Issue 8 | November 2018
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Collaborating for our Communitiy
A Moment with our Executive Director
When reasonable people come together in the service of community, great things can happen. Sometimes the process is slow, but ultimately rewarding. Several years ago, past president Arun Malhotra, MD, began a tradition where physician leadership came together between the Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association (Academy/DPHA) and the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD). This tradition was continued during the presidency of Daniel Meara, MD, DMD, our immediate past president.

Earlier this year, current Academy/DPHA President Omar Khan, MD, MHS and I had the opportunity to sit down with our counterparts from MSD over dinner. Mark Thompson, MHSA (Executive DIrector) and Richard Henderson, MD (President) joined us to discuss how best to serve our community. We reviewed areas where our strengths align, and ways in which we could be mutually supportive of each other’s missions and purpose. We acknowledged that, while there may be areas where we may differ in our perspectives, we share the common goal of serving Delaware. By including staff leadership in the dialogue, we departed from our earlier model of board to board dialog. I was deeply honored to be included in this conversation, which was far reaching and full of potential for increased collaboration between our organizations.

One of the most important outcomes of this meeting was simple – lines of communication were opened wider than in recent memory, with mutual respect and understanding. Imagine what Academy/DPHA and MSD can do together. On behalf of the communities and constituencies we strive to serve, we are aligning our energies and resources. My colleagues and I - staff and board alike - are excited to move forward with this renewed institutional collaboration.
Delaware Journal of Public Health
Community Engaged Research
The November issue of the Delaware Journal of Public Health is centered on Community Engaged Research.
Article Preview: Preparedness Buddy Initiative Helps Vulnerable Delawareans Prepare for Emergencies
By Sean Dooley, Division of Public Health.

Hazardous weather events can occur suddenly and without warning, forcing Delawareans to shelter in place or evacuate.   The Division of Public Health (DPH) recommends that Delawareans who live alone or have access and functional needs plan ahead and designate a “preparedness buddy” to help them plan for, and respond to, emergencies.

Preparedness buddies can help prepare a household emergency kit and an evacuation plan in case of fires, hurricanes, floods, extreme heat or cold events, snowstorms, and disease outbreaks. The buddy system ensures that vulnerable Delawareans have helpers, and that they have enough medication, oxygen, medical supplies, food, and water.

People with access and functional needs are those that have visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, emotional, or mental limitations. They may need help maintaining independence, communicating, and getting medical care and taking their medications. They may need supervision and might rely on translation, sign language interpreters, or transportation services. People with access and functional needs should ask someone dependable to serve as their preparedness buddy and another to be their alternate buddy.

DPH’s Preparedness Buddy brochure, available at found here , is an important tool to get started. T he brochure is available in seven languages: English, Spanish, French Creole, Vietnamese, Simplified Mandarin, Traditional Cantonese, and Brazilian Portuguese. The brochure’s step-by-step template makes it easy to develop a personalized emergency plan in case individuals must evacuate or shelter in place.

The Preparedness Buddy brochure includes a list of essential emergency items:  drinking water, food, eyeglasses, flashlights, wheelchairs, hygiene items, a first-aid kit, and important documents. It provides spaces on which to list the primary care physician, allergies, medication and supplies, and transportation requirements.

Include in the personal emergency plan what to do in case of interrupted utilities (electricity, gas, phone, and garbage disposal) and interrupted transportation (medication deliveries, transportation to and from work, and caregiver and family visits). Home health care clients should contact their providers to ask how bad weather impacts their schedule and their ability to reach clients. Include contact names, street addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. It is important to review and update emergency plans each year or during peak disaster seasons.

Be on the lookout for the November Issue: Coming to your inbox soon!
National Academy of Medicine:
Advancing the Science to Improve Population Health
In September 2015, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop to explore the basic and translational research needs for population health science, and to discuss specific research priorities and actions to foster population health improvement. The workshop was designed to provide frameworks for understanding population health research and its role in shaping and having an effect on population health, identify individual and institutional facilitators and challenges regarding the production, communication, and use of research for population health improvement, and identify key areas for future research critical to the advancement of population health improvement. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Upcoming Conferences
JeffX Global Health Conference
The Academy/DPHA is pleased to partner with Thomas Jefferson University for their first JeffX: Global Health Conference!

Join future heathcare leaders to learn about pertinent issues in global health through interactive case studies and clinical skills sessions! Students will have the opportunity to engage in workshops and work with others to solve complex problems in global healthcare.

When: Friday, November 16 from 3:00 - 9:00 pm
Where: Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia

2018 Health Summit: Communicable Diseases

The Academy/DPHA, along with the Delaware Health and Social Services Division of Public Health and the Medical Society of Delaware, are pleased to sponsor the 2018 Health Summit: Communicable Diseases.

