For years, local politicians, county health officials and health care professionals have been talking about making Sonoma County the healthiest county in the state by 2020, a goal that is at the heart of numerous local health, education and socio-economic initiatives.
In 2011, Sonoma County ranked 12th among 56 California counties surveyed in the first County Health Rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It took three years for the county to break into the top 10, reaching eighth.
Last year, it reached sixth and this year, the county made it to No. 5. The rapid climb, from 12th to fifth in just six years, has some local officials confident the county can hit the No. 1 spot in three years.
Reductions in the number of uninsured residents, smoking abatement, open space improvements and numerous options for healthy lifestyles are among some of the things helping the county maintain its high ranking, said Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane. But a number of metrics continue to plague Sonoma County, such as alcohol abuse and cannabis use among youth, she said.
“I think that if we can solve the affordable housing issue and address substance abuse, we’ll shoot up to No. 1,” Zane said.
Amanda Jovaag, rankings team director for the University of Wisconsin, which conducted survey in partnership with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said the county’s performance continues to show improvements.
For more of this story, written by Martin Espinoza, go to: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/n...among-top?artslide=0
For more information on county health rankings go to: http://www.countyhealthranking...mes/overall/snapshot
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