Daytona Beach, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and today acknowledged the 2016 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 floridacharts.com.

Volusia County’s health outcomes ranking has improved overall to 40th out of 67 in the state. Volusia’s 2015 ranking was 45th. The strongest improvements were seen in the areas of quality of life and physical environment. The full report is online at countyhealthrankings.org.

“The improvements seen in Volusia County over the past year are a direct result of the partnerships the Department of Health has forged with our community,” said Ron Rondeau, DOH-Volusia County interim director. “Together we continue to identify and address the barriers to good health that are specific to Volusia County. We’re seeing the impact of those efforts in our improved rankings.”

A year-over-year comparison of Volusia’s health rankings is online at volusiahealth.com.

Rankings are a snapshot of the health of counties across the country. 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 Volusia County citizens. These rankings use data related to physical environments, social and economic factors, health behaviors and clinical care.

As member of One Voice for Volusia, DOH-Volusia County in partnership with more than 150 partnering agencies are finalizing the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) which will lead to the development of the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). This collaborative assessment creates an important opportunity to improve the health of Volusia County residents by ensuring that each partner has the information they need to meet the needs of those they serve. It also provides an opportunity to better coordinate efforts to maximize resources and achieve better outcomes, Rondeau said.

“We’re very pleased that the combined efforts of the community have positively affected the health of our residents, and while we will continue to improve, we appreciate the recognition of our hard work in improving this year’s county health rankings”, said Ed Noseworthy, CEO of Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center.

Last week, the Florida Department of Health became the first integrated department of health in the nation to achieve national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board. Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. The seal of accreditation signifies that the Florida Department of Health has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.