Beebe Healthcare celebrates Millville facility
The new Beebe Healthcare Center in Millville had a beam-signing celebration on June 13.
Two steel beams that will become part of the newest Beebe facility were ready for partners and founders to sign as they arrived.
Rick Schaffner, president and CEO of Beebe, spoke to a crowd of 100 people about the future for the building and when it is expected to be ready for patients.
Schaffner said the new, $48 million center will open in two phases; construction of the campus will be completed by May 2020, while the emergency department will be finished in July 2020.
A huge benefit of the new center is that people in the area will have much faster access to the urgent care. Schaffner also said certified emergency department physicians, nurses and experts in mental healthcare are ready to get to work.
The closest Beebe Healthcare facility for Millville-area residents is in Lewes, he said, noting people are forced to drive at least 30 minutes during the summer, when the traffic gets heavy. “It’s going to be a huge benefit come next year,” Schaffner said.
“The fact that we’re going to be able to provide high-quality care to the people down in this region is so cool,” Schaffner said when asked what excited him most about the project.
Many people signed the steel beam using an assortment of colored markers and then had a chance to sign part of a wall in the building. Schaffner said although none of the signatures will be seen once the building is complete, people will know that they are part of the foundation of the project.
