What’s New
2017 County Health Rankings. This year’s assessment of health in every country in the U.S. concludes that more Americans are dying prematurely across rural and urban communities and racial/ethnic groups. For the years studied, premature death increased most among those ages 15-44. Drug overdose was by far the single leading cause of premature death by injury in 2015 but, for those aged 15-24, more deaths due to motor vehicle crashes and firearm fatalities also played a role in the accelerated rise. A new measurement this year, disconnected youth, looks at young adults aged 16-24 who are not in school and not working and finds the issue more prevalent in rural counties than urban counties. An interactive map on the County Health Rankings site breaks down the data by county and state.
CDC and Rural Health. To promote their ongoing work around rural health issues, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently launched a website that provides an overview of the significant gap in health between rural and urban Americans, links to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report rural health series, and resources on key health topics impacting rural Americans. The site also shares The Community Guide, a collection of findings – on topics such as diabetes, mental health, nutrition, obesity and oral health – to help resource-limited communities identify the best evidence-based interventions for improved health and disease prevention. To learn more about the FORHP and CDC collaboration around rural health topics, please see the RHIhub resource page on the CDC MMWR Rural Health Series and check back frequently for details about upcoming webinars on specific topics.
Continue reading “Announcements from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy”