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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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In Our View: Health is Wealth

Clark County 14th healthiest in state, but we need more doctors, less fat

The Columbian
Published:

We’ll admit it: We’re suckers for those stories that examine cities or counties or states by some statistical category. You know, those comparisons that rank an area through statistical analyses and remind us of how much better we have it than those guys over there.

Maybe it’s a superiority complex; maybe it is simple curiosity. And while we should be wary of reading too much into the numbers, the important thing is look for ways in which to improve our quality of life.

All of that is a long-winded preamble for exploring the latest analysis that tells us how we’re doing. Clark County ranks as the 14th-healthiest among Washington’s 39 counties, according to the 2015 County Health Rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Why is this important, you might ask. Well, as Mahatma Gandhi reputedly said, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” Or, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The first wealth is health.”

Using a matrix of 30 statistical factors that influence health — exercise, diet, access to care, etc. — researchers studied every county in the country to devise a snapshot. In 2010, Clark County ranked as the eighth-healthiest in Washington; last year it stood 10th. But while the trend is going in the wrong direction, Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health administrator and health officer, stressed: “We’re ranked with all the other counties in the state, so our numbers could stay exactly the same and we could go from (10 to 14). Where we rank is not as important as what the measurements are themselves.”

OK, OK, so we won’t panic. The instructive nature of such statistical compilations is the highlighting of strengths and weaknesses for an area. And one of the most notable findings is that Clark County ranks poorly in terms of the number of medical personnel. This area has one primary care physician for every 1,496 residents, compared with the statewide average of one for every 1,203 people; we have one dentist for every 1,552 residents, compared with an average of one for every 1,327 residents. Those numbers, however, could be influenced by the existence of a doctor-rich urban center across the river.

On the plus side, Clark County has excellent access to parks and workout facilities, the kind of things that keep us fit and strong. Then again, the rate of adult obesity is slightly higher than average — must be something about leading a horse to water but not making them drink. As Buddha is credited with saying, “To keep the body in good health is a duty. Otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

And we shall not be able to maximize our potential, both individually and as a community. Public health impacts public policy and public spending. An unhealthy population can diminish productivity and can increase governmental expenditures on multiple levels, and it is influenced by factors such as education, unemployment, and even crime.

With a shortage of doctors, Clark County ranks poorly in clinical care, but it fares well in terms of physical environment — including low rates of air pollution. With the inherent natural beauty of the region and its historic connection to the environment, we probably didn’t need a statistical analysis to remind us of that; we live it every day.

Still, there are areas requiring improvement. As Melnick said: “We may not see rate changes in one year, but we’ll be seeing them over time. Making these changes and improving health isn’t year-to-year; we’re in for the long haul.”

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