INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Florida Department of Health in Indian River County recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and today acknowledged the 2016 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This study highlights the many community factors that influence health and uses established data, much of which is available from the department at www.floridacharts.com.
“Together, we all work to improve our community’s health. The rankings help inform our community health improvement efforts and reinforce our continued work on our health priorities,” said Miranda Hawker, Florida Department of Health in Indian River County Administrator.
These rankings are a snapshot of the health of counties across the country and they emphasize that health is not a singular effort, but a combined work in progress across all community partners.
The department works in collaboration with local governments, non-profit organizations, health care facilities, business groups, schools, faith-based organizations and many other stakeholders to improve the health of all people in Indian River County. These rankings use data related to physical environments, social and economic factors, health behaviors and clinical care.
In Indian River County, the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is designed to address specific opportunities for improved health that have been identified by the community. The department has partnered with many stakeholders to implement the CHIP and collaborates regularly to track progress.
The CHIP priorities of access to care, prevention of STDs, HIV and teen pregnancy, and Chronic Disease Prevention, directly target issues identified through the community health assessment process and are reinforced through the County Health Rankings.
“The Rankings can act as a springboard for community-wide discussions about improving overall health for all of Indian River County’s residents and visitors,” said Commissioner Peter O’Bryan, Indian River County Board of County Commissioners.
“The Rankings expose obstacles to Health Equity for our residents, and also identifies opportunities for the improvements necessary to make Indian River County a healthier place to live, learn, work and play,” said Anthony Brown, Florida Department of Health in Indian River County Community Environmental Consultant.
Last week, the Florida Department of Health became the first integrated department of health in the nation to achieve national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board. Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. The seal of accreditation signifies that the Florida Department of Health has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health.