WILMINGTON — Five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in health care access among wealth and racial lines, a new nonprofit hopes to restore trust in the Delaware communities.
The Delaware Health Empowerment Coalition, with Dr. Cydney Teal as its CEO, aims to educate Delawareans that not only meet patients where they are, but to also empower them to make the best choices for their health. The nonprofit was named the 2025 Reinventing Delaware award winner earlier this month.
Championed by Teal and Dr. Velma Scantlebury, Dr. Felicia Stallings, and Dr. Joan Coker, the DHEC won $15,000 to help advance the idea.
Now in its 10th year, the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation’s Reinventing Delaware idea pitch competition focuses on discovering and supporting revolutionary ideas that have the potential to shape the state. But what set the DHEC apart was not just the idea itself but the breadth of experience of its leadership team, according to Pete du Pont Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Johnnie.
The four founders have more than 80 years of experience in health care— including in the First State— and more than 1,200 patients served to date.
“There can be a really great idea, but paired with the wrong champion, it can fizzle out. This group of women are phenomenal and have incredible experience,” Johnnie said. “We believe they are going to succeed, but we want them to succeed faster.”
The DHEC offers a wealth of services, from primary and pediatric care, dental care, lab services, as well as behavior and social services. Patients can visit their website and send a request to schedule an appointment.
The nonprofit’s long-term vision is to establish trusted partnerships within the community and organizations to develop programs to best serve the people.
The award given by the nonprofit founded as a legacy of entrepreneurship by the late governor has gone to several highly successful startups in prior years, including Zip Code Wilmington, NERDiT NOW, The Warehouse, Wilmington Green Box and Intern Delaware. Applicants must advance through multiple rounds of judging and hone a pitch about their idea that would improve Delaware as a place to live, work and raise a family.
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Reinventing Delaware competition, the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation also awarded WilmInvest’s Community Development Corporation $7,000.
WilmInvest, the competition’s honoree in 2018, is a Community Development Corporation which focuses on revitalizing Wilmington’s under-resourced neighborhoods. Founded by Joel Amin and Bryce Fender, the organization converts investor-owned properties into stable homeownership opportunities.
Today, WilmInvest has $3 million in assets and has developed 33 residential units and served 175 renters – of which 108 are currently housed. It has also secured more than $2 million in loans and grants.
