SUSSEX COUNTY — Veterans in and around Sussex County have something new to celebrate this holiday season – an investment in health care of nearly $170 million to replace the current clinic found in Georgetown with a new 135,000 square foot facility.
Wilmington VA Medical Center Associate Director Kim Butler told the Delaware Business Times in a prepared statement that no location has been identified for this new facility as of yet, but Sussex County is “the area of consideration” as it has access to public transportation and is easily accessible via major roadways.
The investment reflects just a portion of national funds offered for the benefit of veterans’ health care, lauded by Delaware’s congressional delegation last week following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) supporting the new VA facility in Sussex County.
Delaware will join other states in the process of updating health care options in this way, including Texas which will open four locations, Florida which will open two locations and South Carolina, Pennsylvania and New Jersey each with one location in the near future.
Butler said the additional space and coverage is needed in Sussex County as the current Sussex County Community Based Outpatient Clinic, located in Georgetown, has seen a 20% increase in veterans served since 2020. It opened in 2017 and now serves more than 5,800 veterans per year by providing primary care, behavioral health and select specialty care services.
She added that the facility in Georgetown, which comes in at just 11,155 net usable square feet, is at maximum physical capacity. “
As a result, area Veterans utilize VA-purchased care in the community, where there are limited resources, or a VA site further away,” Butler said.
Along with more than 100,000 more square feet, the new facility, when completed, will drastically improve available services in southern Delaware and include extended urgent care hours, minimizing travel and outsourced care for local veterans.
“Based on projected demand, proposed services include primary care, behavioral health, specialty care, dental, eye care, dialysis, infusion, physical therapy, pharmacy, laboratory services, outpatient procedures, X-ray, CT and MRI. This expansion of capacity and services will radically improve access to comprehensive and coordinated care for Veterans in Sussex County and throughout southern Delaware,” Butler told DBT.
She said the facility will open four to six years after a developer and location is determined and a lease is awarded.
Delaware Senator Dave Lawson (R-Marydel) celebrated the development in a press release, calling it a “well-deserved investment.”
“For too long, veterans in southern Delaware have faced significant challenges in accessing healthcare, with the closest VA hospital located in Elsmere,” the Vietnam combat veteran said. “This new facility will bring critical services closer to home, particularly for older and disabled veterans who struggle with long-distance travel. It’s a well-deserved investment in the heroes who have served our country with honor.”
