(Martin County, FL)– The Florida Department of Health in Martin County recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and today acknowledged the sixth annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This study highlights the many community factors that influence health and uses established data, much of which is available from the department at www.floridacharts.com.

"Thanks to community partnerships and collaboration, Martin County continues to rank high in the state for overall health. Maintaining a healthy community requires support and engagement from all community entities," said Karlette Peck, health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Martin County.

These rankings are a snapshot of the health of counties across the country and they emphasize that health is not a singular effort but a combined work in progress across all community partners. The department works in collaboration with local governments, non-profit organizations, health care facilities, business groups, schools, faith-based organizations and many other stakeholders to improve the health of all people in Martin County. These rankings use data related to physical environments, social and economic factors, health behaviors and clinical care.

The Florida Department of Health in Martin County is in the process of completing a Community Health Assessment (CHA) and will then work with community stakeholders to develop a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The department continues to work closely with the Shared Services Network Roundtable and the United Way Health Task force to address childhood obesity and oral health, as well as health disparities.

"The health of our entire community is of great importance. We are committed to supporting initiatives that help our residents live healthier lives," said Ed Fielding, Martin County District 2 commissioner and chairman of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners.

"We have been proud to collaborate with the Florida Department of Health in Martin County," said Dr. Michael Gervasi, president and CEO for Florida Community Health Centers, Inc. "The high rankings for overall health demonstrate the effectiveness of this collaboration."

"This report shows how fortunate we are to live in a place like Martin County where most of the population is healthy, but that isn’t the case for everyone," said Jim Vojcsik, president and CEO for the United Way of Martin County. "Enhancing healthy living is a priority issue and it takes numerous community partners working together to make it happen."