that it has teamed up with Beebe Healthcare to provide pediatric service in the state’s southernmost county.

The partnership was effective immediately, and Nemours is already providing 24-hour pediatric consultations in Beebe’s Emergency Department in Lewes.

It also is joining the Beebe Women’s & Children’s Services team to provide care to infants in the newborn nursery and at the time of high-risk deliveries. Additionally, the health system is providing consultation and care in Beebe’s inpatient pediatric unit.

This is not Nemours’ first foray into Sussex.

It opened a 35,000-square-foot facility in Milford in November 2020, which accommodates pediatric, primary, specialty, therapy and senior care through a collaboration with Bayhealth. Nemours also has a primary care office in Seaford, as well as another building in Seaford with a partnership through TidalHealth Nanticoke. Those join a primary care facility in Millsboro.

Nemours serves more than 30,000 patients in Kent and Sussex counties, with a facility in Dover, as well. It has two state-of-the-art children’s hospitals — one in Wilmington and one in Orlando, Florida — in addition to its outpatient locations in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.

“We know how important it is to have easy access to expert care, and we couldn’t be more excited about expanding our services for patients and families in Sussex County,” said Pauline Corso, senior vice president of Nemours Children’s Health and its chief operating officer in the Delaware Valley. “We are so pleased Beebe Healthcare has entrusted us to care for children in their communities. Combining the quality and patient service experiences of our great organizations exemplifies the Nemours promise of redefining children’s health and our goal of helping children, everywhere, grow into healthy adults.”

This is Nemours’ first time collaborating with Beebe. It comes as Sussex County is experiencing a health care shortage.

A recent University of Delaware study showed that the ratio of patients to primary care physicians in Sussex is 2,014-to-1.

State projections say the population of Sussex County will continue to increase, which could amplify that shortage.

According to these outlooks, the population is expected to increase 12% by 2025, creating a growing need for primary and specialty care services in the area.

“Beebe is growing with this community, and as more and more families make Sussex their home, this partnership with Nemours ensures the highest quality pediatric care,” said Dr. David Tam, Beebe president and CEO.

More and more facilities have opened to address this shortage. Beebe recently opened a campus in Millville, while a surgical center is under construction in Lewes. It is also beginning a residency program next year with the hope that those doctors practice in the area after they finish their residencies.

ChristianaCare announced last week it is opening an approximately 10,000-square-foot facility on Coastal Highway to serve the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach communities. It is scheduled to open in spring 2022 and will house a traditional primary care practice plus specialty services.

Bayhealth, meanwhile, also began a residency program this year, with some residents practicing at its new internal medicine location in Milford. It is also in the process of building an outpatient center at the intersection of Lewes-Georgetown Highway and Hudson Road, near Milton.