Business Report PO Box 1000 Seaford, DE 19973
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May 2008
VOL. 11 NO. 9 KENT & SUSSEX COUNTIES, DELAWARE
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Beebe Medical Center welcomes a new era More than 1,400 people passed through the new Joseph R. Hudson Wing at Beebe Medical Center at a daylong open house that marked the culmination of a $35 million construction project and the beginning of a new era of healthcare in eastern Sussex County. “This is a great day for all of us at Beebe and for the community,” said Jeffrey M. Fried, president and CEO of Beebe Medical Center, as he kicked off the official dedication and ribbon cutting of the new wing. The wing includes a spacious, 37bed Emergency Department twice the size of what it has been, a modern, 20bed, Critical Care Unit on the second floor, a 42-bed inpatient suite on the third floor, and a hi-tech helipad perched in the air above the rooftop. Following the dedication, members of the public were invited on tours. At a special morning open house, employees were invited to get the first peak at the new facilities. “We want to thank the Emergency Department staff and physicians who have worked tirelessly despite being surrounded by temporary walls, drilling
and reduced waiting areas for patients.” Mr. Fried added that despite all the inconveniences during the construction process, the Emergency Department managed to maintain a 95 percent patient satisfaction rate from the professional surveys that are taken. Mr. Fried also thanked Gary Langmuir, President & CEO, Wohlsen Construction Company for the work and the Beebe Medical Center Board members for their vision and support. He pointed out that the wing was 10 years in the making. “In 1998, the Board recognized that we would not be able to keep up with the needs of our community in our current facility on Savannah Road and so we began our vision to grow along with the community.” Beebe Medical Foundation kicked off the Vision 2005 Capital Campaign to raise funds to help with the expansion projects, which included the Beebe Health Campus on Route 24, established to create a place where Beebe Medical Center could expand its outpatient services, the Central Utility BuildContinued to page 24
Route 1 responds to growth By Ann Wilmer
The new $35 million wing of Beebe Medical Center is dedicated to Joseph R. Hudson, vice chair of the board of directors for Beebe Medical Foundation, which coordinates all fundraising for Beebe Medical Center. Hudson has served on the board of directors since 1986 and served as chair from 1998 to 2005. Hudson was surprised by the unveiling of his portrait that will hang in the main hallway of the new Emergency Department. Photo by Laura Rogers
Delaware Route 1 carries 40-50 thousand cars a day during peak times; as motorists have become familiar with the superhighway, it has drawn much of the traffic that previously traveled U.S. 13. “We knew that, by now, traffic on 13 would be unbearable without an auxiliary route,” explained Darrell Cole, title. In case you are wondering if Delaware Route 1 is doing the job it
was intended to do, follow the money. Toll plazas at Dover and Biddle’s Corner bring in $50 million/year in revenue for the state. Mike Williams, a planner with DelDOT, said the project spanned 20-years (1983-2003) from planning to completion. But he maintains that the project is not so much responsible for the growth in the area it serves as growth is responsible for the road. The need for an auxiliary route was clear to transportation Continued to page14
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