89-year-old hospital in Smyrna will be replaced with federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars

SMYRNA, Del. — Governor John Carney, Lt. Governor Hall-Long and Molly Magarik, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), announced $50 million on Wednesday to build a new Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in Smyrna.

Staff at the hospital, which originally opened in 1932, provide skilled nursing care to more than 100 residents. Construction of a new, 72,000-square-foot facility in Smyrna will create 250-300 construction-related jobs.

The $50 million allocation for the new hospital is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was signed into law by President Joe Biden and championed by members of Delaware’s congressional delegation – Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Rep. Lisa Bunt Rochester.

“The Hospital for the Chronically Ill has provided necessary care to vulnerable Delawareans for years, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But the building itself is more than 90 years old and needs to be replaced,” said Governor Carney. “A new, modern hospital in Smyrna will provide the nearly 500 hospital staff members with the tools they need to continue providing quality care to Delawareans who need their support. Thank you to hospital staff for their commitment, and to President Biden and members of our federal delegation for providing the resources we need to make this important investment.” 

“Delawareans deserve a healthcare system that’s able to meet the needs of our communities, particularly those that are vulnerable and underserved,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “As Lt. Governor, and as a nurse, I have seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical and emotional health, especially in our aging population and their families. They deserve the highest quality of care. These investments will go a long way to ensure that happens.”

“The Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, which serves our state’s most vulnerable residents, has become even more critical to the delivery of quality health care during the pandemic,” said Sen. Carper, Sen. Coons, and Rep. Blunt Rochester. “DHCI’s facilities need to be modernized in order to safeguard its mission of providing comprehensive nursing home services. We applaud the Governor and his decision to use $50 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to help make that a reality.”

“The staff at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill has shown an unwavering commitment to its residents, maintaining a 5-star rating during this global pandemic,” said Molly Magarik, Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services. “I am excited for the team and residents to move to a new facility that will better support person-centered care with consolidated program services in one building.”

Governor Carney, Lt. Governor Hall-Long and members of Delaware’s congressional delegation have announced several projects that will receive ARPA funding. 

This week, Governor Carney announced plans to invest $26.4 million in affordable housing in Wilmington, and $50 million for jobs training programs statewide.

Last month, Governor Carney announced a $110 million plan to provide universal wired broadband access for all Delaware homes and businesses. Delaware is aiming to become the first state to close every “last mile” with wired, high-speed broadband. 

###

Staff must provide proof of vaccination or get tested regularly for COVID-19

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) on Thursday announced that ​beginning on September 30, staff in long-term care and other health care facilities will be required to provide proof of vaccination or to undergo regular testing to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 to vulnerable populations. 

“There’s no better way to protect our most vulnerable neighbors from this virus than getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Governor Carney. “If you haven’t gotten your COVID-19 vaccine yet, consider it. Vaccination is how we’ll make sure our communities get healthier and continue to build a great future in our state.”

The requirement also will be formalized by the end of this month and will cover the following entities regulated by the DHSS Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ):

Long-Term Care Facilities:

• Nursing homes
• Assisted-living facilities
• Intermediate-care facility for persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities
• Neighborhood homes
• Group homes for persons with serious and persistent mental illness
• Group homes for persons with HIV/AIDS
• Family care homes
• Rest residential facilities
• Intensive behavioral support and educational residences

Acute and Outpatient Providers:

• Adult day cares
• Free-standing birthing centers
• Free-standing emergency departments
• Free-standing surgical centers
• Home health agencies: aide only (non-skilled)
• Skilled home health agencies
• Hospitals (including psychiatric hospitals)
• Prescribed pediatric extended care centers
• Hospice
• Personal assistance service agencies
• Office-based surgery

Click here to view where these new regulations will be posted by the end of the month.

Click here to view the emergency regulations announced earlier this week that require all individuals kindergarten-age and older to wear masks indoors at K-12 schools and child care facilities beginning August 16, 2021.

Additionally, Governor Carney announced Thursday that beginning on September 30, 2021, State of Delaware employees will also be required to provide proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing for COVID-19. Additional information will be provided to state employees by the Delaware Department of Human Resources.

Governor Carney and the Division of Public Health also encouraged private employers to impose similar requirements to encourage vaccinations. While the state’s requirements will offer employees the choice between getting vaccinated or getting tested, federal guidance permits employers to require vaccinations, as several Delaware employers have decided to do.

As of Wednesday, August 11, 73.9 percent of Delaware adults, and 71.8 percent of those 12 and older, have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Visit de.gov/getmyvaccine to find a free COVID-19 vaccination provider near you. 

###

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 13, 2020) – The Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is reminding community- and faith-based 501c3 charitable organizations that primarily serve low-income and/or racial or ethnic minority populations in Kent or Sussex counties that CARES Act Relief funds are available for expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deadline is Nov. 15, 2020, for eligible organizations to apply through the Community Resiliency Fund, part of the $100 million Health Care Relief Fund that Gov. John Carney and DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik announced in October.

Applicants will need to provide their organizational information and a brief overview of all funds requested for reimbursement, as well as how projected expenses through Dec. 30, 2020, will be spent. All expenses must comply with U.S. Treasury Department guidance.

For eligibility requirements and the online application, go to DHSS’ Health Care Relief Fund webpage.

WILMINGTON – The Delaware Children’s Department has launched a program that links pediatric primary care providers with free psychiatry consultations and assistance to streamline behavioral health care for children and youth.

