Reports
Official Delaware healthcare reports, benchmark analyses, and legislative findings. Each entry links directly to the source documents.
Fifth Annual Health Care Cost & Quality Report
Delaware's fifth annual benchmark report covering Calendar Year 2023 health care spending and quality data. Per capita spending increased 9.1% — far exceeding the 3.1% benchmark — as total medical expenditures reached approximately $10.4 billion statewide.
Key Findings
- Per capita health care spending increased 9.1% in CY 2023
- Benchmark set at 3.1% — Delaware exceeded it for the fifth consecutive year
- Pharmacy spending had the highest rate of growth among all categories
- Long-term care and hospital inpatient spending continued rising
Annual Health Care Cost & Quality Report
Delaware's annual report summarizing health care spending and quality data from all payers. CY 2024 saw TME grow to $11.3 billion — an 8.4% increase from 2023 — marking the fourth consecutive year Delaware exceeded its cost growth benchmark.
Key Findings
- Total Medical Expenses (TME) grew to $11.3 billion (+8.4% vs. 2023)
- Delaware exceeded the 3.0% cost growth benchmark for the 4th year in a row (6.4% per capita)
- Hospital Inpatient spending reached $2.2 billion (19.7% of TME)
- Long-Term Care costs increased 12.2% year-over-year
- Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths dropped significantly: 47.5 → 29.4 per 100,000
- Breast Cancer Screening (Commercial) met its benchmark at 79.4%
- Adult Obesity rate rose to 36.6% vs. benchmark of 30.5%
Healthcare Workforce Reports
Publications from the Delaware Health Force (DHF) and related partners on provider supply, shortage designations, and workforce equity across Delaware.
2022 Delaware Healthcare Workforce Census
Delaware Health Force (DHF) / Delaware Health Care Commission · January 2023
Landmark census of Delaware's licensed healthcare workforce, covering provider demographics, specialty distribution, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations by county, and supply/demand projections. First comprehensive statewide workforce count of its kind.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- First-ever comprehensive count of Delaware's licensed healthcare providers statewide.
- Revealed significant provider maldistribution — New Castle County is far better served than Kent and Sussex.
- Established baseline HPSA designations and supply/demand projections used in all subsequent policy planning.
Unraveling Healthcare Shortages in Delaware and Charting a Course for Equity and Resilience
Delaware Journal of Public Health / Delaware Academy of Medicine & DPHA · December 2023
In-depth analysis of Delaware's 37 HRSA-designated HPSAs across primary care, dental, and mental health. Examines provider maldistribution between New Castle County and rural Kent/Sussex counties, burnout-driven workforce exits, and the equity implications of care deserts for low-income and Medicaid populations.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Delaware has 37 federally designated HPSAs — spanning primary care, dental, and mental health.
- Burnout and retirement are accelerating provider exits, disproportionately impacting rural communities.
- Medicaid and low-income populations bear the greatest burden from care deserts in Kent and Sussex counties.
Delaware Nursing Workforce Interactive Report
Tech Impact Data Innovation Lab / Delaware Public Health Association · Ongoing (Updated Regularly)
State-of-the-nursing-workforce data for Delaware, covering supply demographics, geographic distribution, pipeline trends, and strategic planning indicators. Designed to support data-driven policy to mitigate nurse shortages.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Tracks Delaware's nursing supply pipeline, vacancy rates, and geographic distribution in real time.
- Highlights an aging nursing workforce with a significant share eligible for retirement within 10 years.
- Designed to directly inform state workforce policy and hospital staffing decisions.
DHF Workforce Maps & Analytics (Tableau)
Delaware Health Force (DHF) · Updated Monthly
Monthly-refreshed interactive maps showing provider distribution by county and ZIP code, Health Profession Shortage Area overlays, supply/demand projections, and labor market data integrated from BLS and Lightcast proprietary sources.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Visual maps of provider coverage gaps down to ZIP code level across all three Delaware counties.
- Integrates BLS and Lightcast labor market data updated monthly for current workforce conditions.
- Supply/demand projections help planners identify where shortages are worsening fastest.
Making Data Work: Collecting Better Health Care Workforce Data to Inform State Policy
Milbank Memorial Fund / Freedman Healthcare · October 2025
National policy brief from the Milbank Memorial Fund examining how states can improve health care workforce data collection and analysis. Features Delaware Health Force as a case study and national model for workforce data dashboards, citing DHF's integration of DPR licensing data, CMS records, and DHIN as a best practice. Recommends mandating data collection through professional licensing — a approach Delaware pioneered via SB122.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Delaware Health Force cited as a national model for state-level workforce data infrastructure and dashboards.
- Recommends mandating workforce data collection through professional licensing — an approach Delaware already implemented via SB122.
- Highlights that accurate state data is essential for securing federal HPSA designations, loan repayment funding, and bonus payments.
- Calls for cross-state standardization of workforce metrics to enable meaningful comparisons and national planning.
