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For county health officers, sometimes raising awareness isn’t enough. To make lasting change, focusing on programs and initiatives that are proven to be successful in implementation and enforcement will go a long way to making something stick. That’s been the goal in Broome County, N.Y., which most recently was 48th out of the state’s 62 counties in the most recent County Health Rankings....

The United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) was not satisfied with the status quo. After assessing the state’s existing early childhood education system, the group used its observations to develop a campaign that would improve the standards for quality, affordable, and accessible early childhood programs. Since UWSN identified early on the importance of getting key...

In Mason County, WA—which ranked 35 out of 39 counties in the state in the 2012 County Health Rankings—a diverse group of partners has come together to boost the community’s educational attainment. Although the county boasts an overall high school graduation rate of 81 percent, many young people in this traditional logging community don’t go on to college. This is especially true of the county...

West Virginia has one of the highest obesity rates in the country and McDowell County is no exception, where more than a third of adults are obese. Here in this Appalachian coal-mining enclave in the southernmost tip of the state, a local community health center called the Tug River Health Association took an unusual step to combat this problem by offering its patients gym memberships.

In 2002, more than 30% of the residents in a rural, upstate region of New York experienced at least one major health condition that negatively affected their lives—from heart disease and diabetes, to obesity and osteoarthritis. Enter Fit for Life. A coalition of local agencies in the Adirondack Region of northern New York created the medically-supervised exercise program to improve the quality...

With Milwaukee teen birth rates more than twice the national average, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and its partners publicly committed to a comprehensive, multi-component intervention campaign with an ambitious goal: in 2008, they pledged to reduce births among 15 to 17 year olds by 46% by 2015. To launch this effort, United Way gathered partners from across the greater...

During the past 10 years, North Carolina has faced an all too common problem: rising rates of opioid use and overdose deaths. The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC) aims to reduce harm for those engaging in high risk activity, such as drug use. Their advocacy and coalition building, along with direct services and resource development, have led to changes in North Carolina’s laws,...

In Davidson County, Mayor Karl Dean and public health officials are moving forward to make Nashville a healthier, more livable city by improving opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity. Initiatives have ranged from transforming food options in schools and child care centers, to investing in sidewalks, parks, greenways, and a bike share program. A workplace wellness challenge is next on the list, along with expanding efforts to get healthy, fresh foods...

What would you do if the county you’d lived in and loved for many decades was ranked the least healthy county in your state for three years running? What if just days after this year’s Rankings release Reuter News Service began investigating why your county has the highest rate of prescription drug deaths in a six county area? This is the situation faced by the people of Scott County, Indiana. It would...

The New River Valley Region, nestled in the foothills and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is in the mid-Appalachian Region. It includes Montgomery, Pulaski, Floyd and Giles counties. The cities of Blacksburg (home of Virginia Tech), Christiansburg, and Radford are also in the New River Valley. The 2013 County Health Rankings show a number of health behaviors, social, and economic...