 |
|
For Immediate Release
Date: April 11, 2017
Contact: Leslie Piotrowski
(847) 377-8055
Hannah Goering
(847) 377-8099
|
Report Rates Lake County as Among the Healthiest in the State
Lake County ranked 6th out of 102 counties in
Illinois for health outcomes (measured by length of life and quality of life) according
to the 2017 County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
(UWPH). Over the past three years, the Health Department has increased its
ranking from 15th in Illinois to 6th. The Lake County
Health Department/Community Health Center (LCHD/CHC) and its partners have
worked together to help improve the county’s health outcomes.
“We continue to be one of the healthiest counties in
Illinois, but we still have work to do,” said Mark Pfister, the executive director
of the Lake County Health Department. “The recent update to our mission and
vision statements reflects our focus on promoting the health and well-being of
all who live, work, and play in Lake County. We hope that through our
partnerships and focus on making a positive impact in Lake County that we can
continue to improve health outcomes for our residents.”
The Health Department recently launched its 2017-2019 strategic
plan, which is focused on improving the conditions in which people live, work
and play. To address these conditions, the Health Department partners with Live
Well Lake County (LWLC), a multisector group made up of community
organizations, government agencies, health care systems, and academic
institutions, to reduce chronic diseases
such as diabetes through focused prevention and health education efforts across
the county. Through its recent community
assessment, the Live Well Lake County Steering Committee identified the top four
health priorities to address for all in Lake County.
- Cardiovascular disease and hypertension
-
Behavioral health capacity
The Health Department adopted these priorities and
infectious disease prevention as the foundation for its strategic plan. To
address diabetes, it is enhancing its care model to reduce diabetes rates
amongst its patient population. Staff are also working with partners through
LWLC to increase prediabetes prevention efforts.
To address obesity, Health Department staff are working in
integrated behavioral health programs to reduce obesity among clients. The
Libertyville behavioral health clinic targets behavioral health patients
because these individuals are more likely to have chronic conditions but less
likely to be receiving the medical care needed to manage them. The result is an
up to 25-year reduction in life expectancy for those with a serious mental
illness.
LWLC partners are involved in a number of countywide
initiatives that are encouraging active lifestyles and healthy eating to reduce
obesity. For the fourth year in a row, the Health Department, Lake County
Forest Preserves, and NorthShore University HealthSystem are offering Rx for Health:
Walking in Nature. Eight free walks, led by a physician and a forest preserve
naturalist, are open to the public and encourage residents to enjoy Lake
County’s natural resources and ask questions about their overall health and
wellbeing.
For more information about the
County Heath Rankings or to see the data used in the ranking, visit: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
For more information on the Health Department’s programs, including its
new strategic plan, visit: Health.lakecountyil.gov.
For more information on Live Well Lake County, visit: www.livewelllakecounty.org.
The County Health Rankings provide
a snapshot of the health of
counties across the nation. The rankings include more than 30 factors that
contribute to individual and community health including education, housing, employment, tobacco use, food security, and more.
| 
