PUTNAM COUNTY RANKS AMONG TOP 5 IN NEW YORK STATE FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES

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PUTNAM COUNTY RANKS AMONG TOP 5 IN NEW YORK STATE FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES—Among Top Five for Fourth Consecutive Year.

Brewster, NY—On March 20, 2013, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released the 2013 County Health Rankings for New York State, as well as the rest of the country. Putnam County was ranked fourth in the state in the overall category of “health outcomes,” after having been number one for three consecutive years.

“We’re still doing well,” said Allen Beals, MD, JD, Commissioner of Health, “a fourth place ranking among 62 counties indicates superior health.” Even when Putnam ranked first, the health challenges the county faced, such as adult obesity, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol consumption among adult residents, did not meet state and national benchmarks. This year, these areas did not show any significant improvement. “We will continue to aggressively target these areas,” said Dr. Beals.

“I know how hard the Health Department and other county agencies work to address these issues,” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell. “However, behavior is very difficult to change. I am committed to support the Health Department in their efforts to address these health issues.”

In 2013 for the first time, the Putnam County Department of Health is spearheading countywide efforts to formulate a Community Health Improvement Plan, known as the CHIP. This multi-disciplinary approach to planning health improvements will be formulated in collaboration with a wide variety of community partners including hospitals, community based organizations such as mental health and substance abuse agencies, schools, businesses and others.