WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News &
World Report, in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation, an
independent, charitable and philanthropic affiliate of CVS Health,
today released the third annual Healthiest Communities rankings.
This year, the rankings are accompanied by new tools tracking
COVID-19 data, as well as in-depth editorial analysis on
relationships between COVID-19 and the social determinants of
health in populations at the local level, especially in underserved
communities across America.
Separate from the rankings, the new COVID-19 tools track case
numbers, death rates, unemployment and more. Updates in near
real-time – as frequently as daily – allow users to visualize data
and gain an up-to-date understanding of the county-level impact of
COVID-19. The new pages also include factors such as obesity and
diabetes prevalence that could place a county more at risk from
COVID-19. The COVID-19 tools complement existing, pre-pandemic
rankings data to reveal multiple correlations between the
coronavirus pandemic and community health.
"During this unprecedented year, the Healthiest Communities
initiative continues to highlight important components of community
health while synthesizing the new COVID-19 metrics, providing an
in-depth look at the impact of the disease on communities," said
Kim Castro, editor and chief content
officer at U.S. News. "U.S. News brings 30 years of high-quality
health journalism and data expertise to this project highlighting
social determinants of health and providing context to the current
state of each community."
The 2020 rankings are accompanied by editorial pieces that
explore these correlations, including the link between COVID-19
cases and community vitality, a measurement that includes voting
and census participation. The U.S. News editorial team also
spotlights the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and
Hispanic communities, as a Healthiest Communities analysis shows
counties with a majority share of Black or Hispanic residents have
an average case rate and death rate that is above the national
average.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the existing
disparities in our health care system that have a significant
impact on underserved communities," said Garth Graham, vice president of community health
and chief community health officer, CVS Health. "Using data from
the Healthiest Communities rankings can help create insight on how
to better address COVID-19 at the community level, while also
helping health care organizations develop solutions to combat the
health inequities that have plagued our underserved communities for
many years."
The Healthiest Communities rankings, underwritten by the Aetna
Foundation, are part of a $100
million commitment by CVS Health and its affiliates to
making community health and wellness central to the company's
charge for a better world. The Building Healthier Communities
initiative, which will be funded over five years by CVS Health and
the CVS Health and Aetna foundations, builds upon the outstanding
tradition of community investment by CVS Health and Aetna and
advances CVS Health's purpose of helping people on their path to
better health.
Top-Ranked Communities
For 2020, the top five
Healthiest Communities score above the national average in at least
eight of the 10 categories, including Los Alamos County, New Mexico – the healthiest
community in the United
States. Douglas County,
Colorado, came in at No. 2, followed by Falls Church, Virginia, at No.
3. Broomfield County,
Colorado, moved to No. 4, and Routt County, Colorado, rounded out the list
at No. 5.
The Healthiest Communities rankings and accompanying analysis
are based on an evaluation of nearly 3,000 communities nationwide
across 84 health and health-related metrics in 10 categories, from
Education and Population Health to Infrastructure and Environment.
The project serves as a tool to inform residents, community health
leaders and elected officials about policies and best practices for
better health outcomes by assessing which communities offer their
citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy
life.
To compile the rankings and create the overall Healthiest
Communities project, U.S. News partnered with the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research
and Engagement Systems (CARES), a research institution skilled in
community health assessment. Overall, the rankings are based on
metrics drawn from sources such as the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Institute for Health Metrics and
Evaluation, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. The data used to compile the 2020 Healthiest
Communities rankings come from a period predating the COVID-19
pandemic and were not affected by the pandemic's impact on
communities.
The Healthiest Communities rankings are the centerpiece of
a platform featuring in-depth reporting and analysis on community
and public health issues, as well as comprehensive data covering
the full spectrum of factors that influence population health. This
year, new measures explore medical debt, census self-response rates
and eviction rates within communities. Healthiest Communities is
part of U.S. News' Government Rankings initiative, which measures
government performance at the international, state and local levels
and includes the Best States, Best Countries,
and Cities projects.
As a part of the 2020 Healthiest Communities rankings, U.S. News
will be hosting the inaugural Community Health Leadership
Forum webinar series. Themes will cover building the foundation of
a healthy community, key takeaways from the 2020 health crises and
addressing racism as a threat to public health. Sessions also
include conversations with Community Health Leadership award
winners in recognition of their incredible work. The first webinar
will be on September 22 from
1-2:15 p.m. ET, and sessions will
continue through the fall. Learn more here.
2020 Healthiest Communities- Top 10
*See the full
rankings here
- Los Alamos County, New
Mexico
- Douglas County, Colorado
- Falls Church, Virginia
- Broomfield County,
Colorado
- Routt County, Colorado
- Loudoun County, Virginia
- Pitkin County, Colorado
- Carver County, Minnesota
- Summit County, Colorado
- San Miguel County
Colorado
2020 Key Measures
Top 5 Communities for Good Health Outcomes
- San Juan County,
Washington
- Marin County, California
- Carver County, Minnesota
- Cedar County, Nebraska
- Winneshiek County, Iowa
Top 5 Communities for Access to Health Care
- Olmstead County, Minnesota
- Suffolk County,
Massachusetts
- Johnson County, Iowa
- Perry County, Kentucky
- District of Columbia
Top 5 Communities for Mental Health
- Honolulu County, Hawaii
- Tripp County, South
Dakota
- Pembina County, North
Dakota
- Sutton County, Texas
- Hartley County, Texas
For more information on Healthiest Communities, follow
coverage on Facebook and Twitter using
#HealthiestCommunities.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News &
World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower
people to make better, more informed decisions about important
issues affecting their lives. A digital news and information
company focused on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and
News, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and
analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all
stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com
each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is
headquartered in Washington,
D.C.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is an
independent, charitable and philanthropic affiliate of CVS Health
(NYSE:CVS). For more information,
visit www.aetnafoundation.org.
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