Putnam Scores High Again in County Health Rankings

The seventh annual County Health Rankings have been released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, and for the sixth consecutive year, Putnam County ranks among the top five counties in New York State.

The rankings provide a snapshot of a community’s health and a starting point for investigating and discussing ways to improve health.

“Putnam County residents should be proud and feel encouraged. These rankings show a consistent pattern of good health,” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell in a prepared statement. “Our residents are fortunate to enjoy a healthy lifestyle—built upon good individual choices and the work of our nationally-accredited health department."

Saratoga County clocked in at No. 1.

Here's how the lower Hudson Valley counties rank in health outcomes:

3 Rockland

4 Putnam

5 Westchester

10 Dutchess

16 Ulster

23 Orange

29 Columbia

59 Greene

61 Sullivan

Last year Putnam was second in health outcomes, and third in health factors, from among the 62 counties in the state.

The County’s move from second to fourth place in health outcomes comes along with higher number of self-reported poor mental health days. This data is collected as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the nation’s premier telephone health survey. Putnam residents are asked to think about their mental health, and to estimate the number of days during the past 30 days when it was not good.

The number of poor mental health days rose from 2.2 to 3.1—one of the reasons that mental, emotional and behavioral health promotion was selected as one of two top Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) priorities, along with chronic disease prevention.

“Our health department’s number-one goal is making Putnam a healthier place to live, work and play,” said Michael Nesheiwat M.D., Interim Commissioner of Health. “We do this through collaboration, education, prevention and enforcement.”

For more information on the 2015 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, visit the website.