How Healthy is Your Community?

Almost four years ago, my husband and I decided it was time to move to a new home and neighborhood. This decision was based on many factors - desiring a larger home, wanting more property to call our own, and seeking a strong school system for our children as they begin their foundational elementary school years.

When we set out to determine which communities we were interested in, we focused primarily on the school system, cost of the home, property, neighborhood, community, and distance from our relatives. I can honestly say that we never considered looking into the "health of the community" as a criteria, despite the fact that I am a healthcare professional. One of the primary reasons is likely because there was no source to attain this data four years ago. The closest I came is to ensure there was a safe neighborhood running route for my daily run.

Today, I am happy to share that this data now exists. On March 30, 2011, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in coordination with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released the 2011 County Health Rankings for almost all counties within the 50 states (http://m.countyhealthrankings.org/). The data allow you to see how your County ranks against a National benchmark, the State and other Counties within your State. It assesses counties on health outcomes (mortality and morbidity) and health factors (health behavior, clinical care, social & economic factors, and physical environment). In essence, you are able to see how healthy a community is and how long people live within the community. It illustrates the factors that influence these two characteristics - education, jobs, income, environment, access to care and others.

So how can we make use of this information? It provides us (community members, educators, healthcare professionals, public administrators) with a starting point to join together and strategically plan to improve the health of their communities, then evaluate the impact of our efforts annually. If done effectively, all residents of the community will benefit by leading healthier lives and living longer - who can argue with these rewards?

After learning where my County ranked this week, I challenged myself to do my part for my community. As a healthcare professional, my "day job" allows me to assist corporations in implementing successful health management programs. I plan on taking this experience and knowledge and help our elementary school plan healthy school programs to enhance our school's culture of health. I am excited about the potential and hope others will join me in lending our skills and expertise to make our communities healthier. Any chance you want to join me?