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DHMIC

What is a Health Equity Award?

Awardees support community-led, place-based initiatives and shift the impact of social determinants of health tied to the root causes of infant mortality: poverty, racism, health access, food insecurity, housing, and having a good education and a good job, all of which affect mothers and children. This award is given annually to an individual and an organization.

Nominate

Help us say thanks!

Any community member can nominate someone for a Health Equity Award. Nominations and award submissions are completely free, and open once a year.

The nominations are now closed for 2024. Be on the look-out for who is selected this year at this year’s annual summit!

Kitty Esterly, MD, Health Equity Champion Award

The nominations are now closed for 2024. Be on the look-out for who is selected this year at this year’s annual summit!

Each year at the Delaware Healthy Mother & Infant Consortium Annual Summit, DHMIC honors an individual or organization that works hard for the well-being of mothers, children, and families in Delaware, in a way that advances health equity. And this year, equity gaps have been significantly magnified, so this work is especially vital. Do you know an individual or organization that has pivoted during this time to go that extra mile to put better health within reach for Delawareans, regardless of race, income, or social status?

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health, such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The award is named in honor of Delaware’s first neonatologist, Dr. Kitty Esterly, whose work has undoubtedly improved the health of women and children in the First State. Dr. Esterly was an active voice, a champion, and an advocate on behalf of women, infants, and children. With her “can do” spirit, she worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone had a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. It was the cornerstone of her amazing practice and her commitment to Delaware’s community for nearly six decades. Dr. Esterly served on the boards of several organizations, including DHMIC’s executive committee. She also served as chair of the Delaware Perinatal Board. The recipient of this prestigious award will model the same commitment and dedication to promoting health equity that Dr. Esterly steadfastly displayed throughout her career.

DHMIC is committed to making sure that every mother and every child — and the men in their lives — has a fair chance for good health. The 2024 Kitty Esterly, MD, Health Equity Champion Award competition are now closed!

Past Award Winners

Individual Recipient

Mona Liza Hamlin, MSN, RN, Christiana Care

As a nurse, Mona Liza Hamlin is a health care champion who works tirelessly to improve the lives of her patients. Where she sees a need, she works to fill it. To help Delaware moms and babies thrive, Mona has forged partnerships to develop the Birth Companion Doula program as well as a diverse lactation staff and a pump closet. She has also helped with Christiana Cribs for Kids distribution and breastfeeding longevity improvement.

Organization Recipient

Black Mothers in Power

This grassroots organization works to eradicate racial health disparities for Black birthing people and Black babies throughout Delaware. Led by its members, Black Mothers in Power holds diaper drives and other community events, does advocacy work, and seeks to improve practices like doula training and reimbursement so that women and children in need are connected with direct support.

© 2024. Delaware Division of Public Health.