By Tim Mastro

LEWES — Bayhealth broke ground Wednesday on its planned Bayhealth Total Care in Sussex County, which aims to offer a hybrid style of care, the first of its kind in Delaware.

The facility will be home to both an emergency and walk-in center, as well as imaging and lab services, plus offices for primary and specialty care physicians.

The site is located at the intersection of Lewes-Georgetown Highway (Route 9) and Hudson Road west of Lewes. Bayhealth plans for the 48,500-square-foot facility to open in early 2023.

With Sussex County experiencing a sizable growth in its population, especially among those 65 years old and older, Bayhealth Total Care fills an evolving need in the community, said Bayhealth President and CEO Terry Murphy.

“We want to make it easy and convenient for Sussex County residents to get their health care,” Mr. Murphy said. “We cannot stand still because Sussex County is not standing still.”

The project comes three years after Bayhealth made its first foray into Sussex when it opened a campus in the Sussex County portion of Milford.

Bill Strickland, chairman of the Bayhealth board of directors, said building another facility in the county was a critical next step as the population continues to increase. He added it reaffirms Bayhealth’s commitment to Sussex County.

“We are here for you, Sussex County,” Mr. Strickland said. “That’s a message that has never been more clear. This facility will bring a lasting impact to this area and the people that we serve.”

Bayhealth Total Care will house five primary care clinicians with the ability to cover thousands of patient visits every year. It will also offer access to specialty care doctors like neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists, oncologists, neurologists, urologists, women’s care specialists and colorectal surgery services .

A 24-hour technician for blood work and other services also will be on-site.

“Patients won’t have to drive to a metropolitan area or get on the highway,” said Dr. Gary Siegelman, Bayhealth’s chief medical officer “They will have those services right here.”

Along with all those services, the hybrid concept is centered around having both an emergency room and a walk-in care center in the same facility.

“It allows the patient to come in, whether they have a walk-in or urgent care type need, or a true emergency, they will be assisted and directed to the right place when they come into the facility,” Dr. Siegelman said. “So the guesswork is taken out of this for the patients.”

The facility will be home to some of Bayhealth’s residents — recently graduated doctors who work alongside seasoned physicians to provide care.

Bayhealth began its Family Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency Programs this past year while a third program, Bayhealth’s General Surgery Residency, will welcome its first residents in July 2022. Mr. Murphy said Bayhealth is looking to add another residency program for emergency physicians.

Bayhealth expects to have a total of 109 residents graduating from the four programs, he said, once the emergency physician program is established.

“The hope is they will stay in this community,” he said. “There’s no greater need in this community right now than more physicians to serve the health care of this population.”