OCEAN CITY – Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) representatives along with contractor Gillis Gilkerson gathered in Ocean Pines to break ground last Thursday on a new medical complex.
“I appreciate everyone coming out today. We are very pleased to bring to this community regional healthcare that is looked upon in this area as a high profile, excellent deliverer of health care and bring it directly to this community in Ocean Pines,” said Palmer Gillis of Gillis Gilkerson said. “It was in December of 2008 that we were standing on this grass during an auction, and it was about 10 years ago that I started looking at this piece of property, so it is exciting for me to see the progress that we have made, and also to be able to have such a quality occupant for this community.”
Gillis then introduced PRMC CEO/President Dr. Peggy Naleppa.
“This is exciting. It may be raining today but our vision is very clear. I want to thank each and every one of you for coming out to celebrate,” Naleppa said.
According to Naleppa, Peninsula Regional has been part of the Ocean Pines community since the mid-80’s when Dr. Peter Abbott opened the first medical practice in the community.
“We have a legacy and a history with this community that is extremely important to us,” she said. “We know health care is changing dramatically, and we know it moves outside the walls of the hospital, and this complex is an example of how health care is moving into the outpatient or ambulatory arena. We can no longer build a hospital and expect the people to come to us. We need to go to the patient, and that is important to us.”
The new medical complex, the Delmarva Health Pavilion Ocean Pines, is located on Route 589 near the North Gate of the Ocean Pines residential community.
In a 20,000-square-foot building, PRMC will anchor the complex and be its initial tenant, serving as a consolidation of its Ocean Pines and Berlin Family Practices, bringing along the laboratory services currently available at the existing Berlin location.
Peninsula Regional will also provide cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation from its Guerrieri Heart & Vascular Institute team, home health services through Peninsula Home Care and a full-service community pharmacy to be called Peninsula Home Scripts Ocean Pines.
“This is a continuation of Peninsula Regional’s commitment to population health management and to offer services for the entire Delmarva Peninsula in the locations that provide our communities exceptional healthcare options that are close to their homes, the greatest value for that care and the delivery of those services in the most appropriate setting,” PRMC’s Vice President for Strategy and Business Development and Ambulatory Services Christopher Hall said.
The new Delmarva Health Pavilion Ocean Pines is being designed, conceptually, to complement the Gillis Gilkerson/PRMC Delmarva Health Pavilion collaboration in Millsboro, Del. The Maryland complex will offer Ocean Pines and Worcester County residents a similar “one-stop” location for a majority of their healthcare needs.
“As medical center builders and developers, we have constructed over one million square feet of medical facilities on Delmarva, and we’ve enjoyed a strong working relationship with PRMC for over 20 years,” Gillis said. “The Delmarva Health Pavilion Ocean Pines will provide convenient access for Ocean Pines residents as well as all of Worcester County. This medical complex will be an important asset providing construction jobs as well as employment opportunities in a convenient location for this community.”
Peninsula Regional expects to have its new Ocean Pines family practice office, lab, cardiac rehab, home health and pharmacy services open by the spring of next year.
Hall added, “You can expect to see PRMC working with contractors to develop similar health pavilions and medical complexes in growing population areas across Delmarva and also in underserved communities where healthcare services are needed.”