“We are fortunate to welcome Dr. Cowan and Dr. Marvel,” said Jan McCarty, chairwoman of the Beebe Medical Center board of trustees. “As leaders in our medical community, they have had an important impact on the quality of medical care that we offer at Beebe Medical Center. They will bring additional expertise to our board as we meet the healthcare demands of the growing communities that we serve.”

Cowan, a board-certified emergency physician, has worked in the Beebe Medical Center Emergency Department as a partner with Sussex Emergency Associates for seven years. Cowan’s roots go deep into the Delaware emergency-care community. A native of Smyrna, he first served as a paramedic in Kent and Sussex counties before he went to medical school.

Cowan earned his medical degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Christiana Care Health System. He has served as the Sussex County Emergency Medical Services associate medical director and as Beebe’s disaster medical director. He is a past president of the Delaware chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

“I’m honored to have been elected by my peers on the medical staff to represent them on the board of trustees,” Cowan said. “These are dynamic and rapidly changing times in healthcare, both locally and nationally. The medical center will face many challenges with the changing landscape of healthcare over the next few years. I am looking forward to helping guide those changes to ensure that Beebe Medical Center continues to provide quality care to the residents and visitors of eastern Sussex County.”

Marvel, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, became Beebe Medical Center’s first orthopaedic surgeon in 1980. He previously had practiced in Philadelphia. A Lewes native, Marvel is the grandson of Beebe Medical Center co-founder Dr. James Beebe Sr. Marvel earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, where he also completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery. More than a decade ago Marvel was instrumental in the development of the statewide trauma system and remains active in the program today.

He served as president of the Medical Society of Delaware from 1991 to 1992, and again from 2004 to 2005. His private practice in Lewes is Cape Orthopaedics PA. He is an active member of the Lewes Fire Department.

“I hope to be able to facilitate the relationship between the board and the medical staff and work on continuing the quality of care at Beebe Medical Center,” said Marvel.