County Health Report Card

Leanna Lehman -- The overall health and quality of life for Churchill County residents is steadily improving, according to the most recent Rankings Report, an assessment of the health and wellness of communities across the country. During the most recent meeting of the Churchill County Board of Health, Shannon Ernst, director of the county Social Services department, presented the 2019 County Health Rankings Report which demonstrated year-over-year improvement since the study began. The report compared data over the last three years. From 2017 to 2019, Churchill County showed a steady positive trend in Overall Health Outcome as defined by the Rankings Report. Several factors play a role in determining overall health; physical and mental illnesses, disease prevalence, child and infant mortality, low birthweight, and similar health-related issues. Health Behaviors, which contribute heavily to Health Outcomes, have been a primary focus of the Board of Health over the past year. These behaviors include smoking, obesity, the food environment, access to exercise, excessive alcohol consumption and driving-related deaths, sexually transmitted infections, and teen births.  According to the 2019 Rankings Report, Health Behaviors in Churchill County are also steadily improving. One area reporting substantial improvement was Clinical Care Health Factors. The data showed dramatic development over the last year in access to health-related care in Churchill County. These factors include health insurance, the availability of primary care physicians and dentists, access to mental health providers, disease screenings, and flu vaccinations within the County. The Rankings Report also gathered data on some of the social and economic elements that play a role in community health. Many of these factors were assessed locally, as it is believed these issues also impact the well-being of a community. These indicators include graduation rates, college participation, social associations, unemployment rates, children in poverty, and income inequality. The 2019 Rankings Report found that 32% of Fallon children are in single-parent households, there were 211 violent crimes reported, and there were 96 injuries that resulted in death. While these facts do present areas of concern, they are continuing to improve each year. Physical Environment within the community is an area of concern according to report data. Churchill County shows a somewhat poorer physical environment in 2018 and 2019 than in 2017. While this year reflected a marginal improvement over last, the overall numbers are low. According to the Report, several elements make up the physical environment and may ultimately affect the areas Overall Health Rating. These include air pollution (particulate matter), severe housing problems, driving alone to work and long commutes driven alone.  Other factors on the rise that were not included in the ranking are lack of home ownership and the severe housing cost burden. “Six years ago we looked at a strategic plan to boost the quality of life,” explained Ernst, “what we are seeing is much better than six years ago, we are looking at three years of data, rather than just the previous year, so we can see where we need to improve.” The Rankings Report, while showing the progress that has been made, also shed some light on areas that need more focus. The County Board of Health will be continuing to assess the data and revise the strategies as needed. One thing is clear; the overall quality of life for of the citizens of Churchill County residents is a top priority for the Board of Health. Specific information about Churchill County’s Health Rankings can be found at www.Countyhealthrankings.org.     Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon. Never miss the local news -- read more on The Fallon Post home page.