County Health Rankings Fifth Anniversary Release March 26

The 2014 County Health Rankings will be released on March 26, 2014. For the fifth year in a row, counties can see a snapshot of how healthy their residents are, and look at data across 29 factors that are linked to health. The Rankings allow communities to see county-by-county where they are doing well and where they need to improve.

This year’s Rankings include new factors, such as housing, transportation, food environment, and access to mental health providers which help to paint an even more comprehensive of what impacts a community’s health.  

Another exciting addition is a County Health Rankings National Report which will capture national and regional trends and offer an in-depth look at five key factors that are tied particularly closely to health outcomes:  children in poverty, college attendance, physical inactivity, smoking and preventable hospital stays.

Below is a list of things you can do to prepare for the 2014 County Health Rankings release:

• Register for the event day webcast where we will present 2014 data, national trends, and spotlight how communities are using the Rankings & Roadmaps.
• Follow us on twitter @CHRankings and join the discussion at #HealthRankings.
• Sign up for one of our webinars to learn more about the County Health Rankings. View the schedule of upcoming webinars and view our archived webinars.
• Identify your local media point of contact if you plan to write an op-ed about your county’s ranking or work you’re doing to improve community health.
• Identify key local stakeholders that are or will be engaged in improving the health of your community. Remember to think beyond public health - think about hospitals, education, community non-profits, local elected officials, and the business community. Let them know about the upcoming County Health Rankings release.
• Develop specific next steps after the release of the Rankings for your community. What will you do to mobilize action toward becoming a healthier community?