Areas of Focus

Our work in this area includes analysis of the social and economic conditions that impact the health of different populations and communities, including children, persons with low incomes or low educational attainment, the elderly, and other vulnerable subgroups.   A key research focus is on the social and behavioral determinants of community health and well-being, and how these can be addressed in positive ways through public policies, programs, and services. We have a particular interest in addressing social inequities in health and promoting place-based strategies to advance health equity. We conduct research in partnership with a variety of individuals and organizations inside and outside the University, including Nemours Health and Prevention Services, Christiana Care Health Systems, and the Delaware Division of Public Health.

​Research in this area focuses on the effectiveness and efficiency of current physical and behavioral health services, including accessibility, affordability, and quality.  A significant portion of this research and data analyses is conducted through a partnership between the Center for Community Research and Service and the Delaware Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA). Medicaid insures over one-fourth of Delaware’s population, and by working collaboratively with DMMA and other state agencies, CCRS is able to analyze Medicaid paid claims data to identify ways of enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and return on investment of the state and federal Medicaid dollar. In addition, CCRS investigaes issues related to other health services not supported through Medicaid, but with special attention to especially those services that address the needs of vulnerable populations.

​Research and services in this area focuses on the roles of public, private, and nonprofit organizations and systems in community development, especially policies, programs, and services that may lead to healthy communities and to other social outcomes that improve the quality of community life. The Center for Community Research and Services hosts the KIDS COUNT in Delaware program that measures and promotes the health and welfare of children and their families, and also Public Allies Delaware which prepares future nonprofit community leaders. Research on community development focuses on a variety of social and economic issues that affect lower-income communities including, but not limited to hunger, nutrition, homelessness, affordable housing, unemployment, crime, violence, and the quality of child care and educational services.

​Local television news remains the most prominent news source for citizens regarding their communities. With that in mind, the Local TV News Media Project in CCRS at the University of Delaware has been examining local TV news broadcasts since 1990. Our work in this area is concerned with the content of local television news and its impact on the public's perception of their world. We are also interested in the ways in which public policy affect media content and the ways in which the media influence public policy. We consider important questions: Does the media treat us more as consumers than citizens? How does that affect civic engagement, public discourse, public policy? We are increasingly interested in the ways in which the media influence the culture of health in our communities.