Thursday, March 17, 2016

Counties Work To Improve Low Public Health Rankings

LABELLE, FL. -- The latest county health ratings in Florida and all other states became available recently, and Hendry and Glades county were ranked in the bottom third of Florida's counties in an annual ranking by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation..

Hendry came in at 53rd of 67 Florida counties in "health outcomes" and last at 67 in "health factors" while Glades county was rated 47th in both categories. By comparison, Lee county was ranked 16th in health outcomes, and 22nd in health factors.

To see the complete rankings click the links below:  

Glades County Health Ratings

In a statement this week, the Hendry/Glades Health Department said in part, "The Florida Department of Health in Hendry and Glades recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and today acknowledged the 2016 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation."

“County Health Rankings help us to identify the need for additional resources and services in our communities,” said Joe Pepe, Administrator/Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Hendry and Glades Counties. “The rankings also provide us the opportunity to develop strategic plans with our local partners to help meet the needs of our community.”

"To promote health and preventative care, we have launched several local initiatives that include the following:

· School-Based Dental Sealant Program - an evidence-based intervention aimed at preventing permanent molar tooth decay in elementary school children.
· Car Seat Certification & Distribution - a program that provides car seat inspection, safety education, and distribution at community events.
· FOCUS - an evidence-based eight week curriculum integrated into high schools to educate young women on ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and secondary unwanted pregnancies.
· Choosing the Best Way – an evidence-based program that gives young people needed information and helps them build skills needed for making healthy decisions."

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