Tioga County has ranked 24th out of 62 counties in New York State for Health Outcomes, according to the county’s Public Health Department. This is a slight drop from the 2021 ranking of 20th, but Tioga County still remains in the higher middle range of counties in New York.
The County Health Rankings reinforce the fact that health is more than what happens at the doctor’s office. There are a multitude of factors that influence quality and length of life. The County Health Rankings provide counties across the country an opportunity to see how well they are performing in terms of health outcomes and factors so they can celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement.
The 2022 County Health Rankings have begun to reveal the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our community’s health.
According to Tioga County’s Public Health Department, we saw a notable increase in years of potential life lost before age 75, per 100,000 (6,500) compared to rates from the 2021 County Health Rankings (5,948).
Unemployment rates increased from 4.10% reported in 2021 to 7.8%.
Rates of sexually transmitted infections increased from 189.4 in the 2021 Rankings to 257.2 in the 2022 Rankings.
Despite the challenges the community has faced, there were several notable improvements. The percentage of adults with diabetes decreased from 12% in the 2021 County Health Rankings to 8%.
Improvements in health factors related to substance abuse and risky behaviors included a decrease in Tioga County’s teen birth rate (20 per 1,000 females 15-19), rate of driving deaths related to alcohol impairment (13%), and drug overdose mortality rate (15 per 1,000).
Positive changes were also seen in factors related to education and children in poverty. The percentage of Tioga County residents with some college education rose from a previously stagnant 61% to 63%. The number of children in poverty decreased to 12%, and the percentage of children qualifying for free or reduced lunch dropped to 47%.
“As always, our primary focus is on prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices,” said Lisa McCafferty, Tioga County Public Health director, adding, “Through education and outreach, and ongoing work with our community partners, we will continue to take steps to improve the overall health of Tioga County.”
Ongoing work with community partners includes Tioga Opportunities, Tioga County Adult Immunization Coalition, Tobacco Free Broome and Tioga, Tioga County Allies in Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), Team Tioga, Council of Governments, and the Family Enrichment Health Advisory Committee.
McCafferty wrote, “Through these partnerships we hope to continue educating and positively affecting the health of Tioga County.”
For more information about the County Health Rankings and to compare Tioga County to other counties in New York State visit www.countyhealthrankings.org/.
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