ChristianaCare, Bayhealth and PCOM Launch Delaware Collaborative Clinical Campus

Delaware Collaborative Clinical Campus Aims to Expand Medical Training in Central and Southern Delaware

Brian Levine serves as chief academic officer and designated institutional official for ChristianaCare. (Photo courtesy of ChristianaCare.)

ChristianaCare, Bayhealth and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) have announced a new partnership designed to expand medical education and strengthen the physician workforce in central and southern Delaware.

The Delaware Collaborative Clinical Campus will begin in July 2026, placing five third-year PCOM medical students in clinical rotations in Kent and Sussex counties. The students will train at both Bayhealth and ChristianaCare facilities, gaining hands-on experience in community-based health care settings.

The new program builds on a longstanding relationship between ChristianaCare and PCOM, where students have traditionally trained in New Castle County. Under the expanded model, Bayhealth will join the coordinated statewide training effort.

Currently, 55 PCOM students train through the Delaware Branch Campus at ChristianaCare. The additional five students assigned to Kent and Sussex counties will expand that footprint and focus training opportunities in areas identified as having physician shortages.

“The partnership with PCOM and ChristianaCare expands the scope and number of medical students trained in Delaware, and ultimately enhances our ability to recruit and retain new physicians that are committed to work in Kent and Sussex counties,” said Gary Siegelman, MD, MSc, CPE, designated institutional official for Bayhealth Medical Center. “By providing PCOM students with immersive, hands-on clinical rotations in our communities, we’re not only offering them outstanding training in diverse real-world settings but also building stronger connections that encourage them to establish their practices right here in Delaware. This directly addresses our workforce needs in underserved areas and enhances access to high-quality care for the patients we serve every day.”

“PCOM’s mission has always centered on educating the next generation of osteopathic physicians to be community-minded individuals who serve where the need is greatest,” said Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and CEO of PCOM. “By combining our commitment to compassionate, hands-on education with Delaware’s deep-rooted networks of care, we’re preparing future clinicians to meet people where they are — with excellence, empathy, and a shared purpose to improve patient care in Delaware.”

Officials said the program is also intended to improve access to care in Medically Underserved Areas, where shortages of primary care, dental and mental health providers persist.

“We are incredibly excited about this partnership among three organizations that are already doing amazing work in medical education—now joining together to tackle the real challenges with recruiting and retaining physicians in smaller communities throughout Delaware,” said Brian Levine, M.D., chief academic officer and designated institutional official for ChristianaCare. “For students, these rotations will provide an exceptional variety of clinical experiences and expert faculty who will help to prepare them for the next phase of their education, which is residency—hopefully right here in Delaware.”

Students in the Collaborative Clinical Campus will complete core rotations primarily in Kent and Sussex counties, with additional opportunities in New Castle County. Training will include primary care, OB-GYN, psychiatry and other specialties, along with exposure to interdisciplinary care teams.

The initiative also involves the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research (DIMER), which works to secure medical school admission opportunities for Delaware residents and coordinate clinical training placements.

“This collaboration is one of the many ways we are demonstrating our commitment to increase and expand our workforce pipelines,” said Neil Jasani, M.D., MBA, FACEP, chair of the DIMER Board. “This in turn, allows us to take better care for all Delawareans.”

The first five students participating in the new campus will be DIMER medical students from Delaware who are returning to the state for their clinical training.

“We are so pleased to enhance training opportunities for medical students in Delaware, specifically in Kent and Sussex Counties. This reflects what we do best: partner across the state for the wellbeing of our communities through an exceptionally trained workforce,” said Omar Khan, M.D., MHS, FAAFP, president and CEO of the Delaware Health Sciences Alliance, which includes Bayhealth, ChristianaCare and PCOM.