NEW CASTLE (Oct. 18, 2017) – As part of the Department of Health and Social Services’ work to develop a health care spending benchmark, the Delaware Health Care Commission has awarded a contract to accelerate payment reform to Mercer Health & Benefits LLC. The $889,947 contract, which takes effect immediately, will support the state’s efforts in four main areas: health care payment reform implementation models, legal analysis, economic modeling and analysis, and open data transparency strategies.

Governor John Carney signed House Joint Resolution 7 in September, which authorized DHSS to develop a health care spending benchmark that is linked to the state’s rate of economic growth. Mercer’s contract will dovetail with the work being done with stakeholders to develop the benchmark and come under the $35 million federal grant Delaware received from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to change the way health care is delivered and paid for in the state.

“Mercer brings a strong level of expertise to help us accelerate health care payment reform in our state,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “With Mercer and its subcontractors on the ground, we will be able to explore what is needed to change the way health care is paid for in Delaware that, ultimately, will lead to better health for the people of our state, an improved health care experience and at a lower cost. We look forward to working with Mercer and stakeholders in Delaware to accomplish our goal of payment reform.”

In a federal analysis released this summer, Delaware had the third-highest per capita spending for health care in the country, behind only Alaska and Massachusetts. In 2014, Delaware’s per-capita rate of $10,254 was 27 percent higher than the U.S. average. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated that if Delaware continues at that pace, total health care spending in the state will more than double from $9.5 billion in 2014 to $21.5 billion in 2025. In terms of overall health, Delaware ranks only 31st among the states, according to America’s Health Rankings.

The benchmark also will serve as a major step in transforming Delaware’s health care system to a more outcome-driven system and away from a system that pays for care based solely on the number of room days, visits, procedures and tests. Mercer has enlisted the support of key subcontractors to provide subject matter expertise in specific areas to bring the full complement of perspectives and experience to this work. The subcontractors include:
• Bailit Health Purchasing, LLC
• Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.
• National Committee for Quality Assurance
• Advances in Management, Inc.

Mercer and its four subcontractors will work with DHSS and stakeholders in four areas:

Health care payment reform implementation models: Mercer will develop solutions for assessing and implementing any combination of value-based alternative payment models. The modeling will include limited-, shared- and full-risk arrangements.

Legal analysis: Mercer will work with the State to provide a legal analysis of the development of parameters and framework for alternative payment models. A proposed authority to monitor ongoing activities under payment reform and assistance in developing contracts for new value-based payment arrangements will also be included.

Economic modeling and analysis: Mercer will propose an economic analysis of current payer data, attribution and estimates of global payments. The proposed solution will include recommended timelines for payment system transition and performance milestones. The economic analysis will include, but is not limited to, a staged, three-year model of a global payment system with various levels of health care growth targets and benchmark growth rates.

Open data transparency strategies: Mercer will provide guidance in developing a strategy to enable the use of any available claims and/or clinical data for transparent reporting and monitoring performance against common, shared metrics measuring health care quality and access to appropriate care. The strategy should incorporate recommendations to leverage the existing structures of the Common Scorecard and the Health Care Claims Database, which will include working collaboratively with the Delaware Health Information Network

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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.

DOVER – While new school clothes, backpacks and school supplies can dominate parents’ back-to-school lists, the Division of Public Health (DPH) shares these tips to keep your child healthier and safer during the new school year:

