William Hicks Anderson Community Center longs for economic developmentand resources for an redevelopment. The Neighborhood Medical Home aims
to improve the community’s health by improved access to social and vocational
services in the center. My vision is to get this once thriving community, now
blighted and sick, back on its feet. Real estate development is happening allaround the city which includes a $45 million investment in a bike trail on the
Riverfront, a $100 million Governor Printz development project, a $10 million
project to re-locate the Rodney Square transit hub, a $20 million new Baynard
Stadium and a $65 million state bond for real estate developers. As an
alumnae, I even watched in awe as the University of Delaware allocated $180
million to build a biotechnology center. The university, however, was not
interested in investing resources to support access to quality primary specialty
care in a ‘One Stop Shop,’ which was something that I advocated for.
Delaware citizens are sicker than most average states, with higher rates of
chronic disease (obesity, heart disease and diabetes) in part driven by poverty,
food scarcity, homelessness, underemployment and violence. Our state is
consistently ranked among the states that spend the most on health care, yet
have poor outcomes. Independent Primary Care Practices once a mainstay to
help reduce healthcare costs are at risk of closing up as administrative costs
become unbearable. Without changes and investment in primary preventative
care, it is estimated that Delaware’s total health care spending will more than
double from $9.5 billion in 2014 to $21.5 billion in 2025. Transferring $3 million
dollars to this project would pay for the new building construction and would
create three full-time city employee jobs who would have health insurance, a
pension, sick and vacation time and union representation. As the legendary
music icon and activist James Brown sang, Get Up, Get Into It and Get
Involved. We can do this! To find out more information about the Beatty Place
project go to www.tovacommunityhealth.org or call the Mayor’s or the New
Castle County Executive’s office.
Dr. Nina Anderson, Chief Editor
Jay Cooperson, AIA, Cooperson Associates
TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care for the Whole Family
#tovacares
Primary Specialty Care for the Whole Family
#tovacares
Primary Specialty Care
www.tovacommunityhealth.org
302-429-5870 ext. 120