Dr. Gail Bolan, director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention will be speaking on the topic of Sexually Transmitted Infections. Other topics will include hepatitis B, C. difficile, the microbiome, global health, and nontuberculous infection.

When: Monday, December 10 from 8:00am - 4:00 pm
Where: John H. Ammon Education Center

The Academy in Action
Senator Coons Awarded
In October, Senator Chris Coons was awarded the 2018 Champion for Health Seniors Award by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease!

Senator Coons' works tirelessly to protect Medicare part D within congress, ensure access to affordable prescription drug coverage for seniors, and is committed to protecting seniors in Delaware.

The Academy was honored to help the PFCD present this award to Krista Brady, Senator Coons' Constituent Advocate while the Senator was in session in Washington, D.C.
National Academy of Medicine Annual Meeting
Dr. Omar Khan (President) and Mr. Tim Gibbs (Executive Director) were pleased to represent the Delaware Academy of Medicine at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the National Academy of Medicine (at left, with President of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Victor Dzau, MD)
Rita Landgraf at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Former Cabinet Secretary and current Academy/DPHA board member Rita Landgraf spoke with the students at the Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning this month about Health Communities. The Medical Lecture Series is held every semester, and moderated by the Academy/DPHA.

The Lieutenant Governor's Challenge
In her latest efforts to help build a stronger and healthier Delaware, Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long kicked off the annual Lt. Governor’s Challenge on Thursday, Oct. 25.

The Challenge is an ongoing opportunity for Delawareans to embrace healthier living, inspire their peers and be recognized for their achievements. The event is free and open to the public.

Through her efforts within the community both as Lt. Governor and as a nurse, Lt. Governor Hall-Long understands the connection between physical and emotional wellness as well as health and learning.

The lieutenant governor established this challenge to bring good works to light and to further promote policy, system and environmental (PSE) change strategies in order to mobilize individuals and communities on the journey to a healthier Delaware.

Lt. Governor Hall-Long is working to elevate the well-being, productivity and prosperity of all Delawareans, and we hope that everyone will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to embark on a healthier lifestyle . - Governor John Carney

National News
APHA 2018: Annual Meeting
November 10 - 14. San Diego.
"Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now"

The APHA Annual Meeting is in less than two weeks - will you be there? Let us know! We'd like to meet up with you in San Diego this November!

Let us know you're coming by sending an e-mail to Liz Healy !
Academy Spotlight
Stephen Eppes, MD
 Stephen C. Eppes, M.D., earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa and completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at Bowman Gray (Wake Forest) School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric infectious disease at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Eppes specializes in pediatric infectious diseases at Christiana Care Health System. Dr. Eppes is active on many CCHS committees, and he serves not only as Director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases but also as Director of Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement for Pediatrics. Dr. Eppes is also the co-chair of the  Immunization Coalition of Delaware , a program of the Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association.


Delaware Chronic Disease Collaborative
The Delaware Chronic Disease Collaborative was created by the Delaware Academy of Medicine to provide knowledge for people suffering from Chronic Disease. In partnership with other agencies in Delaware, the DCDC seeks to further public education of the various types of non-communicable diseases affecting our residents.

November is...
American Diabetes Month
COPD Awareness Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Family Caregivers Month
Healthy Skin Month
Home Care & Hospice Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Prematurity Awareness Month

The Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association
Academy of Medicine
2018 - 2020 Board of Directors

President: Omar A. Khan, MD, MHS
President Elect: Victor L. Gregory, DMD
Vice President: S. John Swanson, MD
Secretary: Sandra P. Medinilla, MD, MPH
Treasurer: David M. Bercaw, MD
Immediate Past President: Daniel J. Meara, MD, DMD
Executive Director: Timothy E. Gibbs, MPH, NPMc

Directors
Stephen C. Eppes, MD
Eric T. Johnson, MD
Joseph F. Kestner, Jr, MD
Rita Landgraf
Brian W. Little, MD, PhD
Arun V. Malhotra, MD
Joseph A. Napoli, MD, DDS
John P. Piper, MD
Ehtasham A. Qureshi, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Albert A. Rizzo, MD

Emeritus
Robert B. Flinn, MD
Barry S. Kayne, DDS
Leslie W. Whitney, MD
DPHA
Advisory Council

President: Omar Khan, MD, MPH
Executive Director : Timothy E. Gibbs, MPH, NPMc

Members
Louis E. Bartoshesky, MD, MPH
Gerard Gallucci, MD, MSH
Richard E. Killingsworth, MPH
Erin K. Knight, PhD, MPH
Melissa K. Melby, PhD
Mia A. Papas, PhD
Karyl T. Rattay, MD, MS
Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH
William Swiatek, MA, AICP
The Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association
302-733-3952 | Fax 302-733-3949 | delamed.org