Hands of couple toasting

Deschutes continues to rank among the healthiest counties in the state, while Crook and Jefferson counties lag behind, according to the 2015 County Health Rankings.

The study is based on data that is culled from federal health agencies and is used to create statistics on 30 factors that affect the short- and long-term health of almost every county in the United States. Depending on the factor, the study contains data collected anywhere from 2005 to 2012.

Health outcome rankings reveal a county’s current health overall, and rankings of health factors such as behavior, socioeconomic status and environment indicate how healthy a county will be in the future.

Deschutes County ranked sixth in overall health outcomes and fifth for overall health factors. Most metrics stayed about the same as last year, with slight increases in adult obesity and sexually transmitted infections. Doctor-to-patient ratios improved, most significantly in mental health.

“It looks good that things are steady,” said Tom Kuhn, community health manager for Deschutes County Health Services.

“With these types of rankings, there’s more concern if there’s a significant drop or increase,” Kuhn said.

Jefferson County remains one of the most unhealthy in Oregon. The county’s rank in overall health outcomes improved slightly, but the county came in last for health factors. Jefferson County Public Health Director Tom Machala said poverty is a big factor in the county’s generally poor health.

“The unemployment rate dropped, but underemployment continues to be a problem,” Machala said Monday. “We have higher rates of children in poverty … Culver School has one of the highest rates of homelessness, and we have a high number of kids with single parents. That puts kids behind the eight ball and makes it really hard.”

Jefferson County had nearly 1,700 fewer premature deaths than in last year’s ranking but also had an average of about 3,500 more than Crook and Deschutes counties. Sexually transmitted infections and alcohol-impaired driving deaths improved slightly, and unemployment dropped 1.5 percentage points. Offsetting these improvements, physical activity decreased and rates of children living in poverty and/or single-parent households remain much higher than state averages. The number of teen births is more than double the state average.

Violent crime rates in Jefferson County are, however, significantly lower than in Crook and Deschutes counties. Machala attributes this to the county jail built in 2001, which allows law enforcement to jail people who violate their probation, he said.

Data from Crook County showed a slight decline in general health from last year’s ranking, and a likelihood of poorer health in the future. Three out of five driving deaths were due to alcohol impairment, an increase of 10 percentage points from last year’s data. Sexually transmitted infections nearly doubled. At the same time, the county improved access to medical care with more doctors per patient.

“In terms of length and quality of life, we rank well,” said Crook County Public Health Director Muriel DeLaVergne-Brown. “But we do have problems with behaviors and economics.”

She said the county is working with the Oregon Department of Human Services to secure grants that could help with drug and alcohol issues. She hopes the rankings will be a springboard for the community to take action on improving health.

Kate Konkle, associate researcher with University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, hopes that as local communities learn what their county health looks like, they will initiate change that makes their area healthier for everyone.

The 2015 County Health Rankings are the result of a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a Princeton, New Jersey, nonprofit that funds health research. Researchers collected data from federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics and more.

Two of Oregon’s 36 counties, Gilliam and Wheeler, were not included in the study.

“It’s important for people to realize that while a state may do really well, communities within that state can look a lot different,” Konkle said.

Data from this year’s rankings of doctor-to-patient ratios and the uninsured was collected in 2012, so impacts of the Affordable Care Act remain to be seen.

Konkle said the ACA’s impact should be reflected in the next couple of years. She expects to see the most dramatic improvements in these areas in doctor-to-patient ratios and the number of uninsured as a result of the health care law.

Rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org, as are resources that aim to help communities work towards improved health.

— Reporter: 541-383-0354,

jrockow@bendbulletin.com