Dover –The Delaware Public Archives will celebrate African-American History Month with guests Governor John Carney and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester on Monday, February 13.

The Archives will also unveil an expansion of its Delaware Votes exhibit, chronicling the contributions of Delaware’s African American elected officials.

At the ceremony, Governor Carney will issue the state’s annual proclamation officially naming February as African-American History Month. Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, Delaware’s first woman and first African-American elected to represent the state in Congress, will offer remarks.

• What: African-American History Month
• Who: Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester; Governor John Carney; State Archivist Stephen Marz; Tina Betz, Executive Director, Light Up the Queen; Star Hill Elementary School Students
• When: Monday, February 13, 2017, 10 a.m.
• Where: Delaware Public Archives, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, North, Dover,
  Delaware 19901

(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 8, 2017)—On Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017, at 2 p.m., there will be a debate on the issue of which president was the greatest—George Washington, the “Father of our Country,” or Abraham Lincoln, the “Rail Splitter.” The program will be held in The Old State House located at 25 The Green in Dover, Del. Admission is free but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-744-5054 no later than Feb. 18, 2017. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled to Feb. 26, 2017 at 2 p.m.

The program will feature two historians making the case for each president in a debate format. The case for President Washington will be made by Samuel Hoff, George Washington Distinguished Professor of History and Political Science at Delaware State University, and Tom Welch, historic-site interpreter at The Old State House.

Presenting the case for President Lincoln will be Larry Koch, retired educator from Maine, and Daniel Pritchett, retired Dover history teacher. The debate will be moderated by David Skocik, often-seen parade master, emcee and local public-relations professional. Acting as judge of the debate will be Resident Judge William Witham of the Superior Court of Kent County. Representing the press and invited to question the debaters will be Andrew West, editor of the Delaware State News, and Myna German, professor of media at Delaware State University.

It is rumored that the event will be visited by both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. This may be just a rumor.

Following the debate, the audience will be invited to vote their preference as to which man—Washington or Lincoln—was the greatest president. After the verdict is announced, a reception will be held in which apple pie (Lincoln’s favorite) and cherry pie (associated with Washington) will be served. Washington and Lincoln memorabilia from three different collections will also be on display.

“Washington vs. Lincoln—Who Was the Greatest President?” is jointly sponsored by The Old State House and the Dover History-Book-Club.

Completed in 1791, The Old State House is one of the earliest capitol buildings in the United States and was in active use when both Presidents Washington and Lincoln were in office. It served as the home of Delaware’s legislature until 1933 when the General Assembly moved to larger quarters in Legislative Hall. The venerable structure now appears as it would have in the late 1700s during the United States’ critical early years as a nation. It features a courtroom, governor’s and county offices and chambers for the state’s Senate and House of Representatives. The building is situated on Dover’s historic Green, a public area laid out in 1717 in accordance with William Penn’s order of 1683.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

WILMINGTON – The Delaware Commission for Women will add four outstanding female leaders to the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women at its annual induction ceremony on March 22.

They are retired Delaware Supreme Court Justice Carolyn Berger; State Representative Debra Heffernan; Dr. Janice Nevin, president and CEO of Christiana Care Health System; and the late Kendall M. Wilson, the first executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware.

“These women exemplify a spirit of leadership and service that serves as a model for their fellow Delawareans and women throughout the state,” said Romona Fullman, executive director of the Delaware Commission for Women. “By adding their names to the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women, we continue to demonstrate the impact and influence of women leaders in the First State.”

Chosen from a list of nominees submitted by individuals and organizations from across the state, the inductees were selected based on their remarkable careers and the significance of their work. To date, 142 women have been inducted to this prestigious group.

The public is invited to join Gov. John Carney and the Commission for Women at a reception and award ceremony to celebrate their achievements and commemorate Women’s History Month in Delaware. This event will be held on Wednesday, March 22 at the Christiana Hilton in Newark.

The celebration will begin with heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at 5:30 p.m. Presentation of awards will follow at 6:30 with remarks from the inductees. Previously inducted Hall of Fame members also will be in attendance. The cost is $50 per person.

For more information or to register, visit www.commissionforwomen.delaware.gov or call (302) 577-5287.

Click here for bios of each inductee.

DOVER – Continuing efforts to curb the abuse of opiate pain medication in Delaware, the state agency charged with regulating medical practice and drug prescription recently unveiled rules that will help doctors and pharmacists more closely monitor and control the use of opiates by patients under their care.

The new requirements contain expanded procedures related to prescribing opiates for acute episodes as well as for chronic, long-term pain management. Some components are at the discretion of the prescribing provider while other requirements are situation-based.

The result of an 18-month rulemaking process that included input from medical professionals, public health experts, the Attorney General, and other stakeholders, these regulations were published in the January issue of the Delaware Register of Regulations and will take effect on April 1.

