New report ranks C. Oregon counties on health
The Central Oregon Health Council just released their yearly report card, which grades Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties in several health areas. On Thursday, researchers said having the data allows them to know what to celebrate, and what needs more work.
The numbers show Deschutes County ranks highest in the region, followed by Crook and Jefferson counties.
“The reason why it’s important is because at the end of the day, we make decisions on how we’re going to have programs and what we’re going to do to provide a service to our community,” said analyst Sarah Kingston, author of the report.
When it comes to living the longest, in Deschutes County the average life expectancy is 81, Crook County is 80 and Jefferson County is 75. The top killer in all three counties is cancer.
When it comes to childhood poverty, one in five kids in Deschutes County are in such tough times, while the figure is one in four in Crook County, and one in three in Jefferson County.
“It’s impacting their lives early on, and there’s a lot of food insecurity,” said Kingston. “There’s a lot of people in Deschutes County that don’t meet the requirements for assistance. And they’re experiencing hunger, and they’re not able to get federal assistance programs to help meet their needs.”
Looking at alcohol-related crashes, Jefferson County had nearly 40 percent of the deaths in Central Oregon.
“It also makes you wonder, what’s the culture around behind being able to drink and drive?” said Kingston. “And also, are there taxi cabs available? Probably not in most places around Jefferson County. So what are these kind of those social norms?”
Analysts say the health assessment is not meant to answer all questions, but helps to provoke them and look for ways to start healthy behaviors, and keep them.
Officials said the data can help cities and counties set up programs to make changes. It can also help them apply for state and federal grants.
Find out more about the report and a link to it at this Website.