• Wellness checks: Beginning at age 2, children and adolescents need an annual wellness check-up that includes a physical examination. The health care provider will screen the child’s overall health, including vision, and hearing. Immunizations are often given during these appointments.
• Visit the dentist: Back to school time is the perfect opportunity to get kids ready for a great year of oral health. Remember to set up dental appointments along with other routine check-ups. Wake up a few minutes earlier on school days to allow kids enough time to brush their teeth before the rush to the bus. Be on the lookout for permission slips allowing your child to participate in school based oral health programs partnering with his or her school.
• Immunizations: Many people know that vaccines including: Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap), Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B, Polio (IPV OR OPV) and Varicella are required to enter kindergarten but most don’t know that a Tdap booster and the meningococcal vaccine are required for entry to ninth-grade. The HPV Vaccine series is also strongly recommended starting at 9 years of age. For a list of required immunizations, visit: http://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title14/800/804.shtml#TopOfPage or call 800-282-8672.
• Ease into the routine: Switching from a summer to a school schedule can be stressful to everyone in the household. Avoid first-day-of-school mayhem by practicing your routine a few days in advance. Set the alarm clock, go through your morning rituals, and get in the car or to the bus stop on time. Routines help children feel comfortable, and establishing a solid school routine will make the first day of school go much smoother. Work through your own anxious feelings about back-to-school. Children pick up on spoken and unspoken anxiety. The more relaxed you are about school, the more relaxed your kids will be. Put your family on a routine and emphasize sleep. For bedtime, focus on relaxation and sleep will follow.
• Healthy lunches: Pack nutritious lunches with protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and water or non-fat milk. Get recipe inspiration at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/. To prevent foodborne illness, pack lunches in insulated coolers with ice packs to keep food at 40◦ F or below, and follow the food safety advice at this link at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/bam/nutrition/power-packing.html. So children do not skip school meals, parents should complete and return school breakfast and lunch forms and send back-up lunch money the first few days. After school, provide your kids with healthy snacks.
• Backpack weight: Keep backpacks light. Most doctors and physical therapists recommend that kids carry no more than 10-15 percent of their body weight in their backpacks. Children should wear backpacks over both shoulders to reduce the risk of muscle and neck strains or injuries.
• Reflective tape: Buy outer clothes and backpacks with reflective tape so bus drivers and other motorists can easily see children at bus stops, or walking and bicycling to and from school.
• Mark personal items: In case backpacks or coats are accidentally left at school or on the bus, mark students’ personal items with their name and phone number. Make sure to write the information on the inside of items, instead of outside for the child’s safety.
• Bus safety: Parents should review bus information with their children. Write down the bus driver’s name, bus number, driver phone number, and the pick-up and drop-off times and locations. Keep that information handy at home and also include it in the child’s backpack for their easy reference.
• Pedestrian safety: Teach children to use crosswalks and obey traffic signals, highway signs, and laws. Map out safe routes to and from school. Remind children never to accept rides, candy, or other invitations from strangers. Trustworthy adults should accompany younger children.
• Protect their skin: Students regularly go outside for recess, gym, and sports practices. To prevent skin cancer, cream-based (not spray) sunscreens with a Sun Protective Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, are recommended. Parents are encouraged to apply sunscreen daily before kids head off to school. If you want it applied at school for recess, field trips or late-day activities, please discuss this with your school nurse. You will need to provide written permission and the sunscreen. Older children participating in after-school sports should pack a tube of sunscreen in their sports bags, along with water for hydration and a high-protein or high-energy snack.
• Don’t forget the bug spray: Mosquitoes can spread a variety of illnesses and make children miserable with itchy bites. Spray their clothing with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing permethrin. As with sunscreen, parents are encouraged to apply insect repellent at home daily through the fall months, and follow product instructions.

For more information about preparing children for returning to school, visit Nemours Health and Prevention Services’ parenting website: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents.

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.

More than 100 middle and high school students and advisors from across Delaware represented the First State as part of HOSA-Future Health Professionals recently at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Orlando. Students competed in health science events, health professions events, emergency preparedness events, as well as healthcare-related leadership and teamwork events.

With more than 10,000 in attendance, students competed in events such as public service announcement, emergency medical services, health career display, prepared speaking, dental science, biomedical laboratory sciences, and physical therapy. At the June 24 awards ceremony, Delaware students received international recognition in their respective events:

Congratulations to the following Delaware HOSA members placing in the Top 10 of their competitive event at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Orlando:

• Prepared Speaking (Gold Medalist) – Caroline Kelly, Newark Charter School
• Biomedical Laboratory Science – Joanne Lord, St. Georges
• Job Seeking Skills – Jonathan Lee, Sussex Tech
• Medical Law and Ethics – Brianna Martinez, St. Georges
• Physical Therapy – Tia Persolio, Sussex Tech

Congratulation to the following Delaware HOSA members recognized for community service:

• MRC Volunteer Recognition –  Talia Spitelle, Conrad Schools of Science
• Barbara James Services Award –
  • Silver:
    • Gershom  Shahid, Sussex Tech
  • Bronze:
    • Lauren  Carter,  Sussex Tech
    • Riley McMahon,  Sussex Tech
    • Claire Trimble, Sussex Tech
    • Rebecca Arpie, Sussex Tech
    • Jessica Mauricette, Sussex Tech
    • Gavin Walter, Sussex Tech
    • Jonte’ Desire, Sussex Tech
    • Kristine  Mood, Sussex Tech
    • Gabrielle Hastings, Sussex Tech
    • Daysi Torres-Vanegas, Sussex Tech
    • Karrsin Mitchell, Sussex Tech
    • Collin Handy, Sussex Tech
    • Devin  Carter, Sussex Tech
    • Hannah Venables,  Sussex Tech

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

DOVER – Did you know that where you live, how much you earn, and your social connections may have an adverse impact on your personal health? In an effort to address and eliminate such disparities among people statewide, the Division of Public Health (DPH) will present its annual Health Equity Summit on June 29, 2017, at Delaware State University’s Martin Luther King Student Center in Dover. The times are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Health equity is the absence of systematic disparities in health (or in the major determinants of health) between social groups who have different levels of underlying social advantages and disadvantages. Health inequities are differences that are not only unnecessary and avoidable but, in addition, are considered unfair and unjust.

