Delco's New Health Department Officially Launches April 2

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County's newly formed Health Department will officially launch next month after months of working to establish the new entity.

According to Delaware County Health Department Director Melissa Lyon, the official approval of the Delaware County Health Department was made at the County’s Board of Health meeting on March 3.

April 2 will mark the official operational start date of the new department.

The county received the Certificate of Approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Health stating that the Delaware County Health Department is ready to exercise its powers and duties.

"Throughout the proposed establishment of this county department of health, including after submission of the Plan, your staff have regularly met with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, sought feedback, and made strides to create a successful health department," Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter said in a letter to the council. "The amount of effort and work achieved is commendable and demonstrates the importance that Delaware County Council has placed on providing comprehensive public health services in Delaware County."

The county pushed to create its own department when the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

For months, the Chester County Health Department served Delaware County's health needs.

The Health Department leadership team, under the direction of Melissa Lyon, will lead a team of 53 local health experts to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for Delaware County residents.

The Delaware County Health Department leadership team includes Marie Carbonara, Division Administrator of Environmental Health; Rosemarie Halt, Interim Division Administrator of Population Health/COVID-19 and Board of Health Chair; Stephanie Reese, Division Administrator of Personal Health; Lisa O'Mahony, Public Health Physician; and Victor Alos Rullan, Epidemiologist.

Meet the health department here.

"The Delaware County Health Department will, at the local level, address fundamental public health issues including, but not limited to communicable, infectious diseases, vaccines preventable diseases and maternal child health issues," Lyon said." We will have the ability to efficiently collect data that drives positive health outcomes for residents, and fully operate in what I call the 3 P’s: Prevention of illness and injury, Protection for all populations, and Promotion of healthy habits and lifestyles."

Below are details of the three divisions of the department:

Environmental Health Division

Responsible for the prevention of human injury and illness, the promotion of a healthy environment, and protecting the community from environmental hazards. The department prevents, minimizes, and contains adverse health events and conditions resulting from communicable diseases like food, water, vector-borne outbreaks, chronic disease, environmental hazards, injuries, and health disparities.

Personal Health Division

To promote healthy behaviors and habits that prevent chronic illness and the spread of infectious diseases and ensure access to clinical services and programs to all residents of Delaware County.

Population Health Division

To and build cross-sector partnerships that foster collaboration, create funding opportunities, and promote collective action with community partners, agencies, and healthcare institutions to ensure health equity across all communities.

Learn more about the new health department online here.