It has been pointed out that although the United States has the most expensive health care in the world, our health outcomes significantly lag other countries.  For example, in the ranking of countries with the longest life expectancy, the United States ranks #31 while it ranks 55th in infant mortality.

Meanwhile, here, the economic impact of Baptist Memorial Health Care alone is $2.6 billion, it is $2 billion for University of Tennessee Health Science Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is more than $2 billion, the medical device industry is $2.6 billion, and so it goes.

And yet, health outcomes for Shelby County, when ranked with the 95 counties of Tennessee, falls toward the middle at #49 in 2018.  It was the same in 2016 but a decline from #39 in 2015.

Nashville/Davidson County was ranked #13, Chattanooga/Hamilton County was ranked #22, and Knoxville/Knox County was ranked #8.

Key Health Rankings Among 95 Counties of Tennessee:

#36 – length of life

#71 – quality of life

#28 – health behaviors

#16 – clinical care

#88 – social and economic factors

#39 – physical environment

Data Points for Shelby County:

9,300  – premature deaths

22% – poor or fair health

11% – low birthweight

14% – frequent physical distress

14% – frequent mental distress

13% – diabetes prevalence

34% – adult obesity

30% – physical inactivity

90% – access to exercise opportunities

22% – food insecurity

9% – limited access to healthy foods

37% – insufficient sleep

50% – children in single parent households

22% – severe housing problems

30% – long commute, driving alone

17% – uninsured

Source: County Health Rankings and Roadmaps  (A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program)

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