Lake County General Health District (LCGHD) is pleased to announce that Lake County is ranked among the healthiest counties for both health outcomes and health factors in the 2022 County Health Rankings. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, released its annual County Health Rankings, a comprehensive annual report that ranks the overall health of nearly every county across all 50 states by way of a standardized methodology to measure health factors and health outcomes. For over a dozen years, report data have shown how a wide range of factors influence how long and how well we live. The report has added seven new measures related to income, education, family and social support, and health outcomes. An organized list of strategies to close the wealth gap and support a fair recovery from the pandemic is also featured in the new report.
Health outcomes include length and quality of life measures, and health factors include health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. Overall, Lake County held its ranking of 12th in Ohio health outcomes, and dropped slightly from 12th in 2021 to 15th in 2022 for health factors. According to County Health Rankings, Lake County improved in its number of uninsured residents, the ratio of residents to dentists, preventable hospital stays, air pollution, mammography screenings, and flu vaccinations.
Some areas for improvement in Lake County were identified. While Lake County’s rates for premature death improved slightly, the number of premature deaths has increased. Although lower than state and national rates, Lake County is trending upward for sexually transmitted infections and violent crime. The ratio of residents to primary care physicians in Lake County has also been increasing.
LCGHD Health Commissioner Ron H. Graham commented, “We are very pleased that Lake County continues to be one of the healthiest counties in Ohio. While we are disappointed to see a fall in the ranking in health factors, the data reiterate the importance of prevention-focused public health programming. Future County Health Rankings will tell a better story of how COVID-19 has impacted our county’s health overall, as much of the data for these measures predates the pandemic. We are continuing to prepare the 2022 Lake County Community Health Needs Assessment, and look forward to using that data, in addition to these latest County Health Rankings, to identify needs and develop meaningful strategies to positively impact the health of all Lake County residents.”
You can explore the rankings further at https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/ . For more information regarding LCGHD, visit our website at www.lcghd.org.
