CRAWFORD COUNTY, KAN. - A study released by the Kansas Health Institute shows that out of 105 counties, eight counties in southeast Kansas placed 94th or worse.
Kansas Health Institute Rankings
Southeast Kansas Counties:
- Neosho County - 82nd
- Allen County - 94th
- Crawford County - 97th
- Cherokee County - 98th
- Wilson County - 99th
- Bourbon County - 100th
- Woodson County - 101st
- Labette County - 103rd
- Montgomery County - 104th
The Crawford County Health Department says it is going back to the drawing board to try to improve programs.
"When you have ratings like this you need to sit down and plan what areas you can target, because you can not target everything with the funding short as it is," says Crawford County Health Officer Janis Goedeke. "We'll reevaluate and see what changes we need to make and tackle one thing at a time."
The rankings are based on:
- Health care
- Health behavior (as in smoking, exercise, and eating habits)
- Socioeconomic behaviors (e.g. unemployment rates, poverty and divorce rates)
- Physical environment (e.g. water purity and lead risks)
"Certainly, when you are an impoverished county you do have all these health challenges, so that's a vital part of that," Goedeke says. "I think throughout the state you are going to find some communities that have more money and they're able to pour the funding into those problems - we will not be able to do that."
However, the health department has numerous programs to improve rankings along with the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services who says don't be afraid to ask.
"We encourage people to come before you get into that crisis situation," says Jan Correll of the SRS office in Pittsburg. "Because sometime it may take some time to identify a resource that can help you."
Goedeke adds that although the results are disappointing and the county is working to make improvements the situation will not change overnight. They will need to take it one bite at a time.
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By NINA CRISCUOLO