Implemented in 2019, the Delaware Child Psychiatry Access Program (DCPAP) is a beneficial resource for primary care providers serving young people with behavioral health needs. The goal of this program is to remove barriers to behavioral health care and provide quicker services to patients when they need it, as well as empower primary care practitioners.

According to the Institute of Medicine, about 13 –20 percent of children living in the United States (up to 1 out of 5 children) experience a mental disorder in a given year. Children’s mental health disorders have a significant impact on children, their families and communities constituting an important public health issue. According to a study published in the journal “Pediatrics,” primary care providers have substantial interactions with children when it comes to managing mental health disorders with about 1/3 of children exclusively receiving their mental health care through primary care.

“Pediatric primary care practitioners (pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners and medical assistants) are increasingly being asked to provide direct behavioral healthcare services for their patients. DCPAP supports pediatric practitioners by offering consultations and trainings by a child psychiatrist, and referrals to resources and services by a behavioral health care coordinator. The goal is to empower health professionals to treat their patients within their practices,” said Dr. Richard Margolis, DCPAP Project Director and Medical Director for the Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services.

“We want primary care providers to take advantage of these free services and look forward to helping them with their practices’ behavioral health needs. Integrating behavioral health care with primary care provides better access – and comfort – to our young patients and their families.”

Pediatric primary care providers enrolled in DCPAP can request a consultation with a board-certified child psychiatrist or behavioral health resources to help them address their patients’ needs. These services aim to help expand providers’ skill and comfort in managing their patient’s behavioral health disorders in their office, as opposed to referring their patients to limited psychiatry services that may take months to access. Providers interested in consultations or more information can call the DCPAP “warm line” at 302-513-0929 or fill out this online form. Consultations often focus on questions about diagnosis, screenings, medications and treatment choices for behavioral health disorders.

So far, 175 pediatric primary care practitioners have registered for the program. Interested providers, including pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants caring for patients up to age 21, can register by calling 302-513-0929 or by emailing DSCYF_DCPAP@delaware.gov. Enrolled providers will also have access to a newsletter, information and webinars.

DCPAP also offers various training and education opportunities for the pediatric primary care practitioners and their staff, as well as the general behavioral health community. These training sessions, accessed on a virtual platform and available for free Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits feature live sessions with a child psychiatrist on a variety of topics. The current DCPAP fall training series is ongoing.

Please Save the Date for the below trainings by Dr. Mark Borer MD:

• Youth Suicide Parts 1 & 2: Tuesday 10/6 & Tuesday 10/13
• Bipolar Disorder Parts 1 & 2: Tuesday 11/10 & Tuesday 11/17
• Trauma & PTSD Parts 1 & 2: Friday 12/4 & Tuesday 12/8
• Look for the Autism Spectrum Disorder series to start 2021!
• ***All sessions will occur from 12:30 – 1:30 PM on Zoom.***

Sign up for the trainings via e-mail at DSCYF_DCPAP@delaware.gov. Participants will be sent the Zoom invitation.

DCPAP is funded through a five-year $2.225 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to provide pediatric primary care professionals with child psychiatry consultation and behavioral health training. For additional information, DCPAP is modeled after the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (McPAP) and receives consultation from the Massachusetts-based program. The McPAP program, in existence for 15 years, covers the entire state of Massachusetts and offers services to approximately 96 percent of the pediatric serving primary care practitioners in the state.

 Media Contact: Jen Rini, jen.rini@delaware.gov

Report Is Latest Step in Effort to Analyze Cost and Quality of Care in Delaware

DOVER (June 4, 2020) – The Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) has released preliminary data on health-care spending in the state in calendar year 2018, the latest step in the state’s effort to reduce health care spending and improve quality of care for Delawareans.

The report, available here, follows the establishment in late 2018 of a state health care spending benchmark, a per-annum rate-of-growth benchmark for health care spending. The first benchmark went into effect Jan. 1, 2019, and was set at 3.8 percent, with the target expected to decrease gradually to 3.0 percent over the following three years.

The DHCC collected spending data from calendar year 2018 to provide a preliminary basis for calculating the state’s health care spending performance and to serve as a baseline for 2019 spending growth calculations. The 2018 baseline data collection also allowed the state’s health insurers and the DHCC to test payers’ data-submission methods and identify areas for improvement.

The DHCC is scheduled to collect 2019 medical expense data from insurers this summer. As part of the next round of benchmark data collection, health care insurers will be asked to resubmit their 2018 data to incorporate any updates to collection methods to ensure better year-over-year comparisons. Because of that, the DHCC expects the next set of 2018 data to differ from that released today.

The state plans to release its 2019 health-care spending performance as measured against the 3.8 percent benchmark early next year.

The release of the preliminary spending data from 2018 marks another step along the state’s “Road to Value” initiative to improve access to affordable, quality health care for all Delawareans. That effort remains vitally important while Delaware addresses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, said Dr. Kara Odom Walker, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, a member of the Delaware Health Care Commission and a practicing family physician.

“We need to support our health care system to rebound from the global pandemic with value-based goals so it can be stronger than ever,” Secretary Walker said. “Now, more than ever, our vision to improve transparency and public awareness of spending and quality in our state through the adoption of spending and quality benchmarks will assist in these efforts.”

To learn more about Delaware’s health care spending and quality benchmarks, visit the Delaware Health Care Commission website.

-30-

The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of life of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.