New Rankings Show Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Delaware

Rates of Children Living in Poverty Remain an Obstacle to Better Health

New Castle County ranks the most healthy in Delaware and Kent County is the least healthy county in the state, according to the annual County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). The Rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org. An easy-to-use snapshot that compares counties within states, for the past decade, the Rankings show that where you live influences how well and how long you live. This year’s Delaware State Report shows fundamental differences across and within counties in the opportunity for families and children to thrive. In this year’s Rankings, we explore children living in poverty, an important indicator of community health today and in the future. The constant financial stress of living in poverty leaves a lasting mark on children as they grow up, affecting future health and earnings. The report reveals that in Delaware, 18 percent of children live in poverty. Stark differences exist among racial and ethnic groups with Asian children at 7 percent and Hispanic children at 30 percent. Children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of a lack of family income that does not allow for enough money to cover basic needs and save for setbacks. Households nationwide continue to struggle with making ends meet on limited income. In Delaware, more than 47,000 households are severely housing-cost burdened, spending half or more of their income on housing. Of the 35,000 children living in poverty in Delaware, nearly 66 percent also live in a severely cost burdened household—leaving little else for the basics needed to be healthy, such as food, transportation, and childcare. “The data highlighted in the County Health Rankings should be a call to action for all of us to work purposefully to close social determinant gaps that negatively impact the health of entire communities in our state, including some of our most vulnerable residents – children,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH). “DPH is committed to continuing our work with state partners to disseminate neighborhood-level data through its My Healthy Community data portal, sharing evidencebased tools, such as the Health Equity Guide for Public Health Practitioners and Partners, and working with communities to implement community based strategies to address child poverty and other issues through the Healthy Communities Delaware initiative. Data from the County Health Rankings provides valuable insight into the places and residents who are in greatest need of supports in our state and I challenge all of us to use this data to keep advancing our efforts.”

“High-quality data helps inform the decisions we collectively make for a healthier Delaware,” said Dr. Omar Khan, president of the Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health

Association. “There are 35,000 children living in poverty in our state, and that is 35,000 too many. Our team is committed to helping alleviate poverty as one of the key social determinants of health. The County Health Rankings provide valuable insights and actionable intelligence, which will surely help us develop better solutions to vexing issues and move us toward better health for all Delaware’s counties.”

According to the 2020 Rankings, in Delaware, starting with the most healthy county to the least healthy county, are New Castle, followed by Sussex and Kent. In addition to the county-level data, the Rankings also features What Works for Health, a database of more than 400 evidence-informed strategies to support local change makers as they take steps toward expanding opportunities. Each strategy is rated for its evidence of effectiveness and likely impact on health disparities. The Take Action Center also provides valuable guidance for communities who want to move with data to action.

The Office of Health Crisis Response (OHCR) was recently established within the Division of Public Health’s Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness Section to address Opioid Use Disorder and other emerging health crises. Staff surround OHCR Director Kate Brookins, CCDP, CAADC, third from right. Photo by Donna Sharp. DPH‘s Office of Health Crisis Response created to address Opioid Use Disorder The newly created Office of Health Crisis Response (OHCR) is saving lives and preventing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ (DHSS) Division of Public Health (DPH).

Based within the Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness Section, OHCR manages a threeyear, $5.8 million Overdose Data to Action grant awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2019. According to OHCR Director Kate Brookins, CCDP, CAADC, work is closely aligned with the DHSS Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). DSAMH focuses on outpatient and residential drug and alcohol treatment. OHCR concentrates on the education, information, and prevention of OUD. The young office created Community Response Teams in each county to respond to crisis sentinel events, such as a bad batch of illicit drugs in an area, or a pill mill shutdown. It also created the OpiRescue Delaware app and will refresh the Help is Here website (www.helpisherede.com). Contact OHCRat 302-223-1313, Kate.Brookins@delaware.gov, or by mail atOffice of Health Crisis Response, Division of Public Health, 100 Sunnyside Road, Prickett Building, Smyrna, DE 19977.

DPH, DHMIC award grants to reduce infant and maternal mortality In December, DPH and the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC) awarded $327,925 in mini-grants to six community organizations for a one-year period. The grants are the state’s first to reduce infant and maternal mortality and aim to narrow the wide variance in birth outcomes between black women and white women by building state and local capacity and testing small-scale innovative strategies. Grant recipients will provide targeted services to women of childbearing age (15 to 44 years), children, and their families if they live in zones identified by DPH’s Healthy Women Healthy Babies program as being at high risk for poor birth outcomes. Awardees are: Delaware Adolescent Program Inc.; Reach Riverside Development Corporation; Rose Hill Community Center; Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Delaware Multicultural and Civic Organization; and Hispanic American Association of Delaware Mamas felices hijos felices (Happy Mothers, Happy Children). For more information, visit DEThrives.com.

On December 10 in Dover, six Delaware community organizations received the state’s first mini-grants to reduce infant and maternal mortality, and to narrow the wide variance in birth outcomes between black women and white women. The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC) awarded the grants, totaling $327,925 for a one-year period, to build state and local capacity and to test small-scale innovative strategies. Pictured with the grant awardees are (front row) Susan Noyes, DHMIC Co-Chair, at far left; Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long, second from left; State Representative Melissa Minor-Brown, second from right; and DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay, at far right. Photo by Donna Sharp.