Issue 17 | December 2019
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With Gratitude and Thanks from the Executive Director and President of the Board
TImothy E. Gibbs, MPH
Executive Director
Omar Khan, MD, MHS
Board President
As a very busy 2019 ends, and our 90th year of service to the community begins in 2020, we wanted to acknowledge and show gratitude to the many people who made this past year so successful. We could not have done it without you!

Fellow Academy/DPHA colleagues: Liz Lenz, BA; Liz Healy, MPH; Sharon Hess, MA; Matt McNeill, BS; and Kate Smith, MD, MPH

Our graphics crew: Suzanne and Sam Fields from ABC Creative

Our 2018/2019 photographer: David Heitur 

Our IT Guru, Darren Wright

Our 2019 Student Interns: Tori Mignott (DSU), Margot West (UD), Mukta Kantak​ (High School), Julian Stephens (UMBC), Udeerna Tippabhatla (High School), Karina Heredia (DSU), Inaya Wahid (UMBC), and Abigail Manganiello (UD)

John H. Ammon Medical Education Center staff: Chris, Chase, Kenny, and Miguel

Board of Directors: S. John Swanson, MD; Lynn Jones, FACHE; David Bercaw, MD, MPH; Daniel Meara, MD, DMD; Steve Eppes, MD; Eric Johnson, MD; Ted Kestner, Jr., MD; Rita Landgraf; Brian Little, MD, PhD; Arun Malhotra, MD; Joe Napoli, MD, DDS; John Piper, MD; Al Rizzo, MD; Bob Flinn, MD; Barry Kayne, DDS; and Les Whitney, MD.
Advisory Council: Lou Bartoshesky, MD, MPH; Gerald Gallucci, MD, MSH; Rich Killingsworth, MPH; Erin Knight, PhD, MPH; Melissa Melby, PhD; Mia Papas, PhD; Karyl Rattay, MD, MS; and Bill Swiatek. MA, AICP.
Investment Advisory Committee members: Richard Laird, Scott Gates, Marty Mand, and Rod Scott

Our Financial Advisors at Brown Advisory: Porter Schutt, Bill Dugdale, Chris Bartlett, Dominic DiFebo, Jeanne O’Neil, Debbie Hrivnak, Sam Johnson, and Olachi Hamilton
Our auditors at Cover & Rossiter: Peter Kennedy, CPA and Vicki Young-Beam, CPA

Our institutional partners:
  • University of Delaware – Dean Kathy Matt, Noel Duckworth, Steve Peuquet, PhD
  • Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – Andrea Majewski, BA; and Tim “the AV guy”
  • Department of Health and Social Services – Secretary Kara Odom Walker; Jill Fredel, BA; Jen Brestel, BA; Andrea Wojcik, BA
  • Division of Public Health - Cassandra Codes-Jones, MPA; Tabatha Offutt-Powell, DrPH, MPH; Martin Luta, MD; Jim Talbot, MPA; Paul Hess, BS; Karen Mcloughlin, Donna Sharp, Heather Brown; Helen Arthur, MHA; Nicholas R. Conte, Jr., DMD, MBA
  • Pennsylvania Public Health Association and Public Health Management Corporation - Stephanie Shell, MSSA, Lauren Nestler, BS; Richard Cohen, PhD; and Jessica Boyer, MPH, MSW
  • Delaware Health Sciences Alliance - Pam Gardner
  • Delaware Health Care Commission - Nancy Fan, MD; Elizabeth Scheneman, MA; and Eschalla Clarke
  • DIMER - Sherman Townsend
  • Delaware State Dental Society - Joe Kelly, DDS; Betty Dencler, and Patti Kashner
  • Medical Society of Delaware -  Mark Thompson, MHSA; Mary Fenimore, BA; Lynn Robinson, CMC;  and Antje Arnold


All of the leadership and staff at the American Public Health Association, led by Executive Director, Dr. Georges Benjamin, who are too numerous to individually name.

All of the leadership and our colleagues in ChristianaCare, led by President & CEO Dr. Janice Nevin, who are (also) too numerous to name!

