KEWAUNEE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Kewaunee County is Wisconsin’s second healthiest.
That’s according to the 2017 County Health Rankings released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
The list is compiled each year to monitor the progress of community efforts to improve health in Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
Kewaunee County placed second in the ‘health outcomes’ category, which looks at residents’ length and quality of life.
That is up eleven spots from 2016 and returns Kewaunee County to its 2014 placement.
Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard says that jump was partially due to the county’s higher grades in sub-categories that look at clinical care and social/economic factors.
Kinnard says the county has also taken recent steps to combat drug and alcohol problems in the community, specifically by partnering with law enforcement and human services to create more school programs that help kids who may be susceptible to those substances affecting their school performance.
While she is pleased with Kewaunee County’s high marks, Kinnard notes they are still working to make improvements.
Currently, Kinnard says county leaders are discussing ways to get people more physically active and more mindful of nutrition while also looking at offering expanded resources for people dealing with mental health issues.
She notes they are also seeking to expand their partnership with law enforcement to create a program that helps students with difficult home lives.
Kewaunee County also ranked tenth in the state on the ‘health factors’ list, which looks at things such as health behaviors and physical environment.
Brown County placed 31st in both outcomes and factors.
A complete list of the rankings is available at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/wisconsin/2017/overview.
