MORGAN PILZ/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Members of the Delmarva Health Pavilion in Ocean Pines broke ground for the new endoscopy building, expected to be competed in 2019, on Wednesday, Aug. 8.

By Morgan Pilz, Staff Writer

(Aug. 16, 2018) A new endoscopy building broke ground last Wednesday at the Delmarva Health Pavilion in Ocean Pines.

Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury will oversee the first of two new buildings estimated to be built for the pavilion during the next two years.

“We’re so happy that folks have come,” Steve Leonard, president and CEO of Peninsula Regional Medical Center, said. “We’re exciting to kick off the groundbreaking on a terrific new building in Ocean Pines and services that will be here … in the spring on 2019. We will have the new endoscopy center part of Peninsula Health System and will offer complete GI services.”

The approximately 12,000-square-foot building that will house the new endoscopy center is anticipated to cost around $2-$3 million to complete, including equipment costs.

Dr. Jerrold S. Canakis will provide clinical care in the new space. Canakis, a gastroenterologist, has been in private practice in Berlin for 15 years.

“We’re excited Dr. Canakis will be providing endoscopy services at this center in less than a year,” Leonard said. “It’s another great program and we want to see people who need endoscopy service receive them.”

Leonard, Canakis and other members of the health center took part in the groundbreaking ceremony. Onlookers including Del. elect Wayne Hartman and Del. Mary Beth Carozza celebrated the ceremony with a tour of the current two buildings.

Building One, which includes PRMC Family Medicine Ocean Pines, Adult Fitness, Family Lab, Home Scripts Pharmacy and the Junior Board Pines Café, was built in 2015 and Building Two, which includes the Richard A. Henson Cancer Institute, followed a year later.

“Peninsula Regional Medical Center has built and developed a state-of-the-art family practice and cancer center. Their vision is very exciting in providing comprehensive services, which I feel is important because we’re in the business of providing healthcare to our community. A true team oriented, collaborative approach is the best approach,” Canakis said.

“It’s an important step in providing access to quality healthcare services,” he continued. “Years ago, there weren’t a number of services available. Fortunately, we have the support of the hospital and of the community, and this is important because patients can get the best access to care locally.”

The endoscopy center is one of two new buildings coming soon to the Ocean Pines Health Pavilion campus. Services in those two locations will also include a surgery center, urgent care, imaging and offices for specialty physicians, all of whom are board-certified and practice at PRMC.

“People have a lot of choices in life and one choice which people are making a little bit better … is, ‘How do I live healthier and well?’” Leonard said. “We’re in the business where people don’t want to be in the hospital and, quite frankly, we want people to stay out and be healthy and well.

“Here, we have all the benefits of a comprehensive cancer center right in people’s back yards,” he continued. “They can come right out of their community and they have these services and have great physicians and a great team.”

For more information, visit www.peninsula.org or call 410-543-4769.