DHSS Press Release |
Date: December 17, 2004 DHSS-149-2004 |
| Vincent P. Meconi, Secretary Karryl McManus, Deputy Secretary (302) 255-9047, Pager (302) 247-2116 |
Contact: Donna Sharp Phone: (302) 744-4886 Pager: (302) 247-0840 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INFANT MORTALITY TASK FORCE PREPARING INTERIM REPORT FOR GOVERNOR MINNER
Governor Ruth Ann Minner's Infant Mortality Task Force met Dec. 16 to continue working toward producing final recommendations due to the governor in March. Approximately 200 task force members participate on one of five committees:
- The Disparities Committee is identifying root causes for different infant mortality outcomes between racial and ethnic groups, and developing strategies to eliminate them. Lynne Howard of the Wilmington City Council and Lolita Lopez of Westside Health co-chair the Disparities Committee.
- The Systems of Care Committee is identifying existing systems that prevent premature birth and address infant mortality, determining needed improvements and programs, and working with the disparities subcommittee to identify systems issues. Drew Langloh of the United Way chairs the Systems of Care Committee.
- The Best Clinical and Administrative Practices Committee is identifying practices that enhance or discourage disparities to healthcare access, and determining reasons for and impact of these practices, the feasibility of correcting these causes, and improvement strategies. Debbie Chang of Nemours Health and Prevention chairs the Best Clinical and Administrative Practices Committee.
- The Prevention or Lifestyle Committee is identifying external and personal risk factors underlying pregnancy-related health issues, assessing the impact of these risk factors on babies, identifying factors that limit or prevent coordination of services among private sector agencies, and identifying needed research, education and best practices. Steve Dowshen, MD of A.I. duPont Hospital for Children chairs the Prevention Committee.
- The Data/Science Committee is defining the status of infant mortality in Delaware compared to the nation, sharing data and findings, identifying risk factors and underlying causes of infant mortality, and suggesting improvements to current data collection systems. David Paul, MD of Christiana Care and Ted Jarrell, PhD of the Department of Education co-chair the Data/Science Committee.
On Jan. 6, task force members will meet with officials from the Centers of Disease Prevention and Control's (CDC) Division of Reproductive Health. The CDC specialists will provide technical assistance to help the task force develop recommendations to improve birth outcomes in Delaware. The all-day meeting will be held at Delaware Technical and Community College's Terry Campus in Dover. Also expected at the Jan. 6 meeting is Dr. Bernard Guyer of Johns Hopkins University, who has worked with the task force in investigating the causes of infant mortality rate and recommending strategies to reduce its high rate.
On Jan. 12, task force chairmen Jaime H. Rivera, M.D., director of Delaware's Division of Public Health, and Al Snyder, executive director of Children & Families First, will meet with the Perinatal Board to seek their input and achieve consensus for the draft recommendations.
Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.
