Health in Rockland County: 8 Facts

• Ranked third in New York in overall health, down from second place last year
• Stayed at sixth for health factors: behaviors, clinical care, physical environment, and socio-economics.
• Ranked second in the state for health outcome and length of life.
• Improvement in reducing the number of preventable hospital stays.
  
• Higher percentage of screening for diabetes
  
• Rockland continues to have the lowest adult smoking rate in New York State (9 percent)
  

Two areas need improvement:

• Adult obesity 
• Sexually transmitted infections 

The county Health Department takes some of the credit, and with reason. The focus has been on encouraging Rockland residents to eat better, move more and be tobacco free. This leads to lower incidence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer,  demonstrating the impact of comprehensive efforts like the Put It Out Rockland tobacco prevention, education, and cessation program enacted in 2001.

"Our high ranking reflects the priority this County has placed on programs, policies and services that affect our residents’ health. We are making strides, and we will continue to work to improve the health of our residents,” said Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

2014 County Health Rankings, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, includes a website filled with information and ideas for how individuals and groups can contribute to the health of their communities.