Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChristianaCare?

• A not-for-profit, non-sectarian health system that employs 11,856 employees and is Delaware’s largest employer.
• More than 1,500 physicians and surgeons are active members of ChristianaCare’s Medical-Dental staff.
• The roots of the name ChristianaCare are founded in the nearby town of Christiana, Delaware. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Christiana was one of the earliest colonial towns in America. It was founded by Swedish colonists in the 17th century along the Christina River.
• Formerly known as the Medical Center of Delaware, in January 1985 it adopted the name: Christiana Hospital. That name served as the foundation for the ChristianaCare we know today.

What hospitals make up ChristianaCare?

• ChristianaCare comprises two hospitals and a free standing emergency department— with more than 1,200 beds — and a variety of outpatient and other services in facilities and locations throughout northern Delaware and the surrounding area. Our primary campuses are in Wilmington, DE, and Newark, DE.
• Christiana Hospital – A 913-bed, 1.3-million-square-foot, modern facility in Newark, Delaware, Christiana Hospital provides a level of care only available in large-scale teaching hospitals. Christiana Hospital includes Delaware’s only full service Level 1 trauma center which is prepared to handle the most extreme medical emergencies for adults and children. In fact, it is the only full service Level I trauma center on the East Coast corridor between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Christiana Hospital is also the only high risk delivering hospital in Delaware offering Level III neonatal intensive care. More than 6,400 babies are born at Christiana Hospital each year.
• The Virtual Education and Simulation Training Center: A 9,000 square foot seven-room hospital outfitted to function complete with a trauma bay, intensive care unit, operating room and standardized patient rooms and equipped with a working laparoscopy station with simulated tissues, an endoscopy/bronchoscopy simulator, 3D visualization software and display, with more than 100 task trainers.
• A Wilmington landmark since 1890, fully modernized Wilmington Hospital serves as ChristianaCare’s corporate headquarters and provides ChristianaCare’s distinguished, high-quality health care in the heart of Wilmington. This 241-bed, 622,100-square-foot facility just completed a $241 million dollar renovation project, and includes brand new facilities for resident and fellow continuity practices, and:
• A nine-story, 286,000-square-foot tower.
• An expanded Emergency Department that’s double its current size.
• A new surgical suite, including 13 operating rooms and four procedure rooms.
• The capacity for 120 private patient rooms.
• A new intensive-care unit.
• An expanded, 30-bed unit for the Center for Advanced Joint Replacement.
• A tranquil atrium and healing garden.

How busy is ChristianaCare?

Among hospitals in the United States, ChristianaCare’s ranking by volume is:

• 24th in admissions.
• 32nd in births.
• 15th in emergency visits.
• 33rd in total surgeries.

Among hospitals on the East Coast, ChristianaCare ranks:

• 15th in admissions.
• 15th in births.
• 9th in emergency visits.
• 18th in total surgeries.

What is the patient population like?

• We have a diverse patient base that needs primary through tertiary care. We actively have interpreter services for over 35 languages.
• Our catchment area is from the entire state of Delaware (a population of about 1 million people), southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, north-eastern Maryland.

How long have we been involved in graduate medical education?

• We have been involved in graduate medical education for over 100 years.
• ChristianaCare is a large academic independent medical center that has the proper balance of patient care, education and research with innovative curricula that allows you to learn in urban, suburban and rural settings.

How many residents and fellows are employed by ChristianaCare?

• There are approximately 280 total residents and fellows in our residency and fellowship programs.

Are residents/fellows required to teach and are there medical students to teach?

• ChristianaCare is the largest clinical affiliate of two Philadelphia medical schools: Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Both schools function as Delaware’s medical schools.
• As a branch campus for the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of the Thomas Jefferson University, we have up to 30 medical students live and complete their entire third and fourth year curriculum in Delaware.
• We average over 600 medical students rotating from over 50 medical schools at ChristianaCare each year.

What about the faculty?

• Our program directors and faculty come to ChristianaCare with an emphasis on teaching. Many have academic appointments at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of the Thomas Jefferson University.
• Many of our program directors and faculty are known regionally and nationally as leaders in their respective specialties and have national positions that include the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education.

Can residents be part of hospital committees?

• Yes, residents and fellows have opportunities to participate as full members of important system-wide committees such as: Safety First, Resident/Fellow Quality and Safety Council, Clinical Excellence, Think of Yourself as a Patient, and many others.

Is there a focus on Safety and Quality for the residents and fellows?

• Residents and fellows participate in required department specific activities. In addition, residents and fellows take part of interdepartmental activities that include:
• Resident/Fellow Quality and Safety Council: Each program selects a resident/fellow and faculty dyad to discuss and present solutions the institution’s council.
• Resident/Fellow Quality and Safety Journal Club: A monthly resident/fellow led presentation and discussion of a pertinent article on a department rotating basis.
• Achieving Competency Today: 12 weeks master’s level course that focuses on quality, safety and process improvement skill acquisition.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt: To develop the advanced skills to lead multi-functional improvement teams. Use Lean and Six Sigma tools and methods in improvement projects.

Are residents supported by appropriate ancillary staff?

• Yes. We have 24-hour per day EKG technicians, respiratory therapists, phlebotomy, IV, and patient escort teams.

How much vacation and educational time is provided?

• Three weeks of vacation per year is provided, plus one week of conference time. Each resident is provided with an annual stipend of $1000 (many of our departments provide additional funds) for conference and equipment expenses.

Is it hard to find housing and is it expensive?

• It’s easy to find housing in Delaware. There are several apartment complexes within a 10-minute drive from the hospital. Monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment runs between $650-$1,000. The cost of living in Delaware is very reasonable.

Are there employment opportunities for my spouse in Delaware?

• Absolutely. Wilmington is a thriving business community with exceptional career opportunities in banking, law, chemical engineering, education, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and, of course, health care. The University of Delaware with over 25,000 students is a nationally recognized university is just a few miles from Christiana Hospital. We’re also located within easy commuting distance of Philadelphia and Baltimore. Many companies are incorporated in Delaware because of the tax laws for businesses.