Nurse Practitioner / Physician Assistant: Inpatient Neurology

ChristianaCare partners with Onix Group to build new inpatient rehabilitation facility in Newark, Delaware. New Facility Will Serve More Patients and Expand Access to Advanced Rehab Care WILMINGTON, Del.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-ChristianaCare has received approval from the Delaware Health Resources Board to build a new, freestanding acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Newark - marking a significant step forward in expanding access to high-quality rehabilitation care across Delaware. "Together, we will create a facility that combines modern design, advanced technology and exceptional patient care to support patients and families through recovery and set a new standard for rehabilitation in the region." Elizabeth Price Share The 92,000-square-foot, 73-bed facility represents a $75 million investment and will enable ChristianaCare to care for roughly 1,000 additional patients each year with complex rehabilitation needs, bringing advanced services closer to home for more Delawareans. ChristianaCare will partner with Delaware-based Onix Group - an established leader in post-acute facility development and operations - to build and operate the facility. The project is part of ChristianaCare's $865 million investment in Delaware over the next three years and underscores the organization's commitment to expanding services and improving health outcomes statewide. The new rehabilitation hospital will be located at 140 Red Mill Road in Newark, just 2.5 miles from ChristianaCare's Newark campus. A Bold Step Forward for Rehabilitation "For more than 30 years, ChristianaCare has provided world-class rehabilitation services at The Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital. As one of the highest-quality programs in the region, these services are in high demand, but our ability to grow has been constrained by the space limitations in Wilmington Hospital," said Bradley Sandella, D.O., MBA, clinical leader of ChristianaCare's Medical Subspecialties service line. "This new facility will enable us to expand access to care in a new state-of-the-art facility that's designed specifically for the experts at our Center for Rehabilitation and the patients they care for." The new facility will offer a full range of inpatient rehabilitation services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy. Patients will also have access to music and recreational therapy, specialized care for traumatic brain injuries and support for higher-complexity cases. The center will include on-site imaging and diagnostics, such as X-ray, ultrasound and swallowing studies. It will also feature advanced technology, including the Bioness electric stimulation system and exoskeleton devices. Expanding Capacity to Serve a Growing Community ChristianaCare's current Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital is regionally and nationally recognized for exceptional 24/7 care for patients recovering from stroke, brain injury, trauma, spinal cord injuries and joint replacement. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and rated the top rehab provider in Delaware by Newsweek. The new facility will transition the current 40 licensed inpatient rehabilitation beds from Wilmington Hospital and add 33 new beds, significantly expanding capacity. As rehabilitation care moves to Newark, the space at Wilmington Hospital will be repurposed as an inpatient step-down unit, which will improve patient flow, ease pressure on the Emergency Department and free up hospital beds. This change expands clinical services at Wilmington Hospital and strengthens its role as a vital community resource while enhancing care for the patients and communities we serve. Delaware's population over age 65 is projected to grow more than 30 percent in the next decade, with New Castle County expected to grow 33 percent. The new facility is projected to serve an additional 1,000 patients in its first year and double that by year five. "We are proud to partner with ChristianaCare on this freestanding rehabilitation facility," said Elizabeth Price, senior vice president, Administration and Clinical Services for the Onix Group. "Together, we will create a facility that combines modern design, advanced technology and exceptional patient care to support patients and families through recovery and set a new standard for rehabilitation in the region." Investing in Delaware's Health and Workforce ChristianaCare and the Onix Group anticipates groundbreaking in the early 2027, with an expected opening in summer 2028. The facility is projected to create approximately 122 new jobs, supporting the local economy while meeting the growing needs of the community. The new rehabilitation facility builds on ChristianaCare's legacy of clinical excellence and innovation. It marks another important step in expanding access to care and advancing the health and well-being of Delaware communities for generations to come. About ChristianaCare Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country's most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, and innovating to make high-quality care more accessible, equitable and affordable. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, four hospitals (1,440 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women's health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute and a 10-bed neighborhood hospital in West Grove, PA. ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work. ChristianaCare is rated by Newsweek as one of the World's Best Hospitals and is continually ranked among the best in the U.S. in national quality and safety ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care. About The Onix Group The Onix Group, headquartered in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is a privately held organization specializing in health care services, commercial real estate development and hospitality across the Mid-Atlantic region. Through its health care division and affiliated post-acute providers, including Cadia Healthcare facilities, Onix supports a network of sub-acute and skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers that consistently demonstrate strong clinical performance relative to CMS benchmarks. Cadia Rehabilitation Pike Creek, in particular, has achieved discharge-to-community rates approaching 78%, significantly exceeding Delaware and national averages, and was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2026 High Performing facility for both Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. In addition to its health care operations, Onix develops, owns and manages a diverse portfolio of commercial properties and hotel assets, as well as a collaborative medical campus in Georgetown, Delaware, that includes urgent care, medical offices, a VA outpatient clinic, a 90-bed behavioral health hospital and a not-for-profit Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Guided by a commitment to integrity, innovation and operational excellence, The Onix Group remains focused on delivering high-quality services and creating long-term value for the communities it serves.