“These regulations can save lives by helping to curb the abuse of opiates in our state. Delaware’s prescription rate for certain opiates is among the highest in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and we know what many users of heroin tell us: Their drug abuse can be traced back to a time when they were prescribed opiates for an injury or some other valid medical need,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock, whose department regulates and licenses prescribers of controlled substances in Delaware. “With these regulations, we are supporting the efforts of those seeking to break that cycle – including doctors, pharmacists, public health workers and our law enforcement agencies.”

Key elements of the new regulations are aimed at controlling the amount of opiates given to new patients and aggressively monitoring their treatment. First-time opiate prescriptions may not exceed a one week supply under the new rules. If further opiate prescriptions are deemed necessary, further action is required, including a physical exam with discussion of relevant patient history and the risks of opiates, and a check of the statewide Prescription Monitoring Program database.

Prescribers statewide will receive an overview of the new regulations and also be directed to HelpIsHereDE.com, which contains educational materials about identifying and fighting addiction, sample forms, and a link to access the Prescription Monitoring Program.

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FACT SHEET – New Opiate Regulations, Jan. 2016

Key elements related to prescribing for an acute episode (injury or procedure) include:

• A first-time prescription to an adult patient for an acute episode cannot exceed a 7-day supply
• No prescription to a minor can exceed a 7-day supply at any time If professional judgment dictates more than a 7-day supply is necessary
  o Document the condition triggering the prescription
  o Query the Prescription Monitoring Program to obtain a prescription history
  o Indicate that a non-opiate alternative was not appropriate
  o Obtain Informed Consent
  o Administer a fluid drug screen, at the discretion of the provider
  o Conduct a physical examination which must include a documented discussion to elicit relevant history, explain risks/benefits of opioid analgesics and possible alternatives, and establish other treatments tried or considered
  o Schedule periodic follow-up visits and evaluations to monitor progress, whether there is an available alternative to opiate use, and whether to refer the patient for a pain management or substance abuse consultation

Key elements related to prescribing for chronic, long-term treatment with an opiate include:

• Those listed above
• Query the PMP
  o At least every six months and more frequently if clinically indicated
  o Whenever the patient is also being prescribed a benzodiazepine
  o Whenever the patient is assessed to potentially be at risk for substance abuse or misuse
  o Whenever the patient demonstrates loss of prescriptions, requests for early refills, or similar behavior
• Administer fluid drug screens at least every six months
• Obtain a signed Treatment Agreement

Informed Consent elements must include at least:
• The drug’s potential for addiction, abuse, and misuse
• The risks of life-threatening respiratory depression associated with the drug
• Potential for fatal overdose as a result of accidental exposure, especially in children
• Neonatal opioid withdrawal symptoms
• Potential for fatal overdose when interacting with alcohol
• Other potentially fatal drug interactions, such as with benzodiazepines

Treatment Agreement elements must include:
• The patient’s agreement to take medications at the dose and frequency prescribed, with a specific protocol for lost prescriptions and early refills
• Reasons for which medication therapy may be re-evaluated, tapered or discontinued, including but not limited to violation of the Treatment Agreement or lack of effectiveness
• The requirement that all chronic pain management prescriptions are provided by a single practitioner or a limited, agreed-upon group of practitioners
• The patient’s agreement to not abuse alcohol or use other medically unauthorized substances or medications
• Acknowledgment that a violation of the agreement may result in action as deemed appropriate by the prescribing practitioner such as a change in the treatment plan, a referral to a pain specialist, or referral to an addiction treatment programs
• The requirement that fluid drug screens be performed at random intervals at the practitioner’s discretion, but no less than every six months.

DOVER – Acting on recommendations from the state’s Controlled Substances Advisory Committee, Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock has suspended certain prescribing privileges of three Delaware physicians, citing findings that they repeatedly violated Delaware’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

In making this determination, Secretary Bullock and the committee considered the conclusions of an administrative hearing officer, who found that Steven Grossinger, Bruce Grossinger and Jason Brajer improperly administered pain medications to a patient with a history of substance abuse. The hearing officer determined that the physicians failed to subject the patient to required drug screenings, failed to properly document pill counts in the patient’s chart, and continued to prescribe controlled substances with knowledge that the patient was addicted.

The physicians currently practice at Grossinger Neuropain Specialists in Wilmington and Eddystone, Pa.

The secretary’s order bars the physicians from prescribing or dispensing Schedule II controlled substances for a period of six months, including medications such as oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, methadone and amphetamine. The suspensions are accompanied by fines of $3,000 for each physician and will be followed by a three-year probationary period, during which the physicians will submit to quarterly random audits of 10 percent of their patient charts.

The licensure statuses of these physicians have been updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service. Electronic versions of the signed suspension orders can be found here, here and here.