Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced that Nassau County once again has solidified its place as one of the healthiest counties in New York State, according to the 2019 annual County Health Rankings. In the report released last week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Nassau County, out of 62 counties in New York State, ranked first in both health factors and health behaviors and second in health outcomes.
Nassau County continues to rank as a “Top U.S. Performer” in categories including percentage of adult smokers, adult obesity, low teen birth rate and access to exercise opportunities, among others. This ranking is based on a comprehensive report that ranks the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states by using standardized measures. The Nassau County Department of Health has already been nationally recognized for being named Health Department of the Year.
“I am pleased to announce that Nassau County once again ranks as one the healthiest counties in New York State,” said Curran. “I am proud of the quality of health care, education and the beautiful recreation facilities and parks that are accessible to all the residents of Nassau County. This report reflects the combined efforts of businesses, health care providers, schools and government working together in Nassau County to improve the health of our residents.”
Nassau County Commissioner of Health, Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein stated, “This is a testament to the ongoing commitment and collaboration from many organizations within the county, including our nationally recognized hospitals, medical providers, community-based organizations, government agencies, schools, and county residents working together to ensure the highest health outcomes for our residents. Although these statistics continue to show excellence in health, the department recognizes that health disparities remain a challenge, and will continue in its mission to promote and protect the health of all residents.”
The rankings include a snapshot of each county in New York. Researchers looked at “health factors” that affect people’s health within four categories; health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. These health factors include measurements such as, adult smoking, adult obesity, and access to exercise opportunities. County health rankings researchers also used five measures to assess the level of overall health or “health outcomes” for New York by county such as, rates of premature death, the percentage of people who report being in fair or poor health, the numbers of days people report being in poor physical and poor mental health, and the rate of low-birthweight infants.
—Submitted by Nassau County
