The i.g. Burton group donates $150K to support Beebe residency program
Beebe Medical Foundation recently announced that the i.g. Burton Auto group has made a gift to the Sussex Supports Beebe Healthcare comprehensive campaign.
The $150,000 gift will support the family medicine residency program at the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education. Once fully staffed, the program will facilitate a minimum of 7,000 additional primary care appointments each year for the community.
“I have been privileged to serve on the board of directors of the medical foundation for eight years and witnessed the tremendous growth of our community,” said Charles Burton, president and CEO of i.g. Burton. “Beebe Healthcare has been visionary and quite aggressive in its own growth of building a new Specialty Surgical Hospital in Rehoboth, and the South Coastal Health Campus in Millville with an emergency department and cancer center. What I have been most impressed with is the focus on bringing more doctors to our area, especially primary care doctors, and the new family medicine residency program. Our company is happy to support the residents as they learn their profession here in Sussex County, and hopefully choose to stay and live here with us.”
On average, 50% of medical residents choose to remain in the communities where they train.
“Our first class of students is already in love with Beebe and Sussex County,” said Joyce Robert, MD, program director.
The Sussex Supports Beebe Healthcare campaign is focused on all of Beebe’s current programs, with a special emphasis on establishing new programs and strengthening core service lines. The campaign has already raised the necessary funds for a mobile health clinic, several sprinter vans for Beebe’s Population Health, and for the new center for breast health on the Rehoboth health campus. The original goal was $22.5 million, but it has now been extended to $30 million, thanks to the community support.
“I am very grateful to Charlie Burton and his company for their strong and loyal support for so many years,” said Tom Protack, Beebe Medical Foundation president. “When Charlie opened up i.g. Burton Lewes Auto Mall, he immediately made a very generous gift to our I Believe in Beebe campaign in 2017, because he believes local businesses need to support their local nonprofit community healthcare system. Charlie continues his family’s legacy of giving that he learned from his grandfather and father. I am also very thankful for his knowledge, wisdom and advice on our foundation board of directors.”
