Good news this week from Milford and Smyrna as the Delaware State News highlighted a number of development projects stemming from the Downtown Development Program. The five-year-old program was designed spur economic development in targeted downtowns throughout Delaware in need of revitalization. Of particular note the article stated, “The 12 projects announced Thursday, with nine taking place in Wilmington, received $5.5 million in rebates leveraging $103 million in total investment.”

Also this week, the National Lieutenant Governors Association was in town, hosted by Lt. Governor Bethany Hall Long. The meeting featured a number of topics that related to Delaware—how states have successfully leveraged FEMA in disaster relief, innovative ways to address the ongoing opioid crisis, how states are working with private employers and associations to address the jobs needs across the country (it’s estimated there are 7.3 million jobs currently available—more than the available unemployed workforce), and how criminal justice reform is helping bring ex-offenders into the workforce and stemming recidivism.

In the coming weeks the Council of State Governments and the National Council of State Legislatures will be meeting, and I hope to get feedback from local attendees on any trending policy initiatives that could Delaware could see next year. Stay tuned.

by James DeChene

The CZA Regulatory Advisory Committee met earlier this week for the fifth time. During the meeting,  reports were given from the various working groups focusing on individual components of the legislation’s requirements, including how to account for sea level rise, providing financial assurance, and how to monitor bulk product transfer. Of the reports, an agreement of sorts was reached on definitions related to bulk product transfer, while the other topics will be revisited in future meetings based on the amount of material needed to review. Regulations are to be finalized by 10/1/19, and with a little less than a year left, there remains quite a bit of work to be completed.
 
The State Chamber’s Healthcare & Employer Advocacy and Education Committees hosted a joint event focused on the legal and human resources issues of opioids, drugs and alcohol in the workplace. Attendees were presented with three case studies involving small, medium and large businesses, with a variety of circumstances surrounding employee behavior, benefits and worst-case scenarios.
 
Next week is the State Chamber’s “Developing Delaware” event taking place in Dover at the Modern Maturity center. Focused on how Delaware compares with surrounding states when reviewed by site selectors, looking at Delaware “By the Numbers” and hearing success stories from around the state, this is a great opportunity to learn about economic development activity happening in Delaware. With over 200 attendees already registered, it will be a great networking event, too. To register, visit: http://web.dscc.com/events/Developing-Delaware-Conversation-Collaboration-Innovation-2175/details

by James DeChene

Two years ago, the State Chamber’s Healthcare Committee held an event on opioids to help employers to identify addiction in the workplace, find assistance for employees struggling with overcoming addiction, and shared examples of innovative employer policies that help to provide treatment options.  The event was the first of two planned events, the second of which will be held October 10, 2018, and will be a joint venture between the Healthcare Committee and the Employer Advocacy and Education Committee. We hope you, your HR staff, and other interested people will attend.

Battling opioid and other substance abuse is a nationally recognized issue. Delaware employers are no exception in facing the challenges brought on by this crisis. Join the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce for an informative panel discussion regarding opioid and substance abuse in the workplace. Panelists will share a diverse set of case studies illustrating how employers can and should handle various situations that affect all businesses, from a mom and pop shop, to a large company with internal HR and legal staff.

Moderators:
- Tim Holly , Connolly Gallagher, LLP
- Paula Roy, ROY Associates

Panelists:
- Becky Flood, President & CEO, Ashley Addiction Treatment Center
- Tricia Clendening, SHRM-SCP, GPHR, SPHR, HR Strategies, LLC
- Kevin Fasic, Offit Kurman
- Shannon DeLucia, Hotel DuPont
- Jamie Danner, Senior Benefit Consultant, Kelly Benefit Strategies

Free to attend for DSCC Members / $15 admission for Future Members
Continental Breakfast will be provided

by James DeChene

On the heels of the Carney Administration signing a package of bills this week designed to help combat Delaware’s opioid crisis, the State Chamber will be holding a seminar for employers to learn more about strategies for handling opioids, drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

We will be presenting three employer case examples of opioid and alcohol abuse for panelists to discuss, and offer guidance and advice on how employers can/should handle the situations portrayed. The case studies involve a small “mom and pop” business with no HR capacity, a mid-sized employer (roughly 150 employees) with employee manuals, but no sophisticated HR capacity, and a large employer with in-house HR and legal staffs. The panelists will react to the studies presented, but also add useful insights or advice to Chamber members attending.

by James DeChene

Earlier today (December 15, 2016) United Health Foundation released the 27th America’s Health Rankings Annual Report. As the longest-running annual assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis, the report showcases positive trends in the health of the nation, as well as concerning upticks in several key indicators.

Among the report’s findings:

• The report found a continued high prevalence of obesity in the U.S. population. Obesity impacts nearly 3 out of 10 U.S. adults across the country. In Delaware, obesity impacts 29.7 percent of adults.

• The report also found the rate of drug deaths nationwide has increased 4 percent in the past year, for a nationwide average of 14 deaths per 100,000 population. In Delaware, the rate is 18.1 deaths per 100,000 population.
  

Also of note, is that Delaware ranks 47th in the number of dentists per capita and 17th in the number of primary care physicians. Recently the debate over DIMER/DIDER funding has reemerged as an important budget issue for the state. DIMER/DIDER reserve slots for Delaware applicants only at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple. Delaware applicants only compete against other Delaware applicants for admission to reserve slots – not against the universe of applicants. For example, at SKMC, Delawareans have a 1 in 4 chance of being admitted to their reserved slots. The odds for applicants from any other state being admitted are approximately 1 in 40.

Please refer to the America’s Health Rankings website for additional information.

​by James DeChene

On September 20th, from 8-11 at Alfred I. duPont Hospital For Children, the State Chamber and its Health Care Committee, will be holding an event focused on what employers need to know about opioid abuse in the workplace.

Separate from medical need, this event will focus on the dramatic increase of abuse and how it impacts a business, what resources are available for employers to help employees and/or their families seek help and what other options are available aside from simply firing an employee.

Recently, in Huntington, WV 26 people overdosed in just under 4 hours, cutting across a wide swath of the population with no bias against race or social or economic standing.  This epidemic can impact anyone, and it is important to know how best to deal with its impact.

The event speakers will be:
Carla Markell
First Lady of Delaware (Invited)
Dr. Terry Horton, M.D, FACP
Chief of Christiana Care’s Division of Addiction
Michael Barbieri
Director, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
The Honorable Eric Davis
Superior Court Judge
Steve Mockbee
Founder & Chairman, Bancroft Construction
​
To register, visit: http://www.dscc.com/events/eventdetail.aspx?EventID=1860