Started by the Delaware Academy of Medicine in 2010, the Executive Director’s Public Health Recognition Award is given to a Delaware nonprofit organization who has shown outstanding leadership and dedication to the improvement of our community.
The 2025 recipient of the Executive Director’s Public Health Recognition Award is
Delaware Healty Mother & Infant Consortium
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.
L-R: Executive Director Kate Smith, MD, MPH and Priscilla Mpasi, MD, FAAP, Chair, DHMIC
(Photo Credit: David Keitur Photography)
Previous recipients of the Public Health Recognition Award
2010: The Heart Truth Delaware
2011: Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition
2012: Immunization Coalition of Delaware
2013: St. Michael’s School and Nursery
2014: Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 83, Gold Star Program
2015: Gift of Life Donor Program
2016: The Honorable Jack Markell, Governor of Delaware 2009-2017
2017: The American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic
2018: Jewish Family Services of Delaware
2019: William J. Holloway Community Program
2020-2021: Delaware Rural Health Initiative
2022: A-Team Delaware
2023: Westside Family Healthcare
2024: Sussex County Health Coalition
2025: Delaware State University: Department of Public and Allied Health Services