On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. Delaware covers 1,954 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 873,092 people – 188,036 living in rural Delaware (USDA-ERS). Dover is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Wilmington, Dover, and Newark. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 74.5% of the state’s population is white, 20.9% is Black/African American, and 6.5% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 5 hospitals in Delaware, 2 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has no hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals. There are zero Rural Health Clinics in Delaware, and 4 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 10 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2007). 11.7% of Delaware residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Delaware residents in 2007 was $40,112, although rural per-capita income lagged at $32,647. Estimates from 2007 indicate a poverty rate of 9.7% exists in rural Delaware, compared to a 10.5% level in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 23.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 15.7% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Delaware is 4.9% and in urban Delaware, it is 4.7% (USDA-ERS, 2007).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Delaware Division of Child Support Enforcement
State government
Contains information about the purpose of child support, how and where to apply for services, the types of services offered, and general information about the child support enforcement process.
Delaware Division of Public Health (DDPH)
State government
Includes a wide range of programs and services, all aimed toward protecting and improving the health of the people who live and work in Delaware.
Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS)
State government
To improve the quality of life for Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.
Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health: Minority Health Services
State government
Works to protect and improve the health of the people who live and work in Delaware.
Delaware Healthcare Association (DEHA)
State/regional organization
Serves as a leader in the promotion of effective change in health services through collaboration and consensus building on health care issues at the State and Federal levels.
Delaware Office of Primary Care & Rural Health
State government
Part of the Delaware Division of Public Health. Collects and disseminates rural health information across the state. Coordinates rural health interests and activities statewide.
First State Community Action Agency
State/regional organization
Works towards the elimination of the root causes of poverty and to make less severe the effects of poverty on low-income people by providing a range of services and activities that have a measurable and potentially major impact on overall community welfare.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Delaware
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers (MACHC)
State/regional organization
Works to provide health care services to the medically underserved and uninsured in Maryland and Delaware. MACHC is built on delivering accessible, affordable, cost effective and quality primary health care to those in need in rural and urban communities.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM-MAR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Delaware, New Jersey , New York and Pennsylvania.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (Southeast RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to improve community infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Delaware
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Delaware State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
Delaware QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Delaware Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Delaware Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Delaware KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Delaware State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Delaware
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Delaware
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loan Fund Program
Provides low-interest loans to low-income rural communities for predevelopment costs, system upgrades and new construction of water and wastewater services and facilities.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Aiming Higher for Health System Performance: A Profile of Seven States That Perform Well on the Commonwealth Fund’s 2009 State Scorecard
Author(s): Greg Moody, Sharon Silow-Carroll
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Demonstrates that high levels of health system performance are achievable and sustainable, and provides useful examples of policies and practices in Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Delaware that may be associated with health system improvement.
Date: 10 / 2009
Demographic and Economic Profile: Delaware
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 02 / 2009
Medicaid Non-emergency Transportation: Three Case Studies
Author(s): Gail Stefl, Mark Newsom
Sponsoring organization: American Public Human Services Association
In 2002, the American Public Human Services Association, through National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation, undertook a study of Medicaid financing of non-emergency transportation services for persons enrolled in the state Medicaid program. Three states with innovative approaches to design and administration of non-emergency medical transportation services were selected for additional case study: Utah, Delaware, and New York.
Date: 10 / 2003
Small Business Profile: Delaware
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2008
State Profiles - Delaware: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
La Red Health Center Prenatal Services Program
La Red Health Center (LRHC) expanded an existing program to offer prenatal and labor/delivery services to underserved and vulnerable pregnant women in Sussex County, Delaware.
La Red Health Center - 2001
La Esperanza sought to establish a community-based health
center to improve access to care for Latinos, African Americans,
families living in poverty, and other rural residents with health care
needs.
|
