As WRFA reported on Tuesday, among the 62 counties in New York, Chautauqua County ranks 59 in the category of Health Outcomes and 55 in the category of Health Factors.

The rankings were provided from an annual report released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“These rankings are a call to action – an opportunity for not only our department, but for leaders across the county and region to consider the role we all play in creating healthy spaces for our residents to thrive, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income level,” said Christine Schuyler, Director of Health and Human Services for Chautauqua County.  “It’s my hope that leaders thoughtfully and systematically create opportunities to make our communities healthier.”

The Health Outcomes category focuses on length and quality of life and looks at factors such as premature death, number of poor physical and mental health days, and occurrence of low birth weight among babies. A higher rate of premature death was seen compared to all other counties in New York State (Chautauqua rank= 62), which looks at the years of potential life lost rate (deaths prior to age 75). Premature death in Chautauqua County is primarily due to heart disease, cancer, suicide, and fatal drug overdoses. Deaths to younger people impact the rate greater than deaths of older people, such as 65 year olds who have heart attacks.

The Health Factors category consists of subcategories including health behaviors (smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, etc.), clinical care, social and economic factors (unemployment, education, crime, etc.), and the physical environment (built environment and quality of environment).

In the Health Behaviors subcategory, Chautauqua County ranked as 59 out of 62 counties, largely due to elevated rates of adults who smoke (24 percent) and adults who are obese (33 percent), according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveys. The County’s high teen birth rate of 27 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 (compared to 16 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 in New York State) also factored into the poor rank.

Chautauqua County’s best rank was as number 22 in the Physical Environment subcategory. The absence of public drinking water violations, short commute times, and a lower severe housing problem rate contribute to this good ranking.

Chautauqua County’s second best rank was in the Clinical Care subcategory, ranked 28 out of the 62 counties. Contributing to this positive measure were a lower percentage of individuals uninsured, a relatively high percentage of female Medicare enrollees who had received an annual mammography, and an above average percentage of Medicare. This rank also considers patient to provider ratios and diabetes monitoring.

The subcategory of Social and Economic Factors is an area for improvement, with a rank of 56 out of 62. High rates of children living in poverty, unemployment, and a relatively high injury death rate (which includes death by overdose and suicide, for example) negatively influenced our ranking in this subcategory, while a high rate of social associations and a relatively low violent crime rate benefitted the county’s rank.

“Addressing poverty is a long-term approach that will ultimately improve our rankings in a number of different areas,” said Schuyler. “In the short-term, we need to continue to address the drug epidemic, adopt evidence-based policies that impact access to tobacco and nicotine products and deter poor food choices among residents.”

The Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services is currently examining local health outcomes in their community health assessment, and will be updating the Community Health Improvement Plan this year with many community partners.

“Many collaborative efforts to help us positively impact the health and welfare of all are underway throughout our communities,” said Schuyler. “Along with that, individuals need to take responsibility for their own health and well-being and that of their loved ones – this includes making good lifestyle and behavior choices.”

As a snapshot of Chautauqua County, the 2019 report says:

• 24 percent of adults smoke, compared to 14 percent statewide.
• 33 percent of adults are obese, compared to 26 percent statewide.
• Premature death (measured as years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population) – 8,000 years compared to 5,400 years statewide.
• 81 percent of adults have access to exercise opportunities, compared to 93 percent statewide.
• 28 percent of alcohol impaired driving deaths, compared to 22 percent statewide.
• 37 percent of children are raised in a single-parent household, compared to 34 percent statewide.
• 28 percent of children live in poverty, compared to 20 percent statewide.
• 81 percent of people drive to work alone, compared to 53 percent statewide.
• 19 percent of people who drive alone have a long commute, compared to 38 percent statewide.
• 9.6 days with high levels of particulate matter in the air (air pollution), compared to 8.5 days statewide
• 6 percent uninsured, compared to 7 percent statewide.
• The ratio of patients to primary care providers was 1,770:1, compared to 1,200:1 statewide.
• The ratio of patients to dentists was 1,770:1, compared to 1,230:1 statewide.
• The ratio of patients to mental health providers was 670:1, compared to 310:1 statewide.
• 47 percent mammography screening rate, compared to 41 percent statewide.
• 7  percent of babies were low birthweight, compared to 8 percent statewide.
• 27 teen births per 1,000 females aged 15-19, compared to 18 statewide.
• 412.1 cases of Chlamydia (sexually transmitted disease) per 100,000 population, compared to 552.8 statewide.
• 83 percent graduate from high school, compared to 82 percent statewide.
• 6.1 percent unemployment rate, compared to 4.7 percent statewide.
• 271 violent crime rate per 100,000 population, compared to 379 statewide.
• 66 injury death rate per 100,000 population, compared to 47 statewide.

The Chautauqua County Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan update for 2016-2018 are available online at: www.healthychq.com.  The online County Health Rankings report is available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

MAYVILLE – The local effort to change the lifestyles of county residents in order to make them healthier doesn’t appear to be gaining much ground during the past year.

