St Johns County passes health check-up

Historic City News learned that, according to a report of 2012 County Health Rankings released yesterday, in overall rankings of health factors, St Johns County ranks first among Florida’s 67 counties; and has for the last three years; and, for 2012, replaces Collier County to rank first in health outcomes, as well.

Social and economic factors account for 40% of the total score of elements that determine health factors, and, for the past three years, St Johns County has led the state — consistently earning first place rankings in 2010, 2011, and again in 2012.

The five elements measured to establish “social and economic” factors, ranked by relevance, are Education (10% of total score), Employment (10% of total score), Income (10% of total score), Family and Social Support (5% of total score), and Community Safety (5% of total score).

The report ranks St Johns County first in income and second in education — but only 16th in citizens actually employed. St Johns County ranks highest in the state in terms of providing adequate social support and two-parent households for the county’s children.

The largest detraction to St Johns County’s social and economic ranking was community safety — our violent crime rate causes the county to drop to 19th place out of 67 counties.

Behind social and economic factors evaluated, the three remaining major factors, ranked by relevance, are Health Behaviors (30%), Clinical Care (20%), and Physical Environment (10%).

St Johns County ranked second highest in health behaviors, fourth highest in clinical care, and seventh highest in physical environment.

Clinical care in St Johns County is improving, according to the reports published at www.countyhealthrankings.org and www.flphi.org. We went from seventh place in 2010, to fifth place last year, then, this year, advanced to the fourth highest position. Counties that led St Johns in clinical care this year were Alachua (1st), Sarasota (2nd) and Leon (3rd).

The two elements, measured to establish “clinical care”, are access to care and quality of care. Although St Johns County ranks third behind only Alachua and Leon counties, in terms of “access to care”, in terms of “quality of care”, comprised of preventable hospital stays, diabetic screening and mammography screening, St Johns County achieves a ranking-score of only 72%; placing us only 19th highest out of 67 counties.