New County Health Rankings released

Researchers found distinct regional patterns: They reported that excessive drinking rates were highest in the Northern states, while rates of teen births, sexually transmitted infections and children in poverty were highest in the South.

USA Today: Health Statistics Help Shape Local Policies
Better access to health care data helps local governments improve preventive health policies aimed at reducing overall medical costs, say researchers who released the third annual national County Health Rankings today (Kennedy, 4/2).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Measuring Health County-By-County
The 2012 County Health Rankings are out this week from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The rankings assess the health of nearly every county in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and they allow you to compare rankings on a handy calculator of key health indicators, including their percentage of uninsured citizens (Gold, 4/2).

Modern Healthcare: County Health Data Released: Heavy Drinking Up North; Teen Pregnancy In South
Using a long list of factors that includes rates of teenage pregnancy, obesity, unemployment, preventable hospital stays and deaths from car crashes, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute have released a report detailing public health status in more than 3,000 counties across the U.S. ... Researchers found distinct regional patterns, according to the release. Excessive drinking rates were highest in the Northern states, and rates of teen births, sexually transmitted infection and children in poverty were highest in the South (McKinney, 4/3).