Shared priorities are focus of first Lewes forum

Affordable housing, expanded healthcare, world-class education, and an economically sound and resilient community were the main themes of the inaugural Lewes State of the Community Forum, held Feb. 17 at Lewes Elementary School.

Lewes Mayor Amy Marasco, Beebe Healthcare CEO and President Dr. David Tam, Cape Henlopen School District Superintendent Dr. Jenny Nauman and University of Delaware President Dr. Laura Carlson shared their visions for their organizations and for collaborations with each other.

The forum was hosted by Chris Rausch, owner and publisher of the Cape Gazette.

Bill and Nancy Collick began the evening sharing stories of life growing up in the First Town in the First State.

The four leaders laid out their shared priorities that are intertwined with the fabric of Lewes.

For example, Tam discussed the need for more healthcare professionals, which has a direct tie to the need for more affordable housing and parking, which has a direct tie to attracting more teachers and professors.

Tam, who marks his sixth anniversary at Beebe in March, said the healthcare group is on its way to creating a system where everybody in Sussex County is within a 20-minute drive of a medical facility.

“All four of us here have had meetings and talked about what we’re doing to grow our main campus in Lewes, and other places, and ensure we have resilience of serving the community,” he said. “We’re looking at housing and at how to offer child care. Those things don’t just matter to a nurse or a doctor, but also to a teacher or a professor or a city worker.”

In the last 12 months, Tam said, Beebe has brought 69 new providers into the county, plus staff to support them.

Tam said Beebe is committed to remaining a nonprofit, independent, community health system and resisting being merged or acquired by another provider and losing local control.

He said Beebe and its partners are in the early stages of discussing the need for a medical school in southern Delaware. 

That is where the University of Delaware could step in.

Carlson’s presentation was full of possibilities and concepts.

She said the school could expand its nursing program, create a master’s physician assistant program and partner with Beebe on its rural health transformation.

She said UD could reimagine its Daiber Residential Housing Complex, a 30-unit neighborhood located behind Fred Thomas Middle School in Lewes, to become a public-private partnership that provides affordable housing for students, teachers and nurses. Marasco said Lewes could annex the property, which is currently outside city limits.

The Daiber complex was originally built for U.S. Navy officers and their families stationed in Lewes. It was turned over to UD in 1985.

Carlson said UD could also expand its footprint at its campus in Lewes and its facility in Georgetown. But, she said, they have to maintain their focus.

“Infrastructure, education planning and healthcare overlap; they don’t exist in isolation,” she said. “That is why a comprehensive approach is critical. This effort has to address needs, and not simply because we want to grow. We want to protect the wonderful things happening in Lewes, but do it in a way that encourages us to be much more a part of the community.”

Nauman said UD has always been a good neighbor at the Daiber complex. She said she sees potential housing opportunities for teachers and support staff, and career opportunities for high school students in partnership with a medical school.

Nauman said she is on her way to fulfilling her goal to make Cape the best school district in the world. She said the district is fully staffed to support its 6,731 students.

Nauman said her challenge is to move forward from two failed referendums in 2024 and tackle large projects like expanding the high school, and updating Beacon and Mariner middle schools.

“It takes a village to do what we do in our district. Great schools build great communities, and great communities have great schools,” she said.

Nauman said the district already has a strong relationship with Beebe to help students with mental health issues and to aid Cape athletes. She said they also coordinate with Lewes police for safety and security.

Marasco and the other leaders said a key factor is to create opportunities so students stay here, living and working in their community.

The mayor has been a champion for resiliency and tying that resiliency to the local economy.

She said the city should update its emergency response playbook to involve the other partners, to know who is doing what in case of an environmental disaster like a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane.

“The state of our community is strong, financially, and in its transparency and governance,” Marasco said. “Lewes is a gem of a city, and I want to make sure our council and city management work collectively and collaboratively with all other groups, because we get to a better place together.”