SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Sussex County’s rapid growth is reshaping nearly every part of life, from housing and roads to schools and public safety. Healthcare leaders say that, even as providers expand services and add new access points across the county, the effects are already visible inside hospitals, clinics and emergency departments.
Local healthcare systems report rising emergency room volume, shifting patient needs tied to an aging population, and mounting pressure on the healthcare workforce, all trends they say will intensify as growth continues.
Emergency room visits rise
One of the clearest indicators of growth-related strain can be seen in emergency departments. According to data from TidalHealth, emergency department visits have increased in recent years, rising from 69,569 visits in 2020 to 80,945 visits in 2025.
A TidalHealth spokesperson said that, in 2025, patients were typically placed in a room quickly, with an average door-to-room time of about 17.5 minutes. However, the average time from arrival to being seen by a provider, known as door-to-doc time, was roughly three hours. The average length of stay in the emergency department was about four hours.
For some, healthcare begins before arriving to the hospital. Sussex County's emergency medical services, frequently tied to volunteer fire departments, have been strained in recent years, as well.
In March 2025, the Lewes Fire Department warned the Sussex County Council that it could be forced to begin the process of dissolving its EMS without an increase in funding. The fire department said its call volume surged from 5,040 EMS calls in 2018 to 7,589 in 2024, which more than doubled its operating costs.
Growth is changing who needs care and what kind
Healthcare leaders say the challenge is not simply serving more people, but serving a population whose healthcare needs are changing.
According to Beebe Healthcare, the fact that Sussex County’s growth is accompanied by an increasing aging population means a rise in more complex medical needs including trauma care, chronic disease management and specialty services.
As land east of Route 1 is all but gone and growth is beginning to push west, patients in Sussex County already drive an average of 45 minutes for care, which is nearly double the national average of about 25 minutes. Healthcare leaders say this underscores how access and demand are already stretched.
Longtime residents and newcomers alike have raised similar concerns. On community forums like Facebook and Nextdoor, it's common to see posts from new residents asking for doctor recommendations, only to find that many of their neighbors have chosen to keep their physicians in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and elsewhere while waiting for new patient appointments locally.
That being said, TidalHealth reports that, so far in 2026, patients are often able to schedule primary care appointments quickly with next-day availability. Specialty care appointments are frequently scheduled within about eight days.
When asked for clarity, a TidalHealth spokesperson cautioned that the data reflects only year-to-date information as of late January, which is much more limited this early in the year. She also specified that next available appointments may not align with a patient's preferred provider, location or time, particularly for higher-demand specialties, and that wait times can vary significantly.
Demand is expected to continue to rise
Sussex County's population increased an estimated 14.2 percent from 2020 to 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. People 65 years and older make up nearly a third of the county's 271,134 estimated residents, sitting at 31.8 percent.
As population is expected to continue to rise, and to continue trending older, healthcare systems are expecting demand to go along with it. Beebe Healthcare estimates that Sussex County will need approximately 255 physicians and advanced practice clinicians like nurse practitioners and physician assistants by 2030 to maintain the current clinician-to-population ratio.
While Delaware is looking at the potential for a new medical school, Dr. David Tam, president and CEO of Beebe Healthcare, has a somewhat ironic concern around the impact of development on healthcare: a lack of housing, specifically affordable housing for the workforce.
"At Beebe, we are focused on solutions like expanding access points across the county, strengthening our medical education pipeline and building the kind of workforce stability that patients expect and deserve when they come to our care sites. None of that is possible without ensuring that the people who care for this community can afford to live in this community," Tam said in a statement to CoastTV. "If healthcare, housing, infrastructure and community can move forward together, we envision a future where Sussex County thrives, and every resident benefits."
Expanding care and planning beyond hospital walls
As the population expands, local healthcare systems are trying to keep pace, not only in the construction of facilities but filling them with workers.
Beebe has expanded in multiple areas in recent years, including a four-floor specialty surgery hospital in Rehoboth that opened in 2022 and building the Long Neck Health Center which hosts the Beebe family medicine residency. Both Beebe and TidalHealth have plans for campuses in Millsboro that are expected to include emergency departments, a sign that expansion is on its way west as Route 1 fills up.
As Sussex County continues to evolve, providers say the question is not whether demand will increase, but whether planning across sectors can keep up so that growth benefits the entire community without overwhelming the systems designed to care for it.