CRISPR Gene Editing targets NRF2 in cancer: 2025 breakthrough. NRF2 Editorial Team March 22, 2026 A new era: CRISPR meets NRF2. In one of the most exciting developments in NRF2 research, scientists at ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute have demonstrated that CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can selectively disable cancer-driving NRF2 mutations, restoring chemotherapy sensitivity in lung cancer models - without affecting healthy cells. The breakthrough. Published in Molecular Therapy Oncology in November 2025, the study by Kelly Banas and Eric Kmiec exploited a clever biological trick: * Many lung squamous cell carcinomas carry an NRF2 R34G mutation that makes tumors resistant to chemotherapy * This specific mutation creates a unique PAM site - the DNA sequence CRISPR-Cas9 needs to cut * Because normal cells don't have this mutation, the CRISPR system can selectively target only tumor cells * Even modest editing (20-40%) of tumor cells was sufficient to restore sensitivity to standard carboplatin-paclitaxel chemotherapy Expanding beyond lung cancer. In January 2026, the same team extended their approach to head and neck cancers and esophageal cancer, targeting NRF2 exon 4 and achieving a remarkable 90% reduction in NRF2 protein levels. This demonstrates the approach's broad applicability across solid tumors with NRF2 aberrations. Clinical translation. The therapy uses lipid nanoparticle delivery with minimal off-target effects. CorriXR Therapeutics, a spinout company, is pursuing IND-enabling studies with the goal of becoming the first CRISPR therapy targeting NRF2 in cancer to reach clinical trials. Why this matters. This approach elegantly resolves the NRF2 duality problem in cancer - instead of systemic NRF2 modulation that could harm normal cells, CRISPR enables tumor-specific editing. It could allow patients to respond to standard chemotherapy again, potentially at lower doses with fewer side effects.

ChristianaCare rehabilitation center in Wilmington named No. 1 in Delaware by Newsweek. ChristianaCare rehabilitation center earns top ranking in Delaware from Newsweek. ChristianaCare's Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital has been ranked Delaware's top facility for the third consecutive year and named one of the nation's Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers in 2026 by Newsweek. (Photo courtesy of ChristianaCare.) A rehabilitation center at Wilmington Hospital has been recognized as the top facility in Delaware for the third consecutive year, according to new rankings from Newsweek. ChristianaCare's Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital was named one of the nation's Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers in 2026 and ranked No. 1 in the state. The center, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), continues to earn national recognition for its inpatient rehabilitation services, even as it expands capacity and treats increasingly complex cases. "Our dedicated team of health care professionals works hard every day to deliver the highest level of rehabilitation care with love and excellence," said Jennifer Thomas, vice president of Rehabilitation Services at ChristianaCare. "We care deeply about our patients and their success however they define it and to the top of their abilities." The recognition comes during a period of growth for the Wilmington-based facility. In 2025, the center increased its capacity from 26 to 30 beds, allowing it to serve more patients annually. Officials said the facility is also seeing a rise in medically complex cases, including patients requiring specialized care for spinal cord injuries. Patient satisfaction remains high, exceeding 95% in fiscal year 2025, according to ChristianaCare. "We are proud that during growth and increased complexity the Center for Rehabilitation continues distinction in our field," Thomas said. The center discharged 767 patients in fiscal year 2025, with an average length of stay of 11.9 days. The facility also maintains near-full occupancy on a daily basis. Looking ahead, ChristianaCare is exploring further expansion, including plans to grow to 36 beds and the potential development of a larger, freestanding rehabilitation facility in the future. ChristianaCare, a nonprofit health system headquartered in Wilmington, serves patients across Delaware and parts of neighboring states.