Salisbury, MD – TidalHealth today celebrated with the community and neighborhood the official groundbreaking of its new Family Medicine Residency Clinic on Morris Street in Salisbury, marking the start of construction on a project that will bring expanded access to primary care in one of the city’s most established, diverse and historic neighborhoods.
The clinic will serve as the flagship clinic and homebase for TidalHealth’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) Family Medicine Residency program and will provide full-spectrum family care for patients of all ages—from newborns to seniors. In addition, and as TidalHealth’s GME programs continue to expand, the clinic will also support training for TidalHealth residents in other specialties including anesthesia, OBGYN, and psychiatric medicine.
“Our goal is to develop a stronger and healthier community through collaboration, advocacy and education,” said Katherine Goth, MD, Program Director of TidalHealth’s Family Medicine Residency Program. “Our clinic will serve as an accessible, family-centered, fully comprehensive and culturally effective medical home for what has been a traditionally underserved community in northwest Salisbury.”
The Morris Street site was chosen primarily to strengthen healthcare access for nearby families while also serving as a hub for future physicians in training. The project underscores TidalHealth’s long-standing commitment to improving health equity and ensuring that care is accessible in the neighborhoods where people live, work, and raise their families.
With all TidalHealth community-based clinics, families will be encouraged to seek care together, fostering stronger patient-physician relationships and a continuity of care that spans generations. A secondary benefit with physicians being embedded directly in neighborhoods is an anticipated reduction in EMS requests leading to emergency department transports and visits.
“The most expedient way to partner and grow a community is to be mindful of the health and well-being of its citizens. That is exactly what TidalHealth is doing by opening the TidalHealth Family Medicine Residency Clinic on Morris Street,” added Dr. Lore’ L. Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, St. James A.M.E. Zion Church-Zion House. “To bring medical services to a historically marginalized area addresses several needs. It addresses transportation issues, eradicates long waits in the emergency room and increases access to care and encourages prevention. This is truly a blessing for the citizens on the West Side of Salisbury.”
With a significant shortage of family medicine physicians not only in Salisbury but across the nation, it’s hoped that some, if not all, doctors practicing at the TidalHealth Family Medicine Residency Clinic will choose to stay in the community after their residencies while honing their skills and building relationships with their patients.
At full capacity, the TidalHealth Family Medicine Residency Clinic plans to feature up to 18 family resident physicians along with medical students, resident physicians from other specialties and at least 5 attending family medicine physicians. In addition to family medicine, physicians will be practicing Lifestyle Medicine. Patient visits are expected to surpass 35,000 annually.
“There is no better way to serve individuals and families than to provide healthcare services in underserved areas. This clinic will be a service that benefits people from all walks of life,” said TAH Chase, Ph.D., NCRPMT, Th.D., Executive Director of SHORE UP! Inc. “Regardless of race, color, or creed the community clinic will be a beacon of hope and an asset to the community. I’m both pleased and happy to see the vision of helping individuals and families with healthcare needs come to fruition.”
In addition to family medicine care, the new clinic will provide:
- Behavioral health services to support emotional and mental well-being.
- Nutrition services with access to a registered dietitian, a demonstration kitchen, community garden and farmer’s market.
- Assistance with financial services.
- Social workers to assist with the needs of patients and community residents.
- Exercise physiologist to help develop safe fitness plans for patients and to coordinate community fitness events.
- Community room for events and healthcare classes including diabetes education, fitness classes and prenatal care.
- Walking path around the clinic grounds for “Walk with a Doc” and other community outreach activities.
“Today’s groundbreaking is more than the start of construction—it’s the beginning of a new chapter in community health for Salisbury,” said Steven Leonard, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE, President and CEO of TidalHealth. “Much like our Edward Q. Wilgus Community Clinic on the east side of Salisbury, the clinic will serve the important role of training the next generation of family physicians who we hope will continue to provide care in our region for years to come.”
Construction is expected to continue through 2026 with the clinic opening its doors in 2027.
