Lake County named among healthiest in Illinois

A public health report card that grades the health of America's counties has once again ranked Lake County among the healthiest counties in Illinois.

The report card, developed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, ranked Lake County sixth on Health Factors (measured by health behaviors, clinical care, socio-economic factors, and physical environment).

Lake County ranked 15th out of 102 counties in Illinois for Health Outcomes (measured by length of life and quality of life). Last year, Lake County ranked seventh in the state on Health Factors and 13th on Health Outcomes.

"Lake County continues to rank among the top counties in Illinois for the County Health Rankings. While the rankings have shifted slightly since 2013, Lake County remains one of the top U.S. performers in many measures," said Tony Beltran, executive director of the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center.

"The Rankings help us to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies that promote the health of our communities,"

Lake County is improving in several health behavior areas. For clinical care, more female Medicare patients ages 65-69 received preventive mammography screenings than in years past. Fewer Medicare enrollees had preventable hospital stays and more Medicare patients monitored their diabetes.

"We are pleased that Lake County is ranked as one of the healthiest counties in the state, but we also want to emphasize that there is still work to be done in collaboration with community partners," Beltran said.

For example, the Health Department is working to reduce infectious diseases by making sure those living with HIV are aware of their status and know how to manage the disease. Currently, the Health Department provides care for one in every three individuals living with HIV or AIDS in the county.

Also, the Health Department collaborates with the Lake County Opioid Initiative and law enforcement agencies to reduce the number of emergency room visits and deaths related to substance abuse. The Health Department and county agency partners have also teamed up to create "Lake County Life," a communications effort to promote physical activity, healthy eating and quality of life.

This is the sixth year of the County Health Rankings, the most comprehensive report of its kind. The report ranks the health of nearly every county in all 50 states by assessing factors that influence health as well as general health outcomes.

The Rankings are available at www.countyhealthranksings.org.