Delaware General Assembly

Lieu/Substituted 3/11/24

Adopted in Lieu of original; takes status of original

SS 1 for SB 212

1/25/24

Brown

Reps. K. Johnson, Dorsey Walker

Sen. Mantzavinos, S. McBride, Poore, Sokola, Walsh
Reps. Cooke, Griffith, Lynn

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE BUREAU OF HEALTH EQUITY.

This Act codifies the Bureau of Health Equity (BHE) in the Division of Public Health, which includes the Office of Minority Health and the Office of Women’s Health. The purpose of the BHE is to ensure that everyone in Delaware will achieve their full health potential by eliminating health disparities, particularly among all racial and ethnic minority groups. The BHE works with communities to address social determinants health, focusing on prevention, health, and wellness in the broader population instead of treatment focused on individuals. Health disparities are population-specific differences by disease and health outcome between 2 or more groups, which also means there is a higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one population group in relation to a reference group, quantified as differences in coverage, access, or quality of care. Delaware has been recognized nationally for successfully reducing some health disparities, including being the first state to virtually erase racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening and treatment, by combining individual patient assistance from nurse navigators and care coordinators with community-based outreach efforts that used trusted messengers, including leaders of faith-based communities. However, 10 years after achieving this success with colorectal cancer screening and treatment, many health disparities remain in Delaware. Codifying the BHE ensures that this critical work continues. This Act also makes technical corrections to § 7905 of Title 29, which contained these errors when the Office of Women’s Health was transferred from § 7905A of Title 29 in 2009.

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Takes effect upon being signed into law

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