Bayhealth has welcomed four new primary care physicians as part of their Next Wave of Primary Care. The initiative makes it easier for patients across central and southern Delaware to connect with a primary care physician.
Sara Parisi, MD and Archisa Rokde, MD have joined the Bayhealth Primary Care in Middletown while Parthana Patkar MD has joined Bayhealth Primary Care Blue Hen. At Bayhealth Primary Care Sussex Campus, Gustavo Monteros Proano MD joined the practice.
“Welcoming talented primary care physicians is an important part of our commitment to meeting the growing healthcare needs of central and southern Delaware,” Dina Perry, MBA, Vice-President of Physician Services Operations, said. “Each new physician expands our ability to provide timely personalized care and helps more patients establish lasting relationships with a trusted primary care provider.”
The addition of the physicians increases appointment availability and gives patients the opportunity to establish care close to home. Primary care physicians help patients stay healthy through preventive care, annual checkups, chronic disease management and treatment for common illnesses.
A 2026 Delaware state procurement document reports that Sussex County only has about 130 active primary care physicians who must serve around 271,000 residents. That means one physician can have up to 2,000 patients. Kent County has a similar lack of physicians with one physician seeing as many as 1,700 residents.
The document reports that 40 percent of Sussex County residents lack a primary care physician and the average new-patient wait is up to 27 days. This also places added burdens on emergency departments as patients who do not have a primary care physician may visit an emergency department for a minor illness.
Added to this is the fact that 26 percent of Sussex County residents are 65 and older, creating a particularly high demand for primary and chronic-diseases care. Statewide, Delaware needs approximately 71 additional primary-care physicians just to eliminate the shortage. Research also shows this is not a new problem in the area as a similar report 9n 2015 found 17 percent of Kent County and 14 percent of Sussex County residents lacked a primary care physician.
The new physicians represent Bayhealth’s ongoing effort to expand access to primary care throughout central and southern Delaware by growing its physician network and making it easier for patients to connect with care.
Learn more by visiting Bayhealth online.