The results of the 2019 Health Rankings for all counties in the United States were announced this week, using information compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Among 62 New York counties, Chautauqua County was ranked 59th in the category of Health Outcomes. That figure is worse than last year’s ranking, when the county was ranked 58th in the state. It’s also down five spots from 2017, when it was ranked 54th in the state.

• VIEW FULL SNAPSHOT FOR CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, NY

The report also tracks overall health factors, where the county did see a slight improvement. This year it ranks 55 out of 62 counties in the state – a better position than the the ranking of 57th from last year. But it’s still worse than the ranking of 48th that it obtained in 2017.

The report uses various data (or subcategories) to compile its final rankings. For the Health Outcomes ranking, Chautauqua county achieved the 59th spot in the state due to poor outcomes in a number of subcategories – including the “Length of Life” subcategory, where it finished dead last.

For the main Health Factors category, the county finished in the bottom five in the Health Behaviors subcategory – which considers such factors as adult smoking, obesity, excessive drinking and alcohol impaired deaths, as well as teen pregnancy.

Despite ranking low in behaviors, the county did rank in the top half of the state for clinical care, showing that residents do have better access to physicians and other healthcare options, with 32 other counties ranking worse than Chautauqua County.

The county also ranked high for physical environment, meaning residents have access to better drinking water, have fewer severe housing problems, and have a much shorter commute time to work compared to other counties. However, air quality was worse in Chautauqua County compared to both the statewide and national averages.

The online County Health Rankings Report is available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

Last Friday the results of the 2018 health rankings for all counties in the United States were released, using information compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Among the 62 counties in New York State, Chautauqua County was ranked 58th in the category of Health Outcomes and 57th in the category of Health Factors.

The figures are worse than last year’s rankings, when the county finished at 54th for Health Outcomes and 48th for Health Factors.

In a media release, County Health and Human Services director Christine Schuyler said that her office has known for some time that there is much work to be done to improve health in the County, but the latest data and rankings reinforces the need for community action to improve health behaviors such as tobacco use, nutrition, and physical activity.

Schuyler added that the most recent CDC surveys indicate that Chautauqua County has the highest adult smoking rate and adult obesity rate in New York State.

The Health Outcomes category focuses on mortality (death) and morbidity (illness) and looks at factors such as premature death, number of poor physical and mental health days, and occurrence of low birth weight among babies.

In the Health Behaviors subcategory, Chautauqua County ranked as 62 out of 62 counties, largely due to 24 percent of the adult population who smokes, along with 33 percent of the population that is obese.

Chautauqua County’s best ranking was seen in the Physical Environment subcategory. The county ranked Number 13 out of the 62 counties in that subcategory, which was affected most by the absence of any major public water violations.

As a snapshot of Chautauqua County, the 2018 report says:

• 24% of adults smoke, compared to 14% statewide.
• 33% of adults are obese, compared to 25% statewide.
• Premature death (measured as years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population) – 7,200 years compared to 5,300 years statewide.
• 79% of adults have access to exercise opportunities, compared to 93% statewide.
• 33% of alcohol impaired driving deaths, compared to 22% statewide.
• 38% of children are raised in a single-parent household, compared to 35% statewide.
• 29% of children live in poverty, compared to 21% statewide.
• 81% of people drive to work alone, compared to 53% statewide.
• 19% of people who drive alone have a long commute, compared to 37% statewide.
• 9 days with high levels of particulate matter in the air (air pollution), compared to 8.6 days statewide
• 7% uninsured, compared to 8% statewide.
• The ratio of patients to primary care providers was 1,740:1, compared to 1,200:1 statewide.
• The ratio of patients to dentists was 1,750:1, compared to 1,240:1 statewide.
• The ratio of patients to mental health providers was 710:1, compared to 390:1 statewide.
• 68% mammography screening rate, compared to 62% statewide.
• 8.0% of babies are low birthweight, compared to 8.0% statewide.
• 29 teen births per 1,000 females aged 15-19, compared to 18 statewide.
• 377.9 cases of Chlamydia (sexually transmitted disease) per 100,000 population, compared to 524.7 statewide.
• 83% graduate from high school, compared to 79% statewide.
• 5.8% unemployment rate, compared to 4.8% statewide.
• 232 violent crime rate per 100,000 population, compared to 394 statewide.
• 64 injury death rate per 100,000 population, compared to 46 statewide.

The Chautauqua County Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan update for 2016-2018 are available online at chautauqua.ny.us.

The online County Health Rankings report is available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

That’s according to a new study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The study looks at factors outside of the doctor’s office, such as high school graduation rates, access to healthier foods, air pollution levels, income, and rates of smoking, obesity and teen births.

Out of ten counties in Western New York, Chautauqua County finished last in health ranking and of the 62 counties in the state it was ranked 58th. Only Chemung, Greene, Sullivan and Bronx counties were rated worse.

Chautauqua Scored in the bottom half in most categories, with the only exception being clinical care. In that area, the county ranked 22nd in the state – placing near the top third of all counties in New York.