Our speakers/panelists for Osher, Mini Medical School, and other events:

  • Rick Cuming, EdD – Mini Med 2019
  • Marta Hayden, MSN – Mini Med 2019
  • Jim Ellison, MD, MPH – Mini Med 2019
  • Catherine Burch, MSM – Mini Med 2019
  • Kathryn Bowser, MD – Mini Med 2019

  • Dan Meara, MD, DMD – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Taylor Alger, PT – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Sandra Medinilla, MD, MPH – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Giovanna Morini, PhD – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Vishesh Agarwal, MD – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Emily Day, PhD – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Amanda Schartel, PharmD and Sean Lasota, PharmD – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Ed Woodford­­, PA-C – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH, MSMS – Osher, Spring 2019
  • John Ruano-Salguero, BS – Osher, Spring 2019
  • Elisabeth Scheneman, MA – Osher, Spring 2019

  • Ed Sobel, DO – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Greg Hovan, BS – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Audrey Sernyak, MD – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Tim Manzone, MD – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Chris Manning, MPA – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Jobayer Hossain, PhD – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Prayus Tailor, MD – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Tom Blackson, BS – Osher, Fall 2019
  • Justin Martello, MD – Osher, Fall 2019

Our Guest Editors for the Delaware Journal of Public Health, in 2019:
  • Professor Rita Landgraf
  • Neal Goldstein, PhD., MBI, and Deborah Kahal, MD, MPH
  • Tim Rodden, MDiv, and Anna Filip, MD
  • Tim Cooper, MA, and Rick Hong, MD
  • Secretary Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH, MSMS
…and to the many other people (you know who you are!) who we neglected to mention.

With sincere gratitude and thanks,

Omar and Tim
PS – please mark your calendars and Save-the-Date for our 90 th Annual Meeting to be held on May 14, 2020 at Deerfield. Our keynote speaker will be, Geoff Tabin, MD : Mountaineer, relentless adventurer, pioneering ophthalmologist and visionary .  Formerly of the University of Vermont and the University of Utah, Dr. Tabin is founder of the renowned Himalayan Cataract Project, and Fairweather Foundation Professor of Ophthalmology & Global Medicine at Stanford University.  He is the fourth person in the world to reach the tallest peak on each of the seven continents, and his passion for mountain climbing directed him to his professional career in eye care. After summiting Mt. Everest, on one of his expeditions, he came across a Dutch team performing cataract surgery on a woman who had been needlessly blind for three years. It was then he understood his life calling. Dr. Tabin is the author of the book “Blind Corners: adventures on 2 continents”; the subject of “Second Suns: Two Trailblazing Doctors and Their Quest to Cure Blindness, One Pair of Eyes at a Time”; and featured in National Geographic publications. More information on Dr. Tabin: https://profiles.stanford.edu/geoffrey-tabin  


Omar Khan, MD MHS FAAFP      Timothy Gibbs MPH NPMc
Board President                           Executive Director
okhan@delamed.org                   tgibbs@delamed.org


Delaware Journal of Public Health
Health Policy



The final issue of the year focuses on Health Policy.
 
What is the "Road to Value?" In this latest issue of the Delaware Journal of Public Health, Guest Editor Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services has brought together articles that support and enhance primary care in Delaware. We also take this opportunity to share with you peer-reviewed articles on nutrition and homelessness as a social determinant of health.

The Academy in Action
On Monday, December 9, 2019, the Academy/DPHA, along with the Division of Public Health, held the Communicable Disease Summit at the Ammon Center in Christiana Hospital.

Almost 200 attendees heard from speakers like Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director of the Division of Public Health; Dr. Gary Marshall, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville, Kentucky; Dr. Gonzalo Bearman, Chairman of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center; Dr. Karen Ravin, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children; Dr. Deborah Kahal, HIV Program Physician and Infectious Disease Specialist at ChristianaCare; and Dr. Karen Lopez, Deputy State Veterinarian in the State of Delaware.

Audience members were treated to presentations on the State of Health in Delaware, Vaccine Hesitancy, Hospital Acquired Infections, Re-Emerging Infectious Disease, Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic, and how to apply the One Health concept in Medical Practice.

Two lunch time options allowed attendees to view an infection prevention panel of experts, or break-out and learn more about vaccine hesitancy.

Upcoming Events
SAVE THE DATE
The second annual JeffX Global Health Conference will be held on January 24, 2020 , from 3:00 - 8:30 pm at the Thomas Jefferson University Campus in Philadelphia. This year's theme is Planetary Health.

