Public Health Department Study & Advocacy

The League of Women Voters within Delaware County PA advocated and studied for decades the need to establish a health department for our county that would be on the front line of public health for the benefit of Delaware County communities. The League of Women Voters of Delaware County is gratified to announce that our advocacy has helped to bring about the establishment of the Delaware County Health Department.

Why it matters

Prior to the establishment of the health department Delaware County was the only suburban county in the Philadelphia region without a county health department and because of this fact Delaware County was not able to provide vital health services and was not eligible to receive funds through Act 315, Pennsylvania's Local Health Administration Law. 

With the approved Delaware County Health Department in place funding is now available from the local, state and federal governments to provide direct health services, health education and community health leadership and control. Emphasis is placed on primary and secondary preventive health services. 

The Delaware County Health Department will offer foundational public health capacities and services in the community to:

•  Achieve health equity

•  Control communicable diseases

•  Promote healthy and safe lifestyles

•  Support the health of moms and babies

•  Maintain healthy environments

•  Connect people with high quality health care

•  Respond to public health emergencies

•  Communicate about health issues and health risks

Click below to watch the video - What is Public Health?

What we’re doing 

• Use the knowledge gained through our studies to continue to share the benefits of a health department within Delaware County. 

• Advocate for health services for all Delaware County Communities

• Monitor the meetings of the Board of Health

• Share public health information 

• Advocate for mental health services 

*Graphic source https://www.champsoftware.com/2018/09/11/public-health-3-0/

What can you do - Visit the following:

Delaware County Health Department: - CLICK HERE

For more information and assistance, the Delaware County Health Department Wellness Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to responding to phone calls, the Wellness Line also responds to email inquiries.

Phone: (484) 276-2100 (Available 24/7) Email: DelcoWellness [at] co.delaware.pa.us

• Board of Health page including meeting schedule, agendas and videos of meetings: CLICK HERE
• Action Plan: Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning in Delaware County by 2027 

Pennsylvania Related Health Department Information:

• Pennsylvania health indicators by county: CLICK HERE
• State of PA requirements for county health departments: CLICK HERE 
• PA Behavioral Health Commission Report - July 2022 - CLICK HERE

Public Health Department Accreditation Process and Rationale:

• Public Health Accreditation Board: CLICK HERE
• Read the Report - Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health 
  

  Examination of Health and Public Health Service Delivery in Delaware County, Pennsylvania 

• Visit other related Public Health Resources

• American Public Health Association (APHA) www.apha.org

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) www.cdc.gov

• World Health Organization (WHO) www.who.int

• News articles and video highlighting Delaware County League efforts:

  • A Delaware County Health Department - A Dream Come True letter_to_the_editor_public_health.pdf

  • Letter to the Editor: Now more than ever, the need for a health department

  • Pennsylvania County Facing the Coronavirus Without a Health Department

• Video of Roberta Winters, LWV Radnor Township and Rosemarie Halt, LWV Central Delaware County discuss how Public Health Departments meet community health needs. - CLICK HERE

National Emergency Health Hotline Information

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

• 911 Nationwide Emergency Number in the U.S. 

Watch and Share the Hot Topic Talk - Building the Delaware County Health Department

For additional information and to get more involved contact our League Member, nancy.sharts-hopko [at] villanova.edu (Nancy Hopko).