Let's Make Delaware the Healthiest State in the Nation!
Advancing Vital Conditions Across Delaware
Humane Housing
Poverty and housing insecurity in Sussex County are major social determinants of health, contributing to poorer health outcomes and limiting opportunities for social mobility. High housing costs, despite available employment, create barriers for individuals and employers alike, underscoring the need for innovative, collaborative strategies that promote health equity, housing stability, and economic opportunity.
Gauging and Responding to the Need for Home Repair Assistance in Delaware
Home repair needs among low-income homeowners in Delaware are substantial, with an estimated 25,000 homes requiring repairs and 5,000 in substandard condition, representing approximately $96 million in repair costs. In response, Delaware’s Habitat for Humanity organizations created the Statewide Healthy Homes Program to expand repair services and partner with healthcare providers, recognizing the critical connection between safe housing, health, and overall quality of life.
This article examines how the expansion of Medicaid affected housing outcomes, including homeownership rates and housing prices. Using evidence from the Medicaid expansion, the study explores how increased access to health insurance can influence household financial stability, housing decisions, and local housing markets.
Lifelong Learning
The report describes Delaware’s effort to align and coordinate whole-child initiatives across state agencies and education systems. It focuses on supporting students’ academic success while also addressing their social, emotional, health, and developmental needs through collaboration among schools, agencies, and community partners.
Lifelong Learning: A Key Weapon in Delaware’s Fight Against Cognitive Decline
The article explores how continued learning and educational engagement throughout life can help support brain health, maintain cognitive function, and reduce risks associated with cognitive decline among older adults. It highlights lifelong learning programs, such as community-based educational opportunities, as important resources for promoting healthy aging and social engagement.
Identifying Health Topics for Elementary-Aged Children in Delaware
The study examines the need to improve health literacy among elementary school students in Delaware by identifying key health topics that can be integrated into existing school curricula. It highlights the importance of early education on topics such as nutrition, exercise, mental health, and understanding the human body to help children develop the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy decisions.
Reliable Transportation
Review of Social Equity and Environment in Urban Transportation
The article examines how transportation systems affect social equity, environmental health, and access to opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged populations. It highlights barriers faced by groups affected by age, disability, income inequality, race, and geographic location, while emphasizing the importance of equitable transportation planning to improve mobility and health outcomes.
Meaningful Work & Wealth
Healthy Communities Delaware (HCD) is a place-based initiative to improve health, well-being and equity across Delaware. HCD is a network of community-based and investment partners working to create thriving communities through improvement in the vital conditions. Vital conditions are the components of communities that we all need, all the time, to thrive and reach our full potential-- humane housing, a thriving natural world, lifelong learning, meaningful work and wealth, reliable transportation, basic needs for health and safety, and a sense of belonging and civic muscle. HCD invests in communities through community-based organization partners, who work to improve the vital conditions in their communities, informed by data and resident priorities.
Accommodating Developmental Disabilities in the Social Determinants of Health
The article examines whether current Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) frameworks adequately capture the experiences and needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It focuses on improving inclusion, access to resources, community participation, and equitable support systems for people with disabilities.
A Vision for Community, Connection and Reinvestment
The article highlights the work of the Jefferson Street Center (JSC) in Northwest Wilmington, Delaware, as a community connector and capacity builder that supports neighborhood revitalization, resident engagement, and improved quality of life. It focuses on strengthening community relationships, responding to resident needs, and creating opportunities for collective action and investment.
Economic Freedom, The Minimum Wage, And Food Insecurity
The article examines the relationship between economic conditions, government policies, minimum wage levels, and food insecurity across U.S. states. It explores how economic structures and labor market conditions may influence households’ ability to meet basic needs, with a focus on reducing food insecurity and improving economic well-being.
Basic Needs for Health and Safety
Unite Delaware: Seamless Connections to Address Social Determinants of Health
The article focuses on creating a coordinated network that connects individuals to essential social services, including healthcare, food assistance, transportation, employment support, and other community resources. It addresses how unmet social needs affect health outcomes and how improved access to services can strengthen community well-being.
Access to Healthy Foods: A Guide for Delaware Local Governments
The report examines how access to affordable, nutritious food influences health outcomes and community well-being. It focuses on strategies Delaware communities and local governments can use to improve healthy food access through planning, policy, partnerships, and community design.
Evaluating the Health Outcomes of the Healthy Women Healthy Babies Program in Delaware
The study evaluates Delaware’s Healthy Women Healthy Babies (HWHB) Program, which aims to improve maternal and infant health outcomes by providing support and resources to pregnant women, particularly those covered by Medicaid. The research examines how participation in the program is associated with improved outcomes, including reduced smoking during pregnancy, lower rates of low birth weight, and fewer preterm births.
Mental Health Surveillance Among Children – United States, 2013-2019
The article examines disparities in access to and use of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on how race, ethnicity, and other social factors influenced healthcare experiences. It highlights barriers that contributed to unequal access to preventive care, treatment, and health services among different populations.
The article examines how Medicaid expansion through the Community First Choice (CFC) program supports access to home- and community-based long-term services for individuals with high healthcare needs. It focuses on improving care access, supporting independent living, expanding the personal care workforce, and creating a more equitable approach to long-term care services.
Medicaid Expansion Fills Gaps in Maternal Health Coverage Leading to Healthier Mothers and Babies
The report examines how Medicaid expansion improves maternal health by increasing access to health insurance coverage before, during, and after pregnancy. It highlights how continuous healthcare coverage can improve prenatal care, reduce preventable health risks, and support healthier outcomes for mothers and infants, particularly among low-income populations and communities experiencing health disparities.
Basic Needs for Physical & Mental
Greening the Corporate Capital: A Vision for the City of Wilmington, Delaware
The report explores how green infrastructure, green streets, and sustainable urban design can improve Wilmington’s environmental health, manage stormwater challenges, and create more livable communities. It highlights how climate-resilient planning can reduce environmental risks while supporting healthier neighborhoods and improved quality of life.
The article examines the shortage of primary care physicians in medically underserved and Health Professional Shortage Areas in Delaware. It explores barriers to healthcare access, including provider availability, geographic disparities, and workforce challenges, while discussing strategies to improve access to essential primary care services.
The article explores how empathy, social support, and social capital contribute to positive youth development by strengthening young people’s relationships, sense of belonging, participation, and ability to engage in their communities. It emphasizes that supportive relationships and opportunities for civic involvement are important for youth well-being, personal growth, and social justice.