Nationally Acclaimed Healthcare
Hospitals throughout the state rank nationally each year as some of the best in the country. In fact, Delaware is a standout on the U.S. News & World Report 2019 Best States Rankings:
Delaware ranks #1 for Hospital Quality, a measure of hospital success in performing and treating nine procedures and conditions: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colon cancer surgery, congestive heart failure, heart bypass surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery.
Delaware is ranked #6 for Healthcare Quality, which is measured based on preventable hospital admissions, Medicare plan ratings and the quality of nursing homes and hospitals.
Delaware is ranked #15 on the list of the best states for Healthcare (up from #25 in 2018), which is measured based on healthcare access and affordability, healthcare quality and health outcomes.
A Wealth of Healthcare Options
Christiana Care Health System is ranked in the top 2% of hospitals assessed nationwide and ranked nationally in one adult specialty, gynecology, on the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Hospital Rankings. The system serves much of Northern Delaware and boasts innovative and comprehensive care with two hospitals, a Level I trauma center, surgical care facilities, a world-class research institute, and rehabilitation centers. It recently added a Center for Woman & Children’s Health with private patient rooms, spacious labor and delivery suites, and an innovative neonatal intensive care unit among the most advanced in the nation.
Your options don’t stop there. Wilmington itself offers St. Francis Hospital, Nemours Children’s Health and a VA Medical Center. Nemours has been nationally ranked in five children’s specialties, including #16 in pediatric orthopedics.
Farther down in central and southern Delaware, residents rely on Bayhealth which operates hospitals in both Kent and Sussex Counties, a freestanding emergency department in Smyrna, and various satellite facilities. Bayhealth ranked high performing in the 2020 U.S. News and World Report Hospital Rankings for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure. In addition, Bayhealth recently invested $314 million to build a new, 165-acre hospital and outpatient center in Milford to increase services and establish a cutting-edge health campus.
The previous hospital site in Milford was sold to Nationwide Healthcare Services to create Milford Wellness Village, an innovative, multi-use development initiative committed to delivering integrated health, education, and other services to Kent and Sussex counties. Coordinated services are being provided by a select mix of like-minded organizations and tenants who equally share the desire to improve the health and well-being of area residents and reduce overall costs.
Southern Delaware is also served by Beebe Healthcare and TidalHealth with hospitals in Lewes and Seaford, along with several outpatient locations throughout the county offering imaging and rehabilitation services. Beebe Healthcare has entered a time of significant growth and expansion with the recent opening of a $48 million comprehensive cancer center, and the healthcare provider has started construction on a $125 million four-story specialty surgical hospital and has plans for an outpatient campus in Milton. Beebe rated high performing in four adult procedures and conditions on the 2020 U.S. News and World Report Hospital Rankings: heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hip replacement, and knee replacement surgeries.
Staying Healthy in Delaware
As part of its commitment to the health and well-being of its residents, there are many resources to provide easy access to the care and information you need to stay well.
Community health centers are located within each county. These centers provide a medical home for people in almost all income levels and serve insured, under-insured and uninsured patients.
The Delaware Cancer Consortium publishes a website called Healthy Delaware to provide everything you need to prevent, test and treat chronic diseases including all types of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. There’s also helpful information on tobacco use, proper nutrition and exercise programs.
Mental Health Delaware offers crisis support and comprehensive information on maintaining mental health and wellness, and the Mental Health Association in Delaware offers a range of wellness groups, virtual and in-person, to support issues like depression, anxiety and trauma survival.
Access to Delaware’s excellent healthcare system is easy and convenient with facilities and doctors located within relatively short driving distances in our small state. And when in-person visits aren’t possible, like during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state adapts by modifying telemedicine restrictions. For example, patients are no longer required to see a healthcare provider in-person before they can receive telehealth services, and Delaware residents are no longer required to be physically present in Delaware when telehealth services are provided.