Editorials
March 19, 2010
Unhealthiest county: Latest report bodes poorly for McDowell
Counties in southern West Virginia, led by McDowell, suffer from poorer health and shorter life expectancy than their northern counterparts, according to troubling data from a new report.
The findings from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute paint a troubling picture for McDowell County in particular, and should be viewed as a call to action for health care officials in the region.
The two organizations recently posted a ranking of West Virginia’s 55 counties by health outcomes such as life expectancy and health factors, including obesity and access to doctors. In both categories, McDowell ranks 55 of 55, or last in the state, the Associated Press reported last week.
Several other southern West Virginia counties also ranked near the bottom of the list, including Wyoming, Boone, Lincoln Mason and Wayne counties. Those counties reported higher-than-average rates of smoking and obesity, and a larger number of premature deaths when compared to the state average. In McDowell County, the premature death rate is nearly twice that of the state average with almost 40 percent of residents describing their health as “fair or poor,” compared to 22 percent statewide, the AP report added.
The report also examined economic and educational factors. It found that nearly half of McDowell County’s children live in poverty, and only 5 percent of its residents have college degrees, compared to 14 percent and 34 percent respectively in Monongalia County.
It also found that only 46 out of every 100 McDowell County residents have a primary health care provider. Many instead will simply go to the emergency room at Welch Community Hospital, or seek walk-in assistance at the Tug River Health Association clinics in Welch, Gary and Northfork, according to Tug River Health Association Chief Executive Officer Tim Crofton.
Crofton said the association hopes to utilize the data in the new report as a research tool to help address programs and policies that can assist with the diagnosis, management and prevention of chronic illnesses while also meeting health care needs in the community.
We believe that is a good first step in working to address the findings of this latest report. However, it is going to take a coordinated response from health care officials across McDowell County — with help from state and federal officials — to address these troubling health care trends.
Unfortunately, this latest study is not the first to cite poor health care statistics for the southern counties, and McDowell County in particular. For example, the county has historically ranked low in the annual Kids’ Count study, which is intended to serve as an annual snapshot of the well being of children in the state.
We must take action now to reverse these troubling health care statistics. We shouldn’t wait for yet another report to be released telling us what we already know. We must get healthier. We must take steps now to improve the overall health of citizens across the region.
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