NEW CASTLE (Oct. 16, 2018) – More than 90 students with disabilities are expected to participate in career-building experiences during Delaware’s Disability Mentoring Day on Oct. 17 at locations in Newark and Talleyville. Disability Mentoring Day is held each October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Several New Castle County school districts have again joined […]

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Delawareans of a multistate outbreak of Listeria infections linked to deli ham. Several companies have recalled ham products that could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria and could make people sick.

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 23, 2018) – Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician, is reassuring Delawareans that a proposed change to the public charge rule by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security does not affect current eligibility for health care and social services in Delaware, and […]

  DOVER, Del. (Oct. 25, 2018) — In her latest efforts to help build a stronger and healthier Delaware, Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long kicked off the annual Lt. Governor’s Challenge on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. at DE TURF in Frederica, Delaware. The Lt. Governor’s Challenge is an ongoing opportunity for Delawareans to embrace […]

With shortened enrollment period and fewer assisters, Delawareans urged to sign up early on HealthCare.gov to see if they’re eligible for financial help NEW CASTLE (Oct. 30, 2018) – With the open enrollment period for Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace only six weeks long and fewer assisters on the ground this year to help with enrollments, […]

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 15, 2018) – As part of the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative, the Delaware Health Care Commission has awarded the first value-based payment reform mini-grant to Christiana Care Health System to test a new reimbursement model that will also improve the coordination of patient care. Christiana Care Health System’s CareLink Behavioral Health […]

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 20, 2018) – The Department of Health and Social Services’ Adopt-A-Family Holiday program is seeking sponsors to help make the holiday season a happier one for thousands of children, adults, people with disabilities and seniors in need in Delaware. The Adopt-A-Family Holiday program anonymously matches sponsors to seniors, individuals with disabilities or […]

Order will create subcommittee focused on bettering health care spending, quality across the state WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney on Tuesday signed Executive Order #25 establishing health care spending and quality benchmarks. This Executive Order will form a subcommittee of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council to focus on reducing the cost of health […]

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 29, 2018) – The annual holiday sale of poinsettias grown at the greenhouse on the Department of Health and Social Services’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle will begin Dec. 3 and run through Dec. 20. The greenhouse is operated by Bright Spot Urban Farm and proceeds from the sale of the […]

NEW CASTLE (Dec. 4, 2018) – As part of the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative, the Delaware Health Care Commission has awarded eight additional value-based payment reform mini-grants to Delaware health care providers in order to facilitate data integration, improve the coordination of patient care or increase readiness to integrate into an Accountable Care Organization […]

NEW CASTLE (Dec. 13, 2018) – Delawareans have just days left to sign up for or to change their health coverage for 2019 through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Open enrollment ends on Dec. 15, with coverage for those who enroll by that date and who pay their first premium beginning Jan. 1, 2019. State residents […]

Delaware’s Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) began accepting payments by credit and debit cards through iPayOnline on Dec. 1, 2018. The iPayOnline service allows employers and individuals to schedule and make child support payments securely over the internet using their bank account, credit card or debit card. Users will be able to schedule one-time […]

A public meeting will be held at p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at McCullough Middle School, 20 Chase Avenue, New Castle, DE 19720 to discuss Croda’s Nov. 25 accidental ethylene oxide release, with the meeting organized by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and facilitated by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA)

The Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens (GACEC) and its community partners, are pleased to report that the Heart 2 Heart Hugs campaign has now begun. Heart 2 Heart Hugs is focused on providing warmth, comfort, hugs and smiles for kids and young adults in Delaware who are homeless or in foster care. Donations of […]

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 2, 2019) – The number of full-time equivalent primary care physicians providing direct patient care in Delaware in 2018 declined about 6 percent from 2013, a trend that resulted in a slightly lower percentage of physicians statewide who are accepting new patients, according to a new University of Delaware study of the […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is reporting the first flu-related deaths of the 2018-2019 flu season. A 65-year-old man who was infected with Influenza A passed away last week, making him the first person to die due to flu complications this season. In addition, a 73-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman, both also infected with Influenza A, passed away within the last week. All three individuals were Sussex County residents and all had underlying health conditions.

DNREC announced the creation of a new permit program that establishes regulatory conditions for the sandblasting of outdoor water tanks to remove lead-based paint. Contractors often use sandblasting to remove paint from water tanks in preparation for repainting them. Effective immediately, all water tank sandblasting projects involving removal of lead paint are required to have an air quality permit from DNREC that will ensure sufficient containment measures are taken to prevent the release of lead paint chips into the environment.

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 14, 2019) – Because of the partial federal government shutdown, Delaware will join other states in issuing food benefits early for February, loading them onto clients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards on or before Jan. 20. The more than 136,000 Delawareans who are clients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will […]

Newark, Del. (January 30, 2019) – While the federal government has reopened, the country’s longest government shutdown continues to impact Delawareans, including the 136,000 individuals who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to purchase food. Because February SNAP benefits were issued early, this could result in some households having as much as a two-month gap […]

DOVER  — The number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases continues to increase in Delaware, and the Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing three recent flu-related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths for the 2018-2019 season thus far to eight. The most recent victim is an 83-year-old man from New Castle County, with underlying health […]

Senate Bill 25 would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 DOVER, Del. – Surrounded by members of the General Assembly, advocates, students, and health care professionals, Governor John Carney on Tuesday announced his support for Senate Bill 25 – legislation that would raise the legal age for sales of […]

NEW CASTLE (March 13, 2019) – To reduce hardships on families and individuals in Delaware and to help households budget their monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the Department of Health and Social Services is announcing that it will issue all April food benefits on April 13 rather than staggering them across a three-week […]

The Division of Public Health launched a new smartphone app that provides lifesaving step-by-step instructions on how to use naloxone during an opioid overdose.

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 […]

NEW CASTLE (March 28, 2019) – As part of its Community Naloxone Distribution initiative, the Division of Public Health (DPH) will hold two additional community naloxone distribution events in New Castle County next week. This initiative is part of a multi-pronged approach to address the opioid crisis and reduce the number of individuals dying from […]

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.

April Designated as Lung Cancer Screening Awareness Month DOVER – Dramatic “before-and-after-smoking” inflatable lungs shared center stage with Governor John Carney as he urged Delawareans at high risk of lung cancer to get life-saving screenings. Governor Carney proclaimed April as Lung Cancer Screening Awareness Month in Delaware at the Delaware Cancer Consortium’s (DCC) annual retreat […]

First Lady also announces first Compassionate Champion Award winners   DOVER, Del. – At a kickoff event for Trauma Awareness Month in Delaware, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney today announced the launch of a new, growing statewide partnership for trauma-informed care to help elevate stories of the work of leaders in trauma-informed practices and approaches across the state called Trauma Informed Delaware. The […]

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. […]

NEW CASTLE (May 15, 2019) – During Supervised Visitation Awareness Month, the Department of Health and Social Services’ Office of Community Services is conducting a toy drive to provide new toys, books and games for use at Delaware’s six Family Visitation Centers (FVCs). Through June 10, drop-off bins will be located at all State Service […]

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 […]

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is reminding Delawareans to avoid consuming raw dairy products as it announces a confirmed case of brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis in a 46-year-old Sussex County woman.

Officers from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) arrested a Wilmington man following an incident involving the death of a dog left in a hot vehicle.

DOVER – Cancer screening and early detection efforts continue to drive down Delaware’s cancer death rates, say state public health officials. In particular, officials are seeing dramatic improvements in the all-site mortality rate among non-Hispanic African-American men, which decreased by 30 percent between the five-year periods of 2001-2005 and 2011-2015, according to the latest cancer […]

DNREC, with the Division of Public Health, is now accepting project proposals for matching grants for waste, surface, and drinking water project planning.

he Delaware Division of Public Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is currently accepting project proposals from public drinking water systems for Safety Assessments and Feasibility Evaluations (SAFE) grants. Proposals must be received by August 15, 2019.

DNREC's Environmental Finance Office and the Delaware Division of Public Health will host a State Revolving Loan Fund public workshop Thursday, July 25

fficers from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) arrested a Milford woman on Tuesday July 23, 2019, following the death of a dog that was tethered outside of a home during dangerously hot temperatures.

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 […]

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 […]

WILMINGTON  – For the first time, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) through the integration of 12 multi-agency datasets, has developed a demographic picture of the Delawareans who died from drug overdoses in 2017. DPH released the Drug Overdose Mortality Surveillance Report, Delaware, 2017, in Wilmington on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019. In addition to […]

On June 20, Gov. John Carney signed enabling legislation (House Bill 193) moving Delaware a step closer to a reinsurance program beginning in 2020. NEW CASTLE (Aug. 20, 2019) – The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) received approval today from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for a 1332 State Innovation […]

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 […]

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 25, 2019) – Department of Health and Social Services employees joined together with the Food Bank of Delaware, legislators and other volunteers to distribute 30,000 pounds of non-perishable food, fresh produce and dairy products to Delawareans in need during a drive-through event today at DHSS’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle. The […]

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 […]

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 30, 2019) – Thirty-two individuals and groups will be honored with the 2019 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award on Oct. 29 at Dover Downs Hotel. The recipients will be recognized for significant contributions, engagement and impact in diverse activities, including mentoring children, supporting people with disabilities, protecting the environment, and assisting seniors, people […]