NEW CASTLE (March 7, 2019) – The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is urging working individuals and families in Delaware to meet with volunteer tax preparers at locations across the state to determine if they are eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and to file a federal tax return by […]

NEW CASTLE (March 13, 2019) – Health and public safety officials are urging people in active use of heroin or other opioids and their families to seek immediate treatment and acquire the overdose-reversing medication naloxone on hand in the wake of three suspected heroin overdose deaths in five days in Sussex County involving the same […]

The Division of Public Health will distribute free naloxone kits to members of the general public from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus, 100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19904. The distribution event will be held in the Corporate Training Center, Rooms 408 and 412. Individuals are encouraged to stop by at any time during the event. Training takes approximately 15 minutes. 

NEW CASTLE (March 26, 2019) – As a new support for individuals and families impacted by the effects of mental health and substance use disorders, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and its partners have opened the Bridge Clinic near New Castle to provide screening and referrals to treatment, as well as […]

Updated Information: DPH Announces Potential Exposure at Two Additional Food Establishments and Updated Timeline DOVER – The Division of Public Health (DPH) announced today that employees and patrons of Buffalo Wild Wings located at 540 W. Main St., Middletown, may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus between March 31 and April 10, 2019. When […]

he Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing updated information regarding a potential Hepatitis A exposure at a Buffalo Wild Wings food establishment in Middletown, which was announced on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

NEW CASTLE (April 25, 2019) – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today announced that Delaware is one of five states selected to partner with the national nonprofit Shatterproof in the development of a new pilot rating system designed to measure quality in addiction treatment programs. Delaware was selected due to the […]

Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) are hosting an event on Tuesday, April 30, in Dover to show what Dementia Friendly Delaware can offer for Delawareans living with dementia and their families. Dementia Friendly Delaware (DFD) is […]

DOVER (May 9, 2019) – On May 8, 2019, the medical license and controlled substance registrations of Nihar B. Gala, MD, were permanently revoked by the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. The revocation was a result of allegations of unprofessional conduct related to the prescription of opioids to a patient at high risk […]

DOVER (May 15, 2019) – During the 18th Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event on April 27, 2019, Delaware collected 5,385 pounds of unwanted or expired medicine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Division of Public Health (DPH). That amount is approximately 1,600 pounds more than the 3,739 pounds collected in October. […]

DOVER  – Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with approximately 20,000 new cases reported each year. Delaware is among the top 10 states in the United States with the highest incidence rates. In 2018, the Division of Public Health (DPH) reported 520 confirmed and probable cases in the state. […]

NEW CASTLE (June 12, 2019) – The Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS) will host two sessions later this month for families interested in applying for the Lifespan Waiver, which is designed to enable individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder or Prader-Willi Syndrome who have left school to live safely in the community. The […]

NEW CASTLE (June 26, 2019) – Governor John Carney has signed into law House Bill 81, which mandates that employers with 50 or more employees remit child support payments to the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or electronic data interchange (EDI). The law […]

NEW CASTLE (July 11, 2019) – As a new support for individuals and families impacted by the effects of mental health and substance use issues, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) officially will open the Sussex County Bridge Clinic on July 15 at the Promise Access Center in Georgetown, providing screening and […]

DOVER (Aug. 1, 2019) – On July 30, 2019, the medical license and controlled substance registration of Damon Cary, MD, were suspended temporarily by the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. The suspension was the result of a request made by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office following investigations into the prescribing and treatment practices […]

NEW CASTLE (Aug. 1, 2019) – As a way to improve the health of Delawareans who are covered by Medicaid, while potentially reducing overall health care spending, the Department of Health and Social Services’ two Medicaid managed care organizations are making the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program available to their members who meet eligibility criteria. The […]

DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker says, “In the midst of the opioid crisis we are facing in Delaware and across the country, (these facilities) are another resource we can use to better serve our Medicaid clients in need of treatment for substance use disorder.” NEW CASTLE (Aug. 5, 2019) – The Department of Health […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is looking for volunteers to participate in an emergency preparedness exercise on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at two Delaware Technical Community College (Delaware Tech) campuses. The purpose of the exercise is to evaluate the state’s ability to set up Points of Dispensing and simulate the dispersal of life-saving medication in an emergency situation.

DOVER – Bayhealth and Beebe Medical Centers have each received $750,000 in federal grant funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop rural residency programs. HRSA awarded approximately $20 million in Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD) grants to recipients across […]

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 3, 2019) – Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Walker announced the appointment of Yrene Waldron, former Executive Director of the Delaware Health Care Facilities Association, to lead the Division of Health Care Quality. She will begin her duties Sept. 16. “I am thrilled that Yrene is joining […]

n response to six suspected overdose deaths, including four in Sussex County, that occurred over the holiday weekend, the Division of Public Health (DPH) will hold a Community Naloxone Training and Distribution event in Millsboro on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. DPH will distribute free naloxone kits to members of the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Millsboro Fire Company, 109 East State St., Millsboro, DE 19966.

2019 Recovery MonthEvent includes recovery walk, treatment information, live performances and recovery stories WILMINGTON (Sept. 19, 2019) –The Treatment Access Center (TASC), the primary liaison between the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and the criminal justice system, will host its first event celebrating Recovery Month. Celebrating […]

To encourage Delawareans to support fall prevention strategies, Governor John Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long proclaimed the week of September 22-28, 2019 as Falls Prevention Awareness Week in Delaware. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) designates the first day of the fall season as National Falls Prevention Awareness Day, which is September 23 this year.

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 26, 2019) – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently awarded the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services a $3.58 million planning grant to increase the treatment capacity of Medicaid providers to deliver substance use disorder treatment and recovery services to Delawareans in need. Delaware was one of 15 […]

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is reporting the state’s first laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza in Kent and Sussex counties, for the 2019-2020 flu season. The Kent County case involves a 26-year-old female, while the Sussex County case involves a 7-year-old male. This brings the total number of flu cases this season to three. The first confirmed flu case for New Castle County was announced last week.

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 14, 2019) – Nearly two dozen students with disabilities, including clients of the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Division for the Visually Impaired, will participate in career-building experiences during the University of Delaware’s Disability Mentoring Day on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at various locations in […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH), along with state and community partners, hosted its annual stakeholder meeting on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, to discuss the Delaware State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and present the 2019 annual SHIP report.

With the state’s new reinsurance program in place and premiums declining, Delawareans are urged to take another look at marketplace plans during open enrollment for 2020 coverage.

Washington D.C. – Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay participated in a Congressional briefing for members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives on Capitol Hill today, November 7, 2019, regarding maternal and infant health as part of a panel discussion hosted by March of Dimes. The briefing, “Making the […]

DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker visits residents at Governor Bacon Health Center. NEW CASTLE (Nov. 12, 2019) – The Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill (DHCI) in Smyrna and the Governor Bacon Health Center (GBHC) in Delaware City are asking members of the community to sponsor a resident for the holidays at either nursing […]

As part of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) urges Delawareans to make lifestyle adjustments to help reduce their risk factors for Alzheimer’s and dementia.

NEW CASTLE (Dec. 3, 2019) – After months of inventory analysis, stakeholder and employee online surveys and internal and external focus group interviews, the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is seeking public input on draft goals and objectives as part of its ongoing strategic planning initiative. The Department has posted the foundation of […]

Governor John Carney said, “Since the ACA was implemented, we have nearly cut the uninsured population in half in our state. That is another important step in moving us to a stronger and healthier Delaware.”

DOVER – The Division of Public Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) will host a public workshop Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, to present and discuss the Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities Drinking Water Grant, authorized under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. The workshop begins at 9:00 a.m., and will be […]