Wednesday, March 20, 2019

The Good And Bad - 2019 Health Ratings For Hendry/Glades

Hendry and Glades Counties —The Florida Department of Health in Hendry and Glades Counties said today it "recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and today acknowledged the 2019 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation." This study highlights the many community factors that influence health and uses established data, much of which is available here to study the rating made in the 2019 report.

Out of 67 Florida counties, Hendry ranked 32nd in health outcomes (length of life and quality of life); 36th in health behaviors, 65th in clinical care, 67th (lowest in Florida) in social and economic factors, and 11th in physical environment.

Glades county scored respectively in the above categories: 48th in health outcomes, 49th in health behaviors. 67th (lowest in Florida) clinical care, 53rd social and economic factors, 2nd in physical environment.

Common to both counties compared to the rest of the U.S. are high unemployment, single parent families, children in poverty, lack of primary care physicians, dentists, and mental health providers.

“This report reflects county level rankings, but to promote health and preventative care, it involves many partners including governmental agencies, school/education, businesses, civic organizations, and members of our community. This report helps our communities to understand that where we live, work, learn and play can have effects on our overall health.” said Joe Pepe, Health Officer/Administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Hendry and Glades Counties.

These rankings are a snapshot of the health of counties across the country, and they emphasize that health is not a singular effort but a combined work in progress across all community partners. The health department works in collaboration with local governments, non-profit organizations, health care facilities, business groups, schools, faith-based organizations and many other stakeholders to improve the health of all people in Hendry and Glades Counties. These rankings use data related to physical environments, social and economic factors, health behaviors and clinical care.

“In an effort to improve our overall health, local stakeholders, partners and volunteers meet regularly as a group called the “Healthier Hendry/Glades Task Force”. This group has been engaged in community health assessments. These assessments included input from the public in ‘hard to reach areas’ and identified some ideas that we will use to structure our efforts to improve the health in our communities.” said Lisa Sands, Manager for United Way Hendry/Glades.

In Hendry and Glades Counties, the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is designed to address specific opportunities for improved health that have been identified by the community. The department has partnered with many stakeholders to implement the CHIP and collaborates regularly to track progress. “The collaboration of the Healthier Hendry/Glades Task Force has been instrumental in the revision and implementation of the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) in Hendry and Glades Counties” Pepe said.

To explore more health indicators in your county, visit County Health Ratings.

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