Health Officials Release Special Zip Code Report; Report Highlights Health Outcomes and Factors Within County

For Immediate Release:  Tuesday, November 13, 2018 

 

Health Officials Release Special Zip Code Report; 

Report Highlights Health Outcomes and Factors 

Within County 

 

County health officials have released a report from a special project to examine variations in health outcomes and health factors within Montgomery County.  The zip code ranking report highlights areas of the community that could benefit from targeted engagement to address the social, economic, environmental, clinical, and behavioral factors that affect health outcomes.   

 

According to the County Health Rankings Report published annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Montgomery County has ranked number one in Maryland since 2014 for overall health outcomes.   

 

“While Montgomery County overall has performed better than state and national averages on most health outcomes, a close examination of population subgroups and geographic areas reveals disparities in health outcomes and factors contributing to health outcomes across communities within the county,” said Dr. Travis Gayles, County health officer. 

 

“The purpose of this data is to build an equitable response to improving outcomes for all county residents.  We need to improve health and quality of life outcomes for everyone and demonstrate a tracking mechanism that will help us evaluate how our budget, policy and practice are improving outcomes for all residents.  Our goal is to utilize the data to inform our approaches in prevention, promotion, policy, practice, and planning for existing and new health programs that work to meet the public health needs of Montgomery County." 

 

The project examines both health factors and health outcomes that include mortality, quality of life, behavior, clinical access, environment, and socioeconomic status, applying a modified algorithm and statistical approaches used in the County Health Rankings. Health factors represent what influences the health of a community.   The report measured four types of health factors--health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. Health outcomes represent how healthy a community is based on length of life and quality of life. 

 

Though results vary by measure, the main findings for overall ranking on health factors that include health behaviors, clinical care, socioeconomic factors, and physical environment identify significant variations among zip codes within Montgomery County.  

 

Main findings of the project include: 

 

Health factors: 

 

• The top five ranked zip codes (beginning with highest ranked) are 20861 (Ashton), 20816 (Bethesda), 20854 (Potomac), 20817 (West Bethesda), and 20815 (Chevy Chase). 

• The lowest five ranked zip codes (beginning with lowest ranked) are 20903 (Silver Spring), 20877 (Gaithersburg), 20906 (Aspen Hill), 20902 (Wheaton), 20851 (Rockville/Twinbrook). In overall ranking, findings were:   
  

 

• The top five zip codes (beginning with highest ranked) are 20816 (Bethesda), 20854 (Potomac), 20815 (Chevy Chase), 20861 (Ashton), and 20817 (West Bethesda). 

 

• The lowest five zip codes (beginning with lowest ranked) are 20837 (Poolesville), 20877 (Gaithersburg), 20904 (Colesville), 20906 (Aspen Hill), and 20851 (Rockville/Twinbrook). The full report can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services’ website at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hhs/pubsdeptdata/pubsdeptdataindex.html.For more information, contact Chunfu Liu at Chunfu.liu@montgomerycountymd.gov.       

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Media Contact: Mary Anderson, 240-777-6534