In comparison to counties throughout MN, Sherburne County ranked 39 for health outcomes and 35 for health factors, according to the 2015 County Health Rankings report released by Robert Wood Johnons Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.The rankings come out in time for National Public Health week (April 6-12), as an opportunity to remind Americans about the importance of public health in their lives.

 

The report ranks both health outcomes and health factors to highlight the wide array of issues that determine health in local communities. Health outcomes include the rate of people dying before age 75, the percentage of people who report being in fair or poor health, the rates of poor physical or mental health days and the rate of low-birth weight infants. Health factors include health behavior, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.

 

The County Health Rankings use a standard formula to measure the health of the more than 3,000 counties across the US. The rankings are designed to compare the health of counties within each state; they do not compare counties in MN with counties in other states. 

 

Minnesota’s local public health organizations already use a variety of methods to assess and measure the health of local communities. In 2014, the Sherburne County Health Improvement Plan was developed, based on assessment data and community input. This plan builds on the strengths of Sherburne County and strives to collaboratively and creatively address the three priority areas of community mental health, overweight/obesity and substance use and abuse. Included in the plan is a description of each of the priority areas; social determinates which may attribute to various inequities related to that particular issue; key stakeholders and community resources that have been identified to work on solutions; and action steps, target dates, and organizations responsible for spearheading collaborative efforts.

 

The County Health Rankings may be used to spur discussion and action across all sectors of community, including government, business, community and faith-based groups, education and public health, to improve the health of Minnesotans.

 

More information on the County Health Rankings can be found at www.countyhealthrankings.org. This interactive site allows users to select state and county for more detailed information regarding the county’s ranking.