Keynote Speaker: Jo Ivey Boufford, MD; President, International Society for Urban Health; Clinical Professor, Global Health, New York University; Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine.

Registration information will be available soon!
National News
Reflections from Philadelphia, by Liz Healy

The 2019 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting was held this year in Philadelphia, PA. From November 2- 6 th , the Philadelphia Convention Center welcomed roughly 13,000 participants, including public health professionals, students, academics, researchers, and retirees alike. The APHA annual meeting brings together a diverse group of public health leaders each year, who share the same common goal of improving public health for all. The meeting provides and opportunity to reflect on public health successes over the past year, focus on key areas of improvement, and look ahead at opportunities for the upcoming year.

The Delaware Public Health Association/ Delaware Academy of Medicine was honored to serve as part of the host committee at this year’s meeting. The DPHA was a proud partner along with organizations like the Pennsylvania Public Health Association and Public Health Management Corporation. The host committee organizations also held a special welcome reception this year, for local members on Monday night. Members of all organizations convened at 1500 Market Street in Philadelphia for an evening of food, drink, and meaningful discussions with old and new connections.

At Opening Session on Sunday, APHA Executive Director, Georges Benjamin, kicked off the meeting by introducing this year’s theme – “For Science. For health. For all.” – which was then followed up by an impressive lineup of speakers including local and national leaders like Rachel Levine, Secretary of Health for the State of Pennsylvania; Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers of Disease Control; and Sandro Galea, Dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health.

Amongst notable speakers at this year’s conference, Delaware’s own Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Kara Odom Walker, joined the stage with a group of panelists for Monday’s General Session. Secretary Walker discussed how meaningful conversations with different stakeholders can serve as a catalyst for change, framed this within the context of preventing unintended pregnancies in Delaware, and highlighted the successes in this area, that have resulted from connecting different stakeholders.

With Philadelphia as the host city for this year’s conference, not only were local leaders from both Pennsylvania and Delaware able to serve as speakers, but a greater number of local professionals and students from both states contributed to live, break out sessions, and poster sessions in the exhibit hall.

A list of Delaware focused presentations, posters, and Delaware-based contributors, as well as more reflections on the APHA Meeting can be found in the latest issue of the Delaware Journal of Public Health .
Academy Spotlight
Acting Secretary, Lynn C. Jones, FACHE

Please help us in welcoming Mr. Lynn C. Jones, FACHE to our board!

Mr. Jones is a health care executive with 35 plus years of leadership experience in the acute and post-acute settings. He has recently “graduated” from the Christiana Care Health System.  

Mr. Jones served on the Visiting Nurses Association board for many years, and is now working to create villages and volunteerism within communities.


Public Health News
Six Delaware Community-Based Organizations Received Mini-Grants to Reduce Infant and Maternal Mortality
DOVER (Dec. 10, 2019) – To reduce disparate birth outcomes and save the lives of both infants and their mothers, the Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC) awarded mini-grants to six community organizations. The local grant recipients were announced today, Dec. 10, during the DHMIC’s quarterly meeting in Dover.

The state’s first mini-grants to reduce infant and maternal mortality aim to narrow the wide variance in birth outcomes between black women and white women by building state and local capacity and testing small-scale innovative strategies. The awards are evidence-based, as DPH’s Healthy Women Healthy Babies program identified communities, or “zones,” whose residents are at high risk for poor birth outcomes. Grant recipients will provide targeted services within the zones to women of childbearing age (15-44 years), children, and their families. Awardees will support community-led place-based initiatives and shift the impact of social determinants of health that are tied to the root causes of infant mortality: poverty, racism, health access, food insecurity, housing, and having a good job and a good education, all of which affect mothers and children.

December is...
Chron's and Colitis Awareness Week
National Influenza Vaccination Week
World AIDS Day

Additional Resources
Delaware Division of Public Health: The DPH Bulletin
Trust for America's Health: Wellness and Prevention Digest - Subscribe
The Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association
Academy of Medicine
2018 - 2020 Board of Directors

President: Omar A. Khan, MD, MHS
Vice President: S. John Swanson, MD
Acting Secretary: Lynn Jones, FACHE
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
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