Northwest Arkansas counties