The rest of the counties in Western New York didn’t fair much better. Oneida County is ranked 49th, Cattaraugus 53rd, Erie 54th and Niagara was 56th. The healthiest County in WNY was Wyoming, ranking 17th overall in the state. For the entire state, Rockland County – just north of NYC – was no. 1.

The complete results can be found at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

That’s according to a report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which found that among 62 New York State counties, Chautauqua ranks 54 in the category of Health Outcomes and 48 in the category of Health Factors. The Health Outcomes measure remains the same as 2013, while the Health Factors measure improved from last year’s ranking of 49.

“These rankings emphasize that promoting healthy communities requires that we address the social determinants of health, such as transportation, education, access to healthy food and exercise, behavior choices, economic opportunities, and more,” said Christine Schuyler, County’s Director of Health and Human Services.  “I am energized by all of the collaborative efforts that are underway to help us positively impact the health and welfare of all.”

The Health Outcomes category focuses on mortality (death) and morbidity (illness) and looks at factors such as premature death, number of poor physical and mental health days, and occurrence of low birth weight babies. The Health Factors category consists of subcategories including health behaviors (smoking, obesity, alcohol intake, etc.), clinical care, social and economic factors (unemployment, education, crime, etc.), and the physical environment (built environment and quality of environment).

Ranked 22 out of the 62 counties, Clinical Care was Chautauqua County’s best category. Chautauqua County’s lowest ranked area was Physical Environment. Number 53 out of the 62 counties, this ranking was negatively affected by the number of days with high levels of particulate matter and a high percentage of residents driving to work alone. Chautauqua County also experienced a higher rate of premature death than many other counties in New York State, ranking 54. Other factors that worsened rankings in the County included excessive drinking, teen birth rates, and percent of children in poverty.

As a snapshot of Chautauqua County, the latest report says:

• 24% of adults smoke, compared to 17% statewide.
• 28% of adults are obese, compared to 24% statewide.
• Premature death (measured as years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population) – 6,713 years compared to 5,650 years statewide.
• 62% of adults have access to exercise opportunities, compared to 89 % statewide.
• 21% of adults drink alcohol excessively, compared to 17% statewide.
• 33% of children are in poverty, compared to 23% statewide.
• 36% of children are raised in a single-parent household, compared to 35 % statewide.
• 80% of people drive to work alone, compared to 54% statewide.
• 18% of people who drive alone have a long commute, compared to 35% statewide.
• 13.3 days with high levels of particulate matter in the air (air pollution), compared to 11.7 days statewide
• The ratio of patients to primary care providers was 1,976:1, compared to 1,216:1 statewide.
• 65% mammography screening rate, compared to 63% statewide.
• 8.0% of babies are low birthweight, compared to 8.2 % statewide.
• 33 teen births per 1,000 females aged 15-19, compared to 24 statewide.
• 383 cases of Chlamydia (sexually transmitted disease) per 100,000 population, compared to 528 statewide.
• 83% graduate from high school, compared to 77% statewide.
• 8.5% unemployment rate, compared to 8.5% statewide.
• 215 violent crime rate per 100,000 population, compared to 392 statewide.

The problem areas highlighted by the County Health Rankings are not new issues, and many organizations throughout the county are working to make positive health changes. Examples include:

The Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services (CCDHHS) coordinates the Community Transformation Grant in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health. The grant aims to prevent the occurrence of future chronic disease in the county by creating long-lasting opportunities that will positively influence the health behaviors of children ages 0-18 across a continuum of child-centered environments. These environments include early child care institutions, schools, and the community at large in the target areas of Dunkirk, Jamestown, and Silver Creek.

Within the last year, CCDHHS secured the Maternal and Infant Community Health Collaborative Grant Program which aims to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Through the program, community health workers assist low-income mothers in accessing pregnancy and medical services to ensure better health through the baby’s first year. CCDHHS also has plans in place to create community supports for breastfeeding mothers.

Other coordinated efforts include the County’s Employability Coalition; Substance Abuse Forum; Dream It, Do It; Chautauqua County Health Network’s Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play project; the Local Foods Coalition (Farm to School, Farm to Table, etc.); the Eat Smart New York program; the Friends of the Chautauqua Greenways; and many other efforts. All of this work is in addition to the wellness programs available at worksites, schools, hospitals, and other institutions around the county.

While the County Health Rankings provide a system to compare population health among counties at the state level and nationwide, the Chautauqua County Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan 2014-2017 remain better resources to obtain and evaluate health data and health issues at a local level.  These were recently completed and are available online at: http://chautauqua.ny.us/241/Public-Health.

Of the eight counties in Western New York, five ranked in the lowest quartile for Health Outcomes– Niagara (59), Chautauqua (54), Erie (53), Cattaraugus (52), and Orleans (49). In that same area, three counties ranked in the lowest quartile for Health Factors– Orleans (61), Cattaraugus (55), and Chautauqua (48). The online County Health Rankings report is available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.