Beebe expanded mobile fleet

The health organization received more than $3.3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending grants.

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Beebe Healthcare unveiled its full mobile health fleet during a ribbon cutting ceremony with Delaware’s Congressional Delegation.

According to officials, the health organization received more than $3.3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending grants. With the new additions, Beebe aims to expand access to healthcare, harm reduction services, and medical education across one of Delaware’s most underserved regions.

“This mobile health fleet represents more than advanced medical trucks – it is access, dignity, and hope for residents throughout rural Sussex County who cannot access needed healthcare services,” said David A. Tam, MD, MBA, CPHE, FACHE, President and CEO of Beebe Healthcare. “Thanks to the vision and support of our federal delegation and other philanthropic partners, we can meet people where they are, remove barriers to care, and create healthier communities across Sussex County. Beebe Healthcare stands ready to transform how rural healthcare is delivered.”

Beebe leaders joined U.S. Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, along with U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, at Beebe’s Specialty Surgical Hospital on the Abessinio Health Campus in Rehoboth Beach for the ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting and tour of the fleet.

What is being added to the mobile fleet:

•A 28-foot Winnebago with an exam room, triage and registration area, phlebotomy station, and a wet bath for wound care.
• A 24-foot extended Sprinter van with an exam room and triage station for hard-to-access areas.
• A 21-foot Sprinter van that serves as a support truck for staff and supplies.
 
Health officials say Beebe’s Community Mobile Health Clinic is working to expand the team’s ability to reach areas where the larger RV cannot fit. Sussex County spans 950 square miles, and some people face transportation challenges, housing instability, and limited access to traditional healthcare facilities. Mobile healthcare has become a lifeline for many.
 
“Beebe is leading the way in addressing these challenges through innovative, community-based solutions, but could not be possible without the support of Delaware’s Congressional Delegation, federal funding, and community support,” said Bill Chasanov, DO, MBA, Chief Health Systems Design Officer.
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“By integrating primary care, behavioral health, harm reduction, and social services into one model, we’re meeting people where they are and addressing the root causes of health disparities in ways that are not only innovative but deeply compassionate and responsive to the needs of Sussex County.”
 
Change impacts

• 376 community engagements and more than 7,000 individual contacts since launch.
• More than 1,000 provider visits and 2,000 nurse visits in nontraditional settings.
• More than 1,300 naloxone kits distributed with overdose-prevention training.
• Comprehensive on-site testing: HIV, Hepatitis C, lipid panels, A1c, pregnancy, flu, COVID, strep and more.
• Family Medicine Residency Practice projected to deliver more than 11,000 primary care appointments over three years in a shortage area.
• All four members of the first graduating class in June 2026 will remain in Sussex County.
 
“It’s more important today than ever for health care providers to find effective ways to meet the people where they are when they need care most,” said Sen. Coons.
 
“I am thrilled that we have been able to deliver over $3 million for Beebe Healthcare, which is a critical partner in providing care to all who call Sussex County home,” said Sen. Blunt Rochester.
 
“Beebe’s Mobile Health Fleet was created by listening directly to community needs and made possible by a strong public-private partnership,” said Rep. McBride.

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Alyssa Baker joined the CoastTV team as a producer in February 2023. She is from Philadelphia. Alyssa graduated from West Chester University with a degree in media and culture. She participated in multiple broadcasting internships while in school, most recently with WPHL 17 in Philadelphia. 

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