Please join the Delaware Academy of Medicine and Public Health for our 96th Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony!
Agenda
Event Details
When: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Where: Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront – 760 S. Justison St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Honorees
Lewis B. Flinn President’s Award: David A. Paul, MD
A champion for the prevention of infant mortality, Dr. David A. Paul led the Delaware initiatives to decrease infant mortality and premature birth from 2005-2023 as the Governor Appointed Chair of the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium. During that time, Delaware’s infant mortality rate dropped from a high of 10.6 to 4.8/1000 live births in 2021.
Dr. Paul is a Professor of Pediatrics at The Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA. He has authored numerous publications, served as a journal section editor and on multiple conference planning committees, and given countless presentations. He has been recognized for his excellence in teaching, advocacy, research and patient care by many organizations.
Dr. Paul practiced neonatology in Delaware from 1994-2024 at ChristianaCare, Bayhealth, St. Francis Hospital and DuPont Hospital for Children. He served as Chair of Department of Pediatrics at ChristianaCare from 2014-2024. He is presently an attending neonatologist at Jefferson Abington Hospital. Dr. Paul earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado and his Medical Degree from Hahnemann University. He completed his residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA.
Executive Director’s Public Health Recognition Award: The Delaware Healthy Mother & Infant Consortium (DHMIC)
In 2004, Governor Minner questioned why Delaware’s infant mortality rate remained high despite increased early prenatal care. Dissatisfied with existing explanations, she created the Infant Mortality Task Force (IMTF) to develop evidence-based strategies to reduce infant deaths. In 2005, the IMTF issued 20 recommendations, including the need for a permanent organization to sustain efforts across administrations. In response, the legislature established the Delaware Healthy Mother & Infant Consortium (DHMIC) in 2006.
At the time, Delaware had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation, with African American infants dying at more than twice the rate of Caucasian infants. The DHMIC works to address these disparities by promoting women’s health before pregnancy and recognizing infant mortality as a reflection of overall community health.
Keynote Speaker
Christen Linke Young: Cabinet Secretary, Delaware Health and Social Services
Department of Health and Social Services Cabinet Secretary Christen Linke Young is a nationally recognized health policy leader with more than 15 years of experience in federal and state government. She has served as Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Deputy Assistant to the President for Health and Veterans from 2021 to 2025. In that role, she led the Administration’s health policy team as a senior White House staff member, overseeing implementation of the prescription drug pricing provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, efforts to achieve the lowest uninsured rate in U.S. history, and national initiatives addressing crises in maternal health, mental health, and overdoses.
Before her White House service, Young was Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, leading initiatives in Medicaid, behavioral health, public health, and social services programs.
She also held senior roles at the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Obama White House. In addition, she has served as a Fellow at the Brookings Institution, producing nationally recognized research on health coverage, pricing, and outcomes.
Young holds a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Science from Stanford University. She is the proud mom to a seven-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son.
Officers and Board Members
Officers
- President: Stephen C. Eppes, MD
- President Elect: Jeffrey M. Cole, DDS, MBA
- Treasurer: Ann Painter, MSN, RN
- Secretary: Megan L. Werner, MD, MPH
- Immediate Past President: Lynn C. Jones, LFACHE
Directors
- David M. Bercaw, MD
- Peggy M. Geisler
- Jennifer Horney, PhD
- Eric T. Johnson, MD
- Erin M. Kavanaugh, MD
- Joseph Kelly, DDS
- Omar A. Khan, MD, MHS
- Daniel J. Meara, MD, DMD
- Jonathan Miller, MD
- John P. Piper, DO
- S. John Swanson, MD
- Charmaine Wright, MD, MSHP
Emeritus
- Barry Kayne, DDS
- Joseph Kestner, Jr., MD
- Brian W. Little, MD, PhD
If interested in sponsoring, please visit Sponsorship details page.
Event Details
When: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Where: Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront – 760 S. Justison St, Wilmington, DE 19801