WILMINGTON — Artesian Water Company has contributed $100,000 to Christiana Care’s Middletown Emergency Department for two specialized technology systems.
These systems quickly and effectively rule out or identify a blood clot or flu virus, enabling clinical staff to more efficiently begin the appropriate treatment.
“Without this technology, we’d have to transport specimens from the Middletown Emergency Department to Christiana Care’s Christiana Hospital for testing,” said Cheryl Katz, vice president of Pathology and Laboratory Services at Christiana Care. “Instead of driving specimens more than 20 miles away, we walk them across the hall, drastically improving our ability for patients to receive treatments sooner.”
Since opening in 2013, Christiana Care Health System’s Middletown Emergency Department has provided emergency services close to home for the residents of Delaware’s Southern New Castle and Northern Kent counties.
The 36,500-square-foot freestanding facility has brought 24/7 emergency care to the growing area of about 86,000 residents. Patients and their families previously faced an approximately 25-minute drive from the Middletown area to the nearest emergency room.
“We are partners in this community, helping to better the lives of those we serve, and I am pleased that we are able to contribute to the health and well-being of our neighbors,” said Dian C. Taylor, president and CEO of Artesian Water Company and a Christiana Care Trustee. Artesian Water provides water services throughout the Delmarva Peninsula.
“We constantly strive to create value for the people and communities we serve,” said Dr. Janice Nevin, president and CEO of Christiana Care Health System. “Christiana Care’s partnership with Artesian, another customer-focused service provider, exemplifies the impact of strategic partnerships to uphold our promise of value and excellence in our community.”
One new testing unit screens blood samples for D-dimer fragments, high levels of which can indicate a blood-clotting problem like deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms, which kill 60,000 to 100,000 Americans each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The other is a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, which offers rapid lab testing of nasal secretions for flu and other viruses.
When planning the Middletown Emergency Department, Christiana Care expected to treat about 35 patients per day. But the center has been even busier, with an average of 60 visits a day. “Several D-dimer tests are conducted each day. And in flu season, as many as 10 PCR tests are performed each day,” estimated Katz.
