Mental Health Awareness Month. Spread the word to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma experienced by so many, something everyone should care about. While one in five people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. Read more about mental illness on the American Psychiatric Association website.

Older Americans Month. The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) provides free one-on-one counseling assistance to Medicare-eligible residents and Medicare beneficiaries. From seminars, bill assistance, to choosing the best plan, this is an important resource our state offers seniors. Read more/contact information.

Trauma Awareness Month. In October 2018, Governor Carney signed Executive Order 24 making Delaware a trauma-informed state. This week, Governor Carney announced May 2021 as the third annual Trauma Awareness Month to recognize efforts of trauma-informed practices across the state of Delaware. A series of educational webinars have been planned for the month. Trauma Awareness Month is co-sponsored by the Family Services Cabinet Council and Trauma Matters Delaware. Read more.

A time to celebrate all mothers. Mother's Day this year falls on May 9th and we should appreciate mothers of all kinds - from birth mothers to foster mothers, from godmothers to grandmothers, and even mothers of children covered in fur or feathers. It became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. This year, give your mom the gift of being vaccinated. To all of our moms who continue to encourage, support, and teach us, and in remembrance of those who are no longer with us and for those who will soon be, thank you and Happy Mother's Day!

An opportunity to honor those who died while serving in the military. Memorial Day will be celebrated on May 31. This federal holiday commemorates the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Raise the flag with honor and respect. See guidelines for flying the American flag.

The Physicians Foundation today launched A Personal Crisis Management Plan to help physicians navigate their mental health needs. As part of the Foundation's Vital Signs initiative, the plan was created to help physicians, their colleagues, and their loved ones access and have available the coping strategies and resources needed. This personal crisis management tool offers physicians and their loved ones a personalized, step-by-step plan to set themselves up for success in the event of a mental health crisis. Read more.

A newly launched program in New Castle County is helping residents fight food insecurity, get the help they need for medical conditions, and get out from under financial burdens. ChristianaCare and Lutheran Community Services partnered together to launch "Food Farmacy" in February, a pilot meal donation program that minimizes barriers for those with high-risk medical needs. This health equity program provides patients with clinical care, social care, and food with access to a multidisciplinary care team to teach each member how to thrive once the program ends. The six-month program allows a member to get weekly food deliveries from food supplied by donations and grocery stores. As the program is in its pilot phase, it is currently not open to new enrollment. Read more.

On Tuesday Governor Carney and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced major upcoming changes to Delaware's COVID-19 restrictions. Those changes, effective Friday, May 21, include lifting capacity restrictions, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outdoor masking guidance, and changing social distancing guidance. Read the news release.

Flyers listing COVID-19 testing sites by county can be obtained from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) "Weekly Pop-Up Testing Flyers" website to post or distribute to patients. Flyers are available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole languages.

A New York Times article explains how the Pfizer vaccine is made from start to finish to transport. Read about it.

For the latest Delaware COVID-19 statistics, visit the Division of Public Health My Healthy Community data portal. Information includes Delaware's key public health metrics on confirmed cases, total deaths, number of current hospitalizations, and new admissions, as well as testing and vaccination statistics. Updates to the site are usually completed early afternoon each day.

In order to keep our members current with the latest information, we are sharing the frequently asked questions the Division of Public Health and Governor Carney's office fielded this week along with important answers to those questions. Please share this information broadly with your patients and contacts. Read this week's vaccine questions.

Flyers listing COVID-19 testing sites by county can be obtained from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) "Weekly Pop-Up Testing Flyers" website to post or distribute to patients. Flyers are available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole languages.

As the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) shifts from larger drive-thru events to smaller, targeted events for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, they have created a website (de.gov/getmyvaccine) to help navigate opportunities available through DPH and partner locations to receive COVID-19 vaccine. The page includes information on locations for walk-in clinics, hospital self-scheduling links, pharmacies, and state-coordinated events.

DPH recently announced the establishment of vaccine walk-in hours at five public health clinics. Flyers are available in both English and Spanish that display walk-in COVID-19 vaccination hours for DPH clinics. Second dose appointments can be either scheduled or by walk-in.

The CDC also has a website (vaccine.gov) to assist in finding COVID-19 vaccine opportunities by zip code and vaccine type, as well as information about the vaccine.

The federal government is providing the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status. The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) has developed a "Vaccines are Free" website page to understand what vaccination providers can and cannot do; answer questions about financial, ID, and insurance requirements for getting a vaccine, and each person's right to access the vaccine; where to report complaints (Office of the Inspector General); and resources for those who have concerns related to immigration barriers.

The next MSD "Hot Topic CME" event will be COVID-19 in the Pediatric Population with a Focus on Cardiac Manifestations taking place on Tuesday, June 22 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Presenters include Deepika Thacker, MD and Neil G. Rellosa, MD. This virtual event has been approved for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(TM). To register.

MSD member Jona Gorra, MD, FACP can now claim her role as author. Her book, It's Only a Bump: Overcoming Challenges in a Small-Town Medical Practice, was recently published. The book recounts Dr. Gorra's migration from a small town in the Philippines, her residency at Harlem Hospital Center in New York, finding a pathway to a permanent stay in the U.S., and settling and succeeding in Sussex County, Delaware. The book is available on Amazon, Smashwords, Kindle, Google Books, and Barnes and Noble. Congratulations on your accomplishment, Dr. Gorra!

MSD is pleased to highlight another of its 2021 Premier Educational Partners, Curi. Curi is the premier provider of products, services, and experiences for physicians and those who support them. From professional liability and other lines of insurance, to wealth management and advisory services, the company—built by doctors for doctors—has been passionately curious about identifying new ways to meet the ever-evolving needs of physicians since it was founded as Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina in 1975. Contact Gabe Roco, Curi’s VP of Business Development, (484) 220-1644, gabe.roco@curi.com.

If you know someone interested in joining the Medical Society of Delaware, please contact Michelle Seymour at (302) 224-4905 or Michelle.Seymour@medsocdel.org.