“One of my priorities as Secretary is to increase our conversations about the social-cultural context issues that impact everyone’s health,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “It is imperative that we understand the impact that social determinants have on our vulnerable, minority populations as we help develop plans of care for them. To achieve health equity and to eliminate health disparities within the fabric of Delaware’s health care system, we need a multi-pronged strategy that includes a diverse workforce and attention throughout our health care system and society.”

“It’s vitally important that we work to make sure everyone has the same opportunities to have access to the things they need to make them healthy regardless of age, race, income, address, sexual orientation or underlying health conditions,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “This summit will give Delawareans the chance to become better informed and address many of the health inequities we face as a state.”

The theme of this year’s Summit is “Bridging Health Equity Across Communities.” The summit will bring together local experts from various backgrounds addressing the importance of health, healthy neighborhoods, a progressive plan for health, and the impact of opioid and heroin abuse on our communities. It includes breakout sessions on Healthy Neighborhoods, Opioid and Heroin Abuse, Plan 4 Health and more. The summit is sponsored by the DPH Bureau of Health Equity.

Certain populations continue to lag behind others in many health outcomes. People in those populations are less likely to get the preventive care they need to stay healthy, more likely to suffer from serious illnesses, such as diabetes or heart disease, and when they do get sick, are less likely to have access to quality health care. Health disparities among these populations are often linked to social, economic or environmental disadvantages, such as lack of access to good jobs, unsafe neighborhoods and lack of affordable transportation options. These conditions are known as the social determinants of health.

Partners, community representatives and individual citizens from across the state are invited to attend the summit to learn about inequities in health and how they are being addressed. A community’s ability to develop public health policy solutions tailored for its needs and priorities is an essential part of achieving health equity. Policies to address health inequities are more likely to succeed when they come from and are supported by the communities they are meant to serve.

There is no cost to attend the summit. To register, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RNXJYNF or call Elizabeth Daniels or Karen McGloughlin at 302-744-4703. Registration closes Thursday June 22, 2017. Email elizabeth.daniels@delaware.gov or karen.mcgloughlin@delaware.gov for more information.

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.

DOVER – The Division of Public Health (DPH) is helping the Delaware Quitline celebrate a major milestone this month. The Quitline has now been helping Delaware smokers break their addiction for the past 15 years.

The Delaware Quitline is a toll-free tobacco cessation hotline (1-866-409-1858) that provides tobacco users (including e-cigarette users) the option of receiving counseling by phone or in person. Health care professionals trained in cessation counseling are available statewide for in-person counseling. All Quitline services are free to Delaware residents 18 years of age and older.

For eligible smokers, the Quitline also provides Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription cessation aids and non-prescription nicotine-replacement therapy such as patches, gum, and lozenges. To celebrate the 15-year anniversary, while supplies last, cessation aids will be available, free, to all participants who enroll in one of the Quitline counseling programs.

“This is a significant event in our tobacco prevention efforts and we are so pleased to be able to offer additional assistance to those who want to engage in healthier lifestyles and stop smoking,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, DPH Director. “Quitting smoking is one of the most important things a person can do to reduce their cancer risk. Additionally, we must continue to work with Delawareans on making overall healthier lifestyle choices, such as getting regular physical activity, and eating healthy diets, especially those high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in added sugars like sugar sweetened beverages.”

Since it began in February 2001, the Delaware Quitline has served more than 49,000 Delaware adults. Of those, more than 36,000 received telephone counseling, and almost 13,000 received face-to-face counseling. Additionally, 25 percent of those who responded to the follow-up survey, conducted seven months after services are provided, reported that they had not smoked in the past month.

During the past decade, Delaware has implemented the comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Program statewide, and youth smoking rates have declined. High school students reporting “current cigarette smoking” is at an all-time low of 9.9 percent according to the 2015 Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey. This is a 69.3 percent decrease since 1999. However, the percentage of Delaware adults who reported that they currently smoke was 19.9 percent, according to the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. This percentage has remained statistically unchanged for the past four years.

Lisa Moore, the Division’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program manager, said, “While the high school data is still promising, we must be diligent in addressing tobacco use at all ages – and we must do everything possible to help smokers who want to quit. Tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death in Delaware and the United States,” Moore said. “Prevention is key, however, the Delaware Quitline is a useful resource for those who already smoke and need help quitting.”

The Quitline also has special programs for pregnant smokers and smokeless tobacco users and has counselors who speak Spanish. The Delaware Quitline is a Division of Public Health program managed through a contract with Alere Wellbeing. It is funded in part by grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Delaware Health Fund. For more information about the Delaware Quitline, visit: http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/quitline.html.

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.