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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: March 16, 2010 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health Report <br />DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />PowerPoint Presentation <br />County Health Rankings: Mobilizing <br />Action Toward Community Health <br />Report <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Rosemary Summers, 245-2411 <br />PURPOSE: To provide the Board of Commissioners with the results of the County Health <br />Rankings Report for Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the University of Wisconsin <br />Population Health Institute to develop a ranking system for all local counties across the country <br />- approximately 3,000 counties. The ranking only compares counties to each other within a <br />state. The rankings are intended to help counties compare the multiple factors that influence <br />health so that people can see where they are doing well and where they need to improve. <br />The rankings show that Orange County is second overall in North Carolina. The County ranks <br />first in health factors and second in health outcomes. These rankings were determined by <br />examining data sets from certain points in time. North Carolina continually examines and <br />updates some of the same data points contained in this report through its four year cycle of <br />community assessment. <br />Most of the achievements in Orange County's health rankings can be attributed to the strong <br />partnerships that exist between both school systems, UNC Health Care System, UNC, non- <br />profit agencies, the business community and governments. One place all of these partners <br />come together is through Healthy Carolinians of Orange County. These partners collaborate to <br />address high priority health issues for County residents. The focus issues are mental health <br />services, prevention of child abuse and neglect, reducing obesity in children, and improving <br />access to health services. <br />Despite being higher in rankings overall, there are areas for improvement. The lowest scores <br />for Orange County were in physical environment factors that contribute to health. These <br />measures were ozone and particular matter days in 2005 and access to healthy foods and the <br />density of liquor stores. Work has already occurred in these areas and this is an indicator that <br />