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 total cost of care or Alternative Payment Model (APM).

The Delaware Health Care Commission is prepared to award up to 10 applicants in amounts ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 through the Value-Based Payment Reform Fund for work that must be completed or services procured by Jan. 31, 2019. Mini-grant applicants must be primary care providers, behavioral health providers, hospitals, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or clinically integrated networks, and must be licensed in the State of Delaware. Bidders may apply for multiple projects. The Health Care Commission expects to award grants for small projects (up to $50,000) and large projects (up to $250,000), based on the scope of the project. Applications are due no later than Aug. 30.

“These one-time mini-grants offer a great opportunity for health care providers in Delaware to conduct pilot projects in the area of value-based payment reform,” said Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “To embrace this change, we urge providers to test out collaborations or partnerships in the areas of data integration, care coordination or readiness to integrate into an ACO or an Alternative Payment Method.”

“In our continuing work with the State Innovation Model, the Health Care Commission has embraced innovative ways to help practices succeed in the changing health care delivery environment,” said Dr. Nancy Fan, Chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission. “These mini-grants, along with the ongoing work through our practice transformation vendors, give us practical ways to help facilitate that change.”

Applications must be made in one of three areas:

• Data integration: Project must enhance the applicant’s data integration, clinical informatics or population-based analytics capabilities. Examples include data exchange infrastructure and analytics projects or support; data warehousing and reporting capacity; and development of data-sharing agreements.
• Improve the coordination of patient care: Project must enhance the applicant’s clinical integration. Examples include conducting data analytics and developing care guidelines for a primary care-based system of complex care management for high-risk population(s); implementing improvements in care transitions such as new business processes or mutual agreements with partner providers; and implementing a practice support call center.
• Increase readiness to integrate into an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) or operate through an Alternative Payment Method (APM): Project must develop, expand or enhance the applicant’s shared governance structures and organizational integration strategies, linking the applicant with ACO leadership and across the continuum of care with providers already contracted with an ACO. An example would be support to model costs of care in preparation for participation in value-based payment arrangements with multiple payers.

“The Delaware Center for Health Innovation (DCHI) is a public/private partnership, supporting innovative changes in the way health care is delivered and paid for in order to drive quality and better health for all in our state,” said Julane Miller-Armbrister, executive director of DCHI. “We encourage Delaware health care providers to apply for these mini-grants as a way to pilot their ideas for comprehensive reform.”

Applications will be evaluated and considered as they are received, with the final notifications of award coming by Sept. 30. For potential applicants, the Health Care Commission will host a Q&A session via conference call at 2 p.m. Aug. 9. Please email DHCC@delaware.gov for call-in information. All questions and final applications also must be submitted by email to DHCC@delaware.gov.

More than 100 students and advisers from across the State of Delaware joined nearly 10,000 other members the 41^st annual HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas. Delaware students represented the First State in competitive events, including: medical math, epidemiology, physical therapy, forensic medicine, dental science, medical assisting, biomedical laboratory science, and more.

Delaware HOSA is a career and technical student organization dedicated to students who are interested in pursuing their future in a career in healthcare. Through HOSA-Future Health Professionals, members have the opportunity to participate in career-focused competitive events, take part in community service work, and become leaders for the organization in their school, state, and at the international level.  HOSA-Future Health Professionals incorporates curricular and co-curricular experiences to emphasize the importance of knowledge, leadership, skill development, and teamwork.

The following students were recognized in the Top 10 in their competitive event:

To learn more about Delaware HOSA, please contact Peg Enslen by phone at: (302) 857-3339 or by email at peggy.enslen@doe.k12.de.us. A list of all national finalists can be found online at: http://ilc.hosa.org/sites/default/files/2018%20Secondary%20Event%20Rankings.pdf.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

DOVER — The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is seeking input from Delawareans on a draft version of a statewide assessment identifying the primary health needs of First State residents. DPH worked with a broad range of non-profit and medical partners, and community-based and government agencies to create the draft Statewide Health Assessment (SHA) document.

The SHA is an examination of the health of our population. Data gathering for a needs assessment to develop this document began in 2016. The data, pulled from a variety of sources including focus groups, were used to identify local and statewide trends for the identification and prioritization of strategies. The ultimate goal of a SHA is to develop strategies to address critical health needs and identify challenges and assets in the state in a comprehensive way.

All results were compiled and analyzed collectively to paint a collective picture of Delaware’s health. This comprehensive process yielded the following four top-level priority areas of focus:

1. Chronic Disease: specifically -heart disease, diabetes, and asthma
2. Maternal and Child Health: specifically – teen pregnancy, premature births, and low birth weight
3. Substance Use/Misuse: specifically -the opioid epidemic, accidental overdose, and smoking/e-cigarette use
4. Mental Health: specifically – mental health diagnoses (especially in youth), suicide/suicidal ideations, and impact of trauma.

The plan is posted at http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/shna.pdf. Comments can be submitted at http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/shaform.pdf. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, July 31, 2018.

Residents are encouraged to provide feedback about the information presented in the draft SHA. After receiving public comments, DPH will organize partners again to develop strategies and goals to address Delaware’s major health needs.

“It’s important to hear from residents about our draft plan for the health and well-being of Delawareans,” said DPH Associate Deputy Director, Cassandra Codes-Johnson. “We want to know what’s important to you. All residents should have the opportunity to provide input on the issues that are closest to their hearts.”

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

New initiative promotes culture of commitment to Delaware children through cross-sector partnerships

WILMINGTON, Del. – Joined by members of his Cabinet, representatives from Casey Family Programs and child advocates, Governor John Carney joined First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney on Thursday to announce First Chance Delaware – an initiative led by the First Lady to recognize and facilitate effective partnerships, to share research and best practices, and to promote opportunities to collaborate in support of Delaware’s children.

Casey Family Programs provided the founding grant for First Chance Delaware, and will continue to provide technical and operational support through Casey’s First Spouse Initiative program.

Delawareans can learn more about First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney’s “First Chance Delaware” initiative, and sign up to help, at de.gov/firstchance.

“First Chance is not a new program. It is a framework, in coordination with the Family Services Cabinet Council, to promote a statewide culture of commitment to Delaware’s children,” said First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney. “In advancing that culture, we recognize our shared interest, as well as our shared moral obligation, to give all children an opportunity to realize their potential – in learning, work, and citizenship. We also recognize that, working in isolation, not even the most well intentioned – or even the most well-funded – organizations or individuals can address the obstacles to success that too many of our children confront in the 21st Century. The challenges are intertwined; each deepens the others, in a geometric – and often generational – erosion of opportunity. So to be effective, the efforts to alleviate those challenges must be coordinated and mutually reinforcing. Everyone concerned with Delaware’s future needs to be involved.”

First Chance Delaware will focus its work on:

• Ending childhood hunger and expanding access to nutritious food for low-income children;
• Promoting learning readiness through literacy, health and parent-child engagement programs; and
• Advancing the recognition of – and effective responses to – adverse childhood experiences.

“First Chance Delaware encourages partners from across government, the nonprofit sector, and private business to work together on behalf of Delaware’s children,” said Governor Carney. “This initiative is already helping to confront childhood hunger across our state, and will bring partners together to take on challenges surrounding trauma, learning readiness, and childhood literacy. Thank you to Tracey for her leadership, and we look forward to bringing more voices and resources to the table with the goal of finding solutions to critical issues facing Delaware’s children.”

The statewide Task Force to End Childhood Hunger is the first model partnership to be recognized as a First Chance Delaware program.

“Making sure our children and families have the tools they need to thrive and be successful is vital,” said Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “The partnerships created by First Chance Delaware will help us identify gaps so that we can assist and provide for our children in so many areas. I look forward to working with Governor Carney and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, as well as the Family Services Cabinet Council, to help make our children and families stronger and healthier.”

