Beebe opens Center for Breast Health
Beebe Healthcare has officially opened its Center for Breast Health at the Rehoboth Health Campus off Route 24 between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
Beebe staff and administration were joined by board members, donors and elected officials for a Sept. 25 ribbon cutting.
The center provides care for patients with benign and malignant breast conditions. The facility, which has the only breast surgeons in Sussex County, is led by Dr. Diana Dickson-Witmer, a board-certified general surgeon known for her leadership in trailblazing the advancement of breast health and surgical care in the state for more than 25 years.
Also part of the team are fellowship-trained breast surgeon Dr. Matthew Richards and family nurse practitioner Amanda Biro, who specializes in breast cancer prevention and risk evaluation. Breast surgeon Dr. Karen Barbosa will join the staff in October.
The center is the only one in Delaware accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. It features six exam rooms, staff offices, and the latest technology in mammography and ultrasound.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Beebe CEO and President Dr. David Tam said Sussex County residents will no longer have to travel to receive breast health services. “So many people were leaving the community to get care. We knew we needed treatment close to home,” he said.
Tam said Beebe Healthcare is still growing. “This is not it. We will continue to move forward to the future with other things we need to do. This is only part of the journey we are on,” he said.
Mike Meoli, acting Beebe board chair, said Terry Megee, who was serving as board chair when he passed away July 27, should have been at the ribbon cutting. “He was as committed as anyone we know to this project,” Meoli said.
Meoli noted that the opening of the center is personal to him and his wife Kelli, a 20-year breast cancer survivor.
Dickson-Witmer said the center is one of six facilities selected from among 600 nationwide to participate in a pilot program to develop new standards for the national accreditation program.
She said in her 25 years in healthcare, she has never worked with staff that is as truly committed to patient-centered care as they are at Beebe.
Dickson-Witmer said the center will be all-inclusive. “We want to make the patient's journey as easy and comfortable as it can be. We want to cocoon you with loving, patient-centered care,” she said.
Mike Protack, Beebe Medical Foundation president, said the philanthropy of people supporting Beebe is amazing. He said the Sussex Supports Beebe campaign has a goal of $22.5 million, and has already provided funds for the family residency clinic, the mobile health clinic and the purchase of a second one.
He said major donations for the center came from Mike and Kelli Meoli, the Megee family, Lyn and Marvin Snyder, and the Beebe Auxiliary. Some 1916 Club members contributed to the artwork in the center. “Without Beebe believers, this would not happen,” Protack said.
For more information, go to beebehealthcare.org.
