TidalHealth Edward Q. Wilgus Community Clinic opens

When Dr. Robert Naylor purchased a parcel of land on Church Street more than 130 years ago, he envisioned it as the site of Salisbury’s first hospital. Decades later, it will be a convenient location for community members to receive healthcare services. 

The TidalHealth Edward Q. Wilgus Community Clinic opened at 805 E. Church St. in July, with a ribbon cutting set for August. At the facility, patients can access primary care, behavioral health services, telehealth services, lab draws, education, financial counseling and more.  

“I hope that they see us as another neighbor,” said Karinnet Montero-Diaz, MD, who cares for patients at the clinic.  

The clinic is accepting new patients — and that includes those who haven’t been to the doctor in a while. 

Providing hope 

Dr. Montero-Diaz, who was a member of the inaugural graduating class of the TidalHealth Internal Medicine Residency in June, said this new facility offers hope to the community. It will be more accessible to people, and it also provides more than the previous community clinic, which was located on Carroll Street across from TidalHealth Peninsula Regional.  

Jennifer Ketterman, MSN, APRN-CNP, CRNP, administrative director of primary care, OB/GYN and pediatrics for TidalHealth, said the clinic will provide care close to home. Rather than patients having to drive 10 or 15 minutes to an office, the providers are right in their neighborhood.  

TidalHealth broke ground for the building in October 2023. The location was formerly home to the Hotel Esther, and before that, the John B. Parsons Home for the Aged.  

TidalHealth purchased the site from Salisbury entrepreneur and community philanthropist Bryan LeCompte. The Wilgus family made a generous donation to the TidalHealth Foundation to make this project possible.  

“To see the doors open this week was a huge accomplishment for a lot of different departments and areas,” Ketterman said in July.  

She described the building as gorgeous, with an especially beautiful community room that will be used for classes and community events.  

The clinic is expected to handle 12,000 to 15,000 visits annually.  

“TidalHealth is committed to expanding access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, especially for those who have been historically marginalized,” said Steve Leonard, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE, President/CEO of TidalHealth. “The TidalHealth Edward Q. Wilgus Community Clinic will be a beacon of hope for our east side neighbors, offering vital care and helping bridge the gap between the community and the healthcare resources they need most.” 

The site’s location is significant not only for its historical value but also for its importance in the revitalization of the neighborhood. TidalHealth aims to stimulate residential development and reduce reliance on emergency departments for general medical care. This new clinic will foster connections between residents and healthcare providers. 

TidalHealth FamilyLab 

The building includes a TidalHealth FamilyLab, and TidalHealth team members Jess Hart, manager of laboratory outreach sales and service, and Penny West, B.S., MT(ASCP), manager of laboratory outreach, said it’s more convenient for patients.  

Hart said when patients have their primary care provider and lab at the same location, there’s increased compliance with patients having their lab testing done.  

“It saves the patient both time and travel, which also improves the results reporting time to the providers,” West said.  

People who aren’t patients of the clinic can also have lab work done at this location, if the lab accepts their insurance.  

Graduate Medical Education 

The clinic will also be a place for residents in the TidalHealth Internal Medicine Residency to practice under the supervision of attending physicians. Montero-Diaz said she hopes her experience of just having been in the residents’ shoes will help her relate to them as their teacher.  

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), an organization that focuses on advancing medical education, clinical care and research throughout the U.S., physicians who train in rural settings are more likely to remain in those areas, fostering a robust, sustainable healthcare system.   

Four of Montero-Diaz’s classmates are also continuing their careers as physicians with TidalHealth, meaning that half of the inaugural class of graduates decided they wanted to continue serving the Delmarva community.   

Before she officially started in her new role, Montero-Diaz was looking forward to seeing patients and teaching the classes of residents who will follow her. In addition to her medical knowledge, she can also connect with native-Spanish-speaking patients, as she grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish in addition to English.  

“I’m very, very excited for this new chapter, and I’m looking forward to it,” Montero-Diaz said.  

Roger Follebout and Laren MacMillan contributed to this report.