Delaware selected as one of only two states in the nation to participate  New Castle, Del. – On Tuesday, Lt. Governor Hall-Long joined members of Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium and members of The Pew Charitable Trusts to announce a newly formed partnership that will work to reshape Delaware’s behavioral health treatment system for those struggling […]

NEW CASTLE (July 25, 2018) – With back-to-school shopping already well underway for many Delaware families, the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) asks you to consider helping students in need get off to a good start this school year by participating in the annual Adopt-A-Student program. DHSS, in partnership with the Human Services Council, Inc., […]

NEW CASTLE (July 26, 2018) – As part of the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative, the Delaware Health Care Commission is seeking applications from Delaware health care providers for one-time, value-based payment reform mini-grants to grow their capacity to integrate data, improve the coordination of patient care or increase their readiness to integrate into a […]

DNREC the Delaware Division of Public Health are now accepting project proposals from state, county and municipal governments, and conservation districts, for matching grants for wastewater, surface water, and drinking water project planning.

Delaware one of 11 participating states vetting strategies around crises such as Hepatitis C and opioid use disorder WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware was one of 11 states that vetted potential strategies through the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices to address public health crises such as Hepatitis C and opioid use disorder by […]

NEW CASTLE (Aug. 14, 2018) – Eight people have died from suspected overdoses in a four-day span across the state causing Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker to alert the community to the wave of deaths and urging people in active use to seek treatment immediately and to carry […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing the state’s second human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in 2018. WNV, a mosquito-borne illness, can become serious, and DPH reminds people to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is investigating an outbreak of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in Kent County. Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease transmitted by coughing or sneezing, or coming in direct contact with respiratory secretions of infected persons. The most common symptom is uncontrollable coughing spells often followed by a characteristic “whoop” sound. The disease can cause severe illness in infants and young children.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), and Department of Agriculture (DDA) are asking residents to increase efforts to prevent exposure to rabies after the death of a Kent County woman from the disease. The woman, who lived west of Felton, is the second Delawarean to contract, and subsequently pass away from, the disease. The first was a young boy from Newport, who passed away in 1941 after being bitten by a stray dog.

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that the Lewes Board of Public Works (BPW) has issued a drinking water notice to customers after tests showed elevated levels of lead in the water. DPH received notification late last week from BPW that drinking water samples collected in August showed an exceedance of the EPA Action Level for lead. Lab analysis found that the 90th percentile result of 26.5 ug/L exceeded the EPA Action Level of 15 ug/L. Sampling consisted of 10 samples collected in different parts of the BPW service area with results ranging from non-detect to 38.4 ug/L.

Division of Public Health (DPH) officials are concerned about the increasing number of cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) in humans this year. DPH is announcing that WNV is confirmed in a 73-year-old New Castle County man, who has been hospitalized since late August. This is the third case of WNV confirmed in humans in the last month. The first case involved a 60-year-old Sussex County man, and the second a 68-year-old New Castle County man. Additionally, DPH is awaiting results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a fourth potential case of the disease. Last week, the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced two cases of WNV in horses.

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing two laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza, just three weeks before the official start of the 2018-2019 flu season, which begins September 30.

Officials pushing vaccination message after flu spreads statewide and first flu-related hospitalization is confirmed  DOVER (Sept. 19, 2018) — While the “official” start of flu season is still two weeks away, the Division of Public Health (DPH) is urging residents not to wait to get vaccinated. Four cases of the flu now have been confirmed, […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH) and Indian River School District announced today that approximately 50 individuals at Georgetown Elementary School in Sussex County may have been exposed to someone with active tuberculosis (TB). DPH is making contact with those individuals to offer free screenings, as well as treatment if needed. To protect medical privacy, no additional information will be provided regarding the source of the infection or the individuals who need testing.

La División de Salud Pública (DPH) y el distrito escolar de Indiana River anunció hoy que aproximadamente 50 individuos en la escuela primaria de Georgetown en el condado de Sussex County han estado expuestos a alguien con tuberculosis activa (TB) DPH está haciendo contacto con aquellas personas para ofrecer pruebas de TB gratuitas, así como tratamiento si es necesario. Para proteger la privacidad médica, no se proporcionará ninguna información adicional con respecto a la fuente de la infección o de los individuos que necesitan las pruebas.

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 2, 2018) – The Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) last week launched its online referral network – Delaware Treatment and Referral Network (DTRN) – allowing Delaware health care providers seeking substance use disorder treatment or mental health services for their patients to make […]

WILMINGTON (Oct. 3, 2018) – As a way to engage more Delawareans suffering from substance use disorder in treatment, while also meeting their accompanying needs for housing, employment, education and other wraparound services, the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today launched its START Initiative with a press conference and a daylong forum for […]

Delaware Governor John Carney, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker and Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Jennifer Cohan were among hundreds who lined up to receive their annual flu vaccine Tuesday in Dover.

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 10, 2018) – Twenty-three individuals and groups will be honored with the 2018 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award on Oct. 24 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 […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH) invites parents with children from birth to 5 years old to participate in its first Books, Balls and Blocks event, which will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, October 13, at the Route 9 Library and Innovation Center in New Castle, Delaware.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is reporting the state's first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza in a child for the 2018-2019 flu season. The case involves a 5-year-old from Sussex County. This brings the total number of flu cases this season to six, as of Oct. 5, 2018.

Increasing access to the overdose-reversing medication naloxone has been a key priority for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) as state and local partners work together to develop solutions to address the opioid epidemic. In support of that, the Department’s Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing sustained funding for naloxone for first responder agencies statewide.

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 15, 2018) – Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician, has been elected as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (NAM), Academy President Victor Dzau announced today during the organization’s annual meeting in Washington. Secretary Walker is one of 75 […]

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 […]

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 (23 de octubre de 2018) – La Secretaria del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Sociales (DHSS, por sus siglas en inglés) Dra. Kara Odom Walker, especialista acreditada en medicina de la familia, asegura a los residentes de Delaware que la propuesta de cambio a la regulación de carga pública realizada por el Departamento […]

People with diabetes are encouraged to attend the free Diabetes Wellness Expo on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, at the Dover Downs Conference Center, located at 1131 N. DuPont Highway in Dover.

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Delawareans of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Reading infections linked to raw turkey products. According to the CDC, 164 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading have been reported in 35 states, including one person in Delaware. Of the cases reported nationally, 63 people have been hospitalized. No Delawareans have been hospitalized.

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 […]

DOVER – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) continues to advise Delawareans of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Reading infections linked to raw turkey products. As originally stated Nov. 9, 2018, 164 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading have been reported in 35 states, including one person in Delaware. Of the […]

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Delawareans of a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce. The lettuce could be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and could make people sick. To date, there have been no confirmed cases reported in Delaware, but DPH urges consumers to take precautions to prevent illness.

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 […]

DOVER (Nov. 29, 2018) — December 1, 2018, marks the 30th annual World AIDS Day. For three decades, this day has united people around the world in the fight against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and AIDS. World AIDS Day encourages support for those living with HIV and remembrance for those who have died of AIDS-related […]

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 […]

Executive Order creates commission focused on reentry reform, and new office at DOC to oversee implementation WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday signed Executive Order #27, which focuses on improving reentry procedures for incarcerated individuals in Delaware. The Executive Order creates a commission focused on reentry reform, policies, and procedures, with a goal […]

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)

  Opportunity for Delawareans to drive change and elevate the well-being, productivity, and prosperity of their communities DOVER, Del. (Dec. 19, 2018) — The Lt. Governor’s Challenge is now accepting nominations for its Spring 2019 awards, through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019. The Challenge, which kicked off in October, is an ongoing opportunity […]

Benchmark initiative will limit spending growth, improve quality of care NEW CASTLE, Del. – The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC) on Wednesday issued a recommended Benchmark Index that set the state’s health care spending growth target at 3.8 percent for 2019 – the initial year of Delaware’s newly created Health Care Spending Benchmark. […]

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 (January 10, 2019) – More than 500 people are expected to attend the 2019 LIFE Conference, the largest annual cross-disability conference in support of people with disabilities and their families, on Thursday, January 31, at Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center. The conference brings together people with disabilities, their families and professionals for […]

The 10th Annual Heart 2 Heart Hugs Campaign for Delaware’s Homeless Children Need Coats, Hats, Sleeping Bags, Gloves and other warm new or hand made items. It’s been a decade since the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens (GACEC) has orchestrated the Heart 2 Heart Hugs campaign which provides warm winter clothes to school districts […]