NARFE Coastal Sussex members hear about Beebe planned expansion
Beebe Vice President of External Affairs Alex Sydnor spoke at the April meeting of Coastal Sussex Chapter 1690 of National Active and Retired Federal Employees held at 1776 Steakhouse, Rehoboth Beach.
He said the planned expansion of multiple Beebe Healthcare facilities in Sussex County will help the hospital meet the healthcare needs of an expanding senior population. Sydnor described details of the previously announced $180 million Beebe expansion at its facilities in Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Millville. He said, “Seniors aged 65 and over represent 25 percent of the county population, a figure which is increasing to 30 percent. The hospital needs to meet the resulting increase in demands for healthcare.”
Sydnor explained how Beebe is taking advantage of improvements in technology to streamline services, and how improved surgery techniques allow for more outpatient procedures and shorter hospital stays after inpatient procedures. He said, “Healthcare is changing, and more and more rehabilitation can now be undertaken at home, not in institutional facilities.”
Part of the expansion is to allow the Route 24 facility in Rehoboth Beach to be a specialty surgical hospital to handle all elective and planned surgeries, such as knee replacements. Sydnor said, “This will free up the main hospital facility in Lewes to better handle medical emergencies and more serious cardiovascular procedures.” The Lewes campus will have a new 4-story patient wing for complex medical and surgical patients, and will be the location for a dedicated heart and vascular center of excellence.
One goal of the expansion is to improve accessibility for all Sussex County residents to first-class medical facilities. He said this is one of the driving factors behind the plans to expand the Millville facility into a full-scale health campus with a freestanding emergency department and a state-of-the-art second location for the Tunnell Cancer Center. “Convenience to our facilities to residents in all parts of Sussex County is important, particularly in summer months when it is difficult to get around, which is why we are so committed to the quality of care in our Route 24 and Millville facilities,” he said.
Sydnor said, “We understand that healthcare is essentially local,” and he noted the expansion plans are designed to provide high-quality Beebe healthcare at that local level.
The local NARFE Coastal Sussex Chapter 1690 is part of the national organization that represents federal employees, retirees and annuitants, promotes their general welfare, and provides advice and advocacy services with respect to their rights and benefits under federal and state retirement laws and regulations. For more information for any federal retirees interested in joining the Coastal Sussex chapter, email Ron Weber at rjw98@mchsi.com.