“As a member of the Governor’s Family Services Cabinet Council, I have seen firsthand the Governor’s commitment to improving the lives of Delaware’s children and families; however, state government alone cannot address all of the needs of Delawareans, which is why we are all very grateful to First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney for creating First Chance Delaware,” said Josette Manning, Secretary of Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families. “First Chance Delaware will break down the barriers between state agencies and all other individuals and organizations to encourage collaboration and creative solutions to some of the most complex issues facing our children and families.”

Related News
Summer Food Service Program Provides Nutritious Meals for Needy Children
First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney Attends Learning Lab on State Strategies to Reduce Childhood Hunger

Related Background Information
The statewide Task Force to End Childhood Hunger, with a central team convened by the First Lady, includes representatives from the Food Bank of Delaware, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Social Services. This task force’s specific goals include increasing participation and building partnerships in support of the Summer Food Service Program and alternative model school breakfasts. The task force also seeks to promote awareness of all programs, public and private, available to Delawareans experiencing food insecurity. Other task force partners include the Harry K Foundation; superintendents, principals, and members of the Delaware School Nutrition Association; the Department of Agriculture and Delaware farmers; Summer Food Service Program sponsors and partners; and the regional office of the USDA.

New website includes information on healthcare benchmark initiative to reduce costs, improve outcomes for Delawareans

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) relaunched ChooseHealthDE.com on Tuesday to include information and resources about healthcare spending in Delaware, strategies to slow its growth and actions to better connect that spending to the health outcomes of Delawareans.

DHSS first launched ChooseHealthDE.com in 2013 as an information resource for people learning about coverage options through Delaware’s new Health Insurance Marketplace. Today, the website is expanding to include information for individuals and families, employers, healthcare providers and legislators about the value of healthcare and how to reduce the growth of spending while better linking payments to health outcomes.

“As I said last week in my State of the State, we are spending too much money on healthcare without getting good enough results. Now is the time to change the way we deliver care in our state,” said Governor Carney. “To help us understand our overall spending, we need transparency on healthcare costs. With ChooseHealthDE.com, we are taking another step in providing more transparency for individuals, families, employers, providers and legislators on how we spend our healthcare dollars and what we can do to change that trajectory.”

On Sept. 7, 2017, the Governor signed legislation authorizing DHSS to consult with stakeholders to establish a healthcare spending benchmark as a way to evaluate the total cost of healthcare in the state. Delaware ranked No. 3 in the nation in per-capita healthcare spending in 2014 – the latest year data is available – according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS analysis of all insurance payers – Medicare, Medicaid and private – found per-capita spending in Delaware was $10,254, about 27 percent higher than the U.S. average of $8,045. Without changes, the analysis estimates Delaware’s total healthcare spending will more than double from $9.5 billion in 2014 to $21.5 billion in 2025. According to America’s Health Rankings, Delaware ranks No. 30 for overall health.

“In the move to value-based healthcare, the healthcare spending benchmark is a starting point,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “Working with hospitals and other healthcare providers, we need to transition to a point where we pay for the optimal health of consumers, rather than for hospital stays, tests and procedures, regardless of outcomes. Our goal of lowering costs while improving the overall health of Delawareans will take participation and input from all of us. ChooseHealthDE.com gives us a common portal from which to continue this work.”

ChooseHealthDE.com is divided into two sections: the Health Insurance Marketplace and the healthcare spending benchmark. In the new healthcare spending benchmark section, the site is divided among four target audiences: individuals and families, employers, healthcare providers and legislators. Each audience segment has strategies for success and a downloadable toolkit. A news and events section will provide details about upcoming events, legislation and reports, and public comment periods. A link to the Delaware Health Care Commission website provides background on previous events and reports associated with the healthcare spending benchmark.

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