New Concept in Primary Care Expanding with Innovative Care Model: Village Primary Care is actively accepting families and seniors

Kaitlynn Fielder, Registered Nurse; Mayor Todd Colatta; Rep. Bryan Shupe along with others on the team at the dedication in 2oo4.

Village Primary Care offers a patient-centered model designed for both busy families and aging adults who need more than a rushed appointment and a referral slip.

MILFORD, Del. — As many Delaware families and seniors struggle to find a primary care provider, Village Primary Care at Milford Wellness Village is emerging as a growing option built around time, trust, and coordinated support — and it is actively welcoming new patients.

Located at 21 W. Clarke Ave. on the Milford Wellness Village campus, Village Primary Care offers a patient-centered model designed for both busy families and aging adults who need more than a rushed appointment and a referral slip. The practice provides in-person and telehealth visits, a 24/7 emergency phone line, and convenient online scheduling, with an emphasis on continuity so patients regularly see the same provider.

At the center of that approach is Executive Director and lead family nurse practitioner Kaitlin Fielder, APRN-FNP-C, who helped shape Village Primary Care around a simple standard: Care people the way you would care for your own family.

“We built Village Primary Care to care for people the way we would want to be treated,” Fielder said. “Our focus is not how many patients we can see in an hour, but whether each person gets the right care, the time they deserve, and a plan that truly fits their life.”

New patients typically receive 45 to 60 minutes for their first visit, allowing providers to review medical histories, medications, lifestyle factors, and family concerns in depth. “That investment up front”, Fielder said, “helps enable better diagnoses later and supports more effective long-term care.”

Village Primary Care now cares for hundreds of families, offering wellness visits, chronic disease management, vaccinations, cancer screenings, Pap smears, minor procedures, and ongoing support for conditions common among seniors and multigenerational households. The practice accepts major insurance plans, including Medicare and widely used commercial carriers, making it an accessible option for residents across Kent and Sussex counties.

To expand access while preserving its small-practice feel, Village Primary Care has added Nurse Practitioner, Juanquetta Howell, who brings experience serving patients in the Milford area. Howell’s local ties and primary care background help the practice offer more appointment availability while maintaining its relationship-based model.

A Campus Built on Collaboration

“What sets Village Primary Care apart,” Fielder said,” is that it does not operate in isolation.” As part of the Milford Wellness Village — a growing health and social services campus on the former Milford Memorial Hospital site — the practice is embedded in a network of providers that offer coordinated, wraparound support.

Patients can conclude their appointment and walk around the corner of the hallway to Genoa Healthcare, the on-site pharmacy, to fill their prescription or receive vaccinations.

If a patient needs more frequent care, Village Primary Care can engage “We Care” for ongoing check-ins, wellness support, and help managing chronic conditions or recovery needs.

Fielder and Howell can help other seniors by introducing them to PACE Your Life, an All-Inclusive Daycare Program for Seniors, which further supports patients living in-home, providing comprehensive care designed to help seniors remain safely in their communities and enjoy their daylight hours at the Village.

In addition to these partners, Village Primary Care works closely with other Milford Wellness Village providers, including rehabilitation, therapy, and social service organizations, to align care plans and remove barriers that often slow or derail treatment.

“This is where the Village concept becomes real for our patients,” Fielder said. “If someone needs help managing medications, memory support, day services or rehab, we’re not just handing them a brochure. We can walk them next door to Genoa, refer them to We Care, or connect them with PACE Your Life and other partners who become part of their care team.”

That warm handoff approach is especially critical for older adults, caregivers, and patients with complex medical and social needs, who are at higher risk of falling through the cracks between providers.

“For an older adult living alone, or a family caring for both children and parents, having connected services in one place can be the difference between staying ahead of a problem and ending up in crisis,” Fielder said.

A growing option for Milford-area families and seniors

With Fielder’s leadership, Howell’s addition to the provider team and strong collaboration with partners such as We Care, Genoa Healthcare and PACE Your Life, Village Primary Care is positioning itself as a long-term primary care home for families and seniors who want consistent providers, longer visits and coordinated services close to home.

“Families and seniors are looking for primary care that actually knows them,” Fielder said. “That’s what we’re building here in Milford — a place where patients aren’t just on a schedule, they’re part of our community.”

Village Primary Care is currently accepting new patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 302-467-3200 or visit the 24/7 online booking portal.