Anonymous donor offers $50,000 challenge grant to Nemours Children’s Health

Nemours Children’s Health and an anonymous donor are calling on the community to help fill a vital need for pediatric care in Southern Delaware.

Later this year, Nemours will open the first full-service pediatric primary/specialty care center of its kind in Sussex County. Nemours duPont Pediatrics, Milford will occupy 35,000 square feet on the first floor of the brand-new medical office building on the Bayhealth Sussex Campus. Nemours anticipates serving more than 45,000 patients annually after the new facility opens. Telehealth, a critical component to the care being provided at this new site, will come online immediately upon opening.

Nemours has long been committed to harnessing technology to significantly expand telehealth capacity and keep pace with the increased demand for virtual care. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the true impact and value of this investment became very clear. From January to August 2020, Nemours completed 4,178 percent more telehealth visits compared to the same time frame in 2019.

Nemours currently serves approximately 30,000 children in southern Delaware annually. In 2019, 1,500 of these patients were seen via telemedicine. By July 2020, Nemours had already served over 11,000 children in southern Delaware via telemedicine.

“The continued success of our telehealth program relies on the ability to grow and sustain. By having the additional equipment both on site at our new Sussex Campus as well as for Nemours clinicians located remotely, we will be well positioned to serve all of our patients comprehensively, and in a manner that works best for them,” said Colleen Davis, director of special projects at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

Nemours sought community support to help fund this need, and an anonymous donor is generously offering a matching $50,000 grant. This means of the $100,000 needed for the critical telehealth equipment, $50,000 will be donated when $50,000 in community donations is reached.

“Now is the perfect time to help support the children of Southern Delaware. By giving a gift toward this cause before Nov. 1, you’re able to double your impact for the children we serve,” said Davis. “We are extremely grateful to our donor who has made this challenge possible.”

Nemours duPont Pediatrics, Milford will provide expanded services staffed by the very best in pediatric primary and specialty care, including allergy, audiology, behavioral health, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, otolaryngology (ENT), pulmonology, telehealth, urology, physical therapy, and more. 

Anyone interested in helping fund this critical project can call 302-293-3108 or visit www.nemours.org/bringingcarecloser.