Milford Wellness Village expands primary care access with addition of new nurse practitioner

Village Primary Care announces the addition of nurse practitioner Juanquetta D. Howell, MSN, FNP-C, expanding access for families and seniors across the Milford area.

This is the latest step in the Wellness Village’s ongoing expansion to address regional healthcare shortages and improve access to preventive, relationship-based primary care in the Milford community.

MILFORD, Del. — Primary care services at the Milford Wellness Village continue to grow as Village Primary Care announces the addition of nurse practitioner Juanquetta D. Howell, MSN, FNP-C, expanding access for families and seniors across the Milford area.

Health leaders say the move reflects the Wellness Village’s broader mission to strengthen community-based care and address an ongoing shortage of primary-care providers in Sussex County and across Delaware.

Howell is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with more than eight years of clinical experience serving patients in southern Delaware. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a family practice specialization and previously worked as a registered nurse before transitioning to primary care.

Her clinical background includes chronic disease management, diabetes and asthma care, treatment of anxiety disorders, and support for patients with complex conditions such as end-stage renal disease. Prior to joining Village Primary Care, Howell practiced with I & O Diabetes Consultants in Millsboro and maintained professional affiliations with Bayhealth Kent Campus, Bayhealth Sussex Campus, and Beebe Medical Center. She is licensed in Delaware as a family nurse practitioner, accepts Medicare and participates in collaborative care teams designed to improve continuity for seniors and families managing ongoing health needs.

Colleagues describe Howell’s care style as relationship-driven and compassionate, emphasizing listening, shared decision-making and personalized treatment plans—an approach that aligns with Village Primary Care’s patient-centered model inside the Milford Wellness Village.

Her arrival is expected to increase appointment availability while preserving the practice’s relationship-based approach, which emphasizes longer visits, continuity with the same provider and coordinated care for patients managing ongoing health conditions.

Village Primary Care is led by executive director and family nurse practitioner Kaitlin Fielder, APRN-FNP-C, who designed the practice around extended first visits, preventive screenings and close collaboration with other health services located throughout the Wellness Village campus. The integrated setting allows patients to access rehabilitation, skilled nursing, social services and other supports in one location, improving coordination and reducing transportation barriers.

Local demand for primary care remains high. Recent analyses show Delaware faces one of the nation’s most significant shortfalls in primary-care access, with Sussex County needing dozens of additional providers to meet current population needs. Growth in southern Delaware, combined with clinician retirements and workforce shortages, has contributed to longer wait times and increased reliance on urgent care and emergency departments.

“Expanding primary care at the Milford Wellness Village is part of our long-term commitment to meeting people where they are and ensuring Milford families can access consistent, coordinated care close to home,” said Lon Kieffer, executive director of the Milford Wellness Village.

Village Primary Care currently operates from a temporary suite at 21 W. Clarke Ave. while a permanent, expanded space within the Wellness Village campus is under construction. Leaders say the larger facility will further increase patient capacity and strengthen the campus’s role as an integrated hub for health, wellness and supportive services in central and southern Delaware.

“The continued growth of services across the Wellness Village reflects our focus on building a comprehensive, community-centered system of care designed to serve residents at every stage of life,” Kieffer said.

The addition of Howell marks the latest step in the Wellness Village’s ongoing expansion as leaders work to address regional healthcare shortages and improve access to preventive, relationship-based primary care in the Milford community.