The DNREC Mosquito Control Section, in conjunction with the Division of Public Health and Department of Agriculture, has announced the first detection this year of West Nile virus in wild birds, indicating the recurrence of this mosquito-borne disease in Delaware.

NEW CASTLE (July 18, 2018) – With more than half of the deaths from suspected overdoses occurring in Sussex County so far this month, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker is urging the community to be aware of the uptick and also is warning people in active substance use […]

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) has advised the operator of Broadkiln Beach Water Company located in Sussex County to issue a boil water notice to customers after water samples collected from the system tested positive for the presence of E-coli bacteria on Friday, July 20. Because the Broadkiln Beach Water Company shares a connection with PrimeHook Water Company, anyone who uses drinking water from either system should not drink the water without boiling it first.

NEW CASTLE (July 24, 2018) – Following a 14-month review of Delaware’s opioid use disorder treatment system, a research team from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative today recommended four major strategies to achieve the state’s goal of a system of care that is accessible, evidence-based, individualized, […]

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 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 […]

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing that a 60-year-old Sussex County man has tested positive for the state’s first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in 2018. The man was briefly hospitalized for illness in July and after a preliminary positive test result from the DPH Laboratory in Smyrna, the blood sample was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing. WNV, a mosquito-borne illness, can become serious, and DPH reminds people to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH) is warning Hockessin residents in the Highland Meadows area (from Brackenville Road to Sharpless Road) of a positive case of rabies in a raccoon that came into contact with two dogs recently. The raccoon was captured and brought to the DPH Lab, where test results on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, confirmed it had rabies.

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.

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.

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.

Delaware’s Division of Public Health (DPH) is advising Kent County residents who live in the area of Still Road between Pony Track and Mahan Corner roads near Sandtown of a positive case of rabies in a fox that came into contact with a human recently. The fox attacked a chicken on the victim’s property and then bit the individual’s leg. The individual has begun treatment for rabies exposure.

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 (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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 30, 2019) With Delaware facing the coldest temperatures of the winter from Wednesday night through Thursday, Code Purple is being declared across the state by the nonprofit and volunteer organizations that operate the shelters to keep people who are homeless safe during dangerous winter weather. When severe snowstorms or sub-zero temperatures are […]

DOVER (March 1, 2019) — Although the overall number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Delaware this flu season remains lower than the total number of cases reported at the same time last year, the number of flu-related deaths has continued to increase during the 2018-2019 flu season. As of February 16, 2019, the most recent […]

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 […]

Protecting the Health of our Young People, and our State’s Future, by Raising the Minimum Sales Age of Tobacco Products from 18 to 21 Op-ed by Karyl T. Rattay, MD, MS, Director, Division of Public Health, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services It’s a fact that most smokers start using tobacco as youth: Eighty-nine […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The State Office of Volunteerism (SOV) and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) are partnering with Stockings for Soldiers on a public donation campaign to collect items during October and November to send to members of the military serving overseas during the holidays.

DOVER – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is announcing the state’s first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza for the 2019-2020 flu season. The case, which also marks Delaware’s first pediatric case of the season, involves an 8-year-old from New Castle County. “The flu is here,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Now that we […]

NEW CASTLE (October 9, 2019) – The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is seeking applications from Delaware health care providers for one-time, health information exchange (HIE) support mini-grants to adopt the full range of health information exchange tools offered by the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN). DHIN is Delaware’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) […]

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.

Sat., Oct. 26, 2019: Delaware residents can safely dispose of their unused or expired prescription medications at designated sites throughout the state as part of the 18th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

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 […]

The Division of Public Health announced updates to its My Healthy Community data portal. DPH launched My Healthy Community earlier this year to allow Delawareans to access information about the overall health of their communities.

To reduce disparate birth outcomes and save the lives of both infants and their mothers, the Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC) awarded mini-grants to six community organizations. The local grant recipients were announced Dec. 10, during the DHMIC’s quarterly meeting in Dover.