DHF Healthcare Workforce Digest — August 2025
Delaware Health Force (DHF) · August 2025
Second issue of DHF's periodic workforce digest. Features a 'From the Director' piece co-authored by Brian Frazee (Delaware Healthcare Association) on how hospitals can turbocharge workforce efforts and access. Includes a preview of the second annual Delaware Healthcare Workforce Summit, an update from La Red Health Center on pediatric expansion, a report on the Bayh-Dole Act's role in Delaware's innovation economy, and a new rural telehealth strategy guide.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Delaware hospitals recruited 200+ physicians for residency training in 2025 — research shows physicians tend to stay where they train.
- Delaware hospitals and health systems employ 480+ primary care providers across the state.
- Second annual Healthcare Workforce Summit convened September 24 at Bayhealth Conference Center in Dover.
- DHF developing new mapping tools to visualize hospital service areas statewide.
- Bayh-Dole Act report highlights Delaware universities produced 125 invention disclosures and launched 24 startups (2017–2021).
DHF Healthcare Workforce Digest — April 2025
Delaware Health Force (DHF) · April 2025
Latest issue of DHF's periodic workforce bulletin covering upcoming changes to mapping tools, 2025 Summit announcements, and current workforce trends across Delaware's healthcare occupations.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Announces updates to DHF's Tableau mapping tools for 2025 with expanded ZIP-level data.
- Previews the 2025 Workforce Summit agenda focusing on rural shortage solutions.
- Summarizes current occupational trends across nursing, allied health, and primary care.
Delaware Health Force: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Healthcare Workforce Challenges
PMC / National Institutes of Health · March 2025
Peer-reviewed article examining Delaware's public-private DHF model, its data infrastructure spanning DPR licensing data, CMS records, and DHIN, and early outcomes including expanded graduate medical education and interest-free loan programs for in-state practitioners.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Delaware's public-private DHF model is cited as a national model for state-level workforce data infrastructure.
- Data pipeline integrates DPR licensing records, CMS claims, and DHIN health information network data.
- Early outcomes include expanded GME slots and an interest-free loan program retaining in-state practitioners.
Quality of Life & Health Rankings
Annual County Health Rankings reports for Delaware (2016–2025), produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Each year covers health outcomes (mortality, morbidity, quality of life) and health factors (behaviors, clinical care, social & economic factors, physical environment).
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / countyhealthrankings.org
| Year | Summary Report | Data File |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Data only | Excel Data |
| 2024 | Data only | Excel Data |
| 2023 | Data only | Excel Data |
| 2022 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
| 2021 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
| 2020 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
| 2019 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
| 2018 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
| 2017 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
| 2016 | PDF Report | Excel Data |
Related Assessments & Plans
America's Health Rankings — 2026 Senior Report (Delaware)
American Health Foundation · May 2026
Portrait of the health and well-being of Delaware adults age 65 and older. Finds progress in reducing early death rates and strengthening social connectedness, while flagging challenges in chronic disease burden and workforce for older adult care.
2025 Delaware Epidemiological Profile: Substance Use, Mental Health & Related Issues
University of Delaware — Center for Drug & Health Studies (CDHS/SEOW) · October 2025
Annual statewide profile of behavioral health indicators covering mental health and well-being, patterns of substance use and consequences, and risk and protective factors. Includes updated Delaware and national comparisons. Companion guide published January 2026.
Delaware State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) 2025–2028
Delaware SHIP / Healthy Delaware · 2025
Updated five-year strategic plan identifying five priority health outcomes: mental health, maternal and infant health, chronic disease, substance use, and health equity. Replaces the 2022–2026 SHIP and sets new statewide health improvement targets.
Delaware State Health Assessment 2022–2023
DHSS Division of Public Health & University of Delaware · October 2023
Comprehensive 300+ page assessment covering housing, poverty, chronic disease, mortality by race/ethnicity, transportation, food security, and community survey data across all three counties.
Delaware State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) 2022–2026 (Archived)
Healthy Delaware / DHSS · 2022
Previous five-year strategic plan tied to the State Health Assessment. Sets priorities for improving health outcomes across the seven Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being. Superseded by the 2025–2028 SHIP.
Delaware Health Care Commission 2024 Annual Report
Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) · October 2025
Annual report to the Governor and General Assembly summarizing progress and activities of DHCC programs and initiatives through 2024, including cost containment, quality improvement, and health care access efforts statewide.
Delaware Cancer Consortium Accomplishments Report
Healthy Delaware / Delaware Cancer Consortium · April 2026
Latest accomplishments report from the Delaware Cancer Consortium, covering cancer screening, prevention, and treatment program progress. Released April 2026, following data showing continued decline in Delaware cancer mortality rates.
Delaware Department of Insurance — 2025 Market Data Report
Delaware Department of Insurance · February 2026
Annual release of Delaware insurance market statistics for 2025, covering health insurance enrollment, carrier participation, premium trends, and market composition across commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid managed care plans.
Delaware Vital Statistics Annual Report 2016
DHSS Office of Vital Statistics · 2016
Life expectancy, leading causes of death, teen birth rates, general fertility rates, and infant mortality rates for Delaware.
Reports are linked directly from official state and federal sources. Always verify data with the original issuing agency.