Lake County health ranks 19 out of 33

A recent report was issued tracing the health rankings of Oregon’s 33 counties.
Lake County ranked at 19th for health outcomes, and under which fell their ranking of 25th for premature death.
Lake County’s average of 8,083 age-adjusted years of potential life lost is sharply higher than the national benchmark of 5,466, and Oregon’s figure of 6,343. The number is compiled over a three-year average.
This figure reflects the overall impact of premature death on the population.
Lake County’s ranking for morbidity was seventh overall, which reflects overall issues of poor health and sickness.
Lake County ranked in at 22nd for health factors. The highest factors here include a 17 percent rate for excessive drinking, which compares nationally to 8 percent and 16 percent across the state.
A motor vehicle crash average of 41, which is markedly higher than the national benchmark of 12 and the statewide figure of 14.
The teen birth rate of 38 is also markedly higher than the national average of 22 and slightly above Oregon’s statewide average of 35.
Under clinical care, Lake County ranked 31st, has an uninsured rate of 24 percent (statewide, the figure is 19 percent and nationally 11 percent). The ratio of primary care physicians to residents is 2,401:1, which is reflective of the rural geographic setting, whereas the national ratio is 631:1 and statewide 984:1.
Health behaviors and social/economic factors make up 70 percent of the health factor rankings. Clinical care is 20 percent and physical environment, which includes air quality, is 10 percent of the ranking process.
Lake District Hospital CEO Charlie Tveit noted that education levels are a prime indicator of individual health. Likewise, higher income levels also tend to report higher levels of health.
“The greater the income you have, the healthier the choices,” he said.
The greatest area of impact in the report, Tveit said, is in healthy behaviors. Diet and exercise are crucial elements to promoting individual health, and Lake Health District is committed to sponsoring a variety of events to promote good health, Tveit said.