York County shows some gains in health care measures

The health care picture of York County is improving,

according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation. A local initiative, Aligning Forces for Quality

in South Central Pennsylvania, is working to improve

the quality of health care in the region.

The 2011 County Health Rankings report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute puts York County in the top 20 of all Pennsylvania counties in the report's broad health ratings categories - health outcomes and health factors.

York County ranked 14th in health factors, mainly due to ranking fourth in the state in access to clinical care. The county ranked 19th in health outcomes. Both positions are higher than the rankings in the 2010 data.

An York Dispatch article about the report published April 18 took a closer look at the numbers and what they say about the strength and weaknesses of the local health care system.

Ranking fourth in the clinical care category is probably the best number in the report. From the article, which featured comments from Chris Amy, project director of Aligning Forces for Quality in South Central Pennsylvania, a local initiative organized to improve the quality of health care in the region.:

(The category) measured York County's percentage of uninsured adults, primary care providers, preventable hospital stays, diabetic screening and mammography screenings. The high ranking indicates that patients have access to high-quality health care in York County.

The data also showed fewer people are dying before age 75 and fewer people are experiencing poor physical or mental health. The report also found the ratio of patients to primary care providers is 981 to 1, which is among the best in the state.

On the downside, the county has higher rates of obese people, smokers and teen mothers than the corresponding state rates. The challenge is to show adults and teens how to make better decisions about their bodies. Again from the article:

York could have the best health care system in the world, but if a person doesn't want to take his or her medicine or eat healthy and exercise, that will keep the county from achieving the best rankings across the board, said Amy.

Overall, the numbers are encouraging and show the local Aligning Forces for Quality group is on the right track in measuring to identify trends and using the data to develop appropriate responses.

- Dan Fink