Rockland Ranked #4 Healthiest County In NYS
Annual County Health Rankings Report released today
NEW CITY, NY, - Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert proudly announce that Rockland County is ranked fourth in New York State for overall health in 2023 in the annual County Health Rankings Report released today. Rockland County has improved from 7th in health outcomes after the recent challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two types of health outcomes measure the overall health of a county: how long people live (length of life) and how healthy people feel while alive (quality of life). From 2013-2021, Rockland County was ranked one of the top three counties in New York State for overall health and has ranked first four times.
“To be rated the 4th healthiest county in the State of New York is an amazing accomplishment. I applaud our Rockland County Department of Health staff for ensuring our healthy practices are reaching our communities. They have done a marvelous job and it is great to see that effort recognized,” said County Executive Ed Day.
“Safeguarding the public’s health is a priority in Rockland County. For example, the Health Department staff has been providing expanded access to vaccinations/immunizations for polio, monkeypox, and COVID-19 in the community through our successful partnerships with community and faith organizations, healthcare providers, schools, worksites, and municipalities to increase vaccination and keep Rockland healthy and safe. Though we have done very well in the County Health Rankings Report, much work remains to do. We continue to take important steps towards achieving our goal of keeping all Rockland County residents healthy and safe by working with our residents and collaborating with partners to address the issues that need improvement," said Dr. Ruppert.
According to the data, Rockland is ranked high in quality of life and length of life and health behaviors (e.g., diet and exercise, alcohol and drug use, and other health behaviors). However, the County continues to rank low in the physical environment health factor, which includes housing and air & water quality. This includes the percentage of households with at least 1 of 4 housing problems: overcrowding, high housing costs, or lack of kitchen or plumbing facilities. The housing crisis in Rockland is known, and issues with housing are partly addressed by the department’s Rockland Codes Initiative.
The rankings are issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The full report can be viewed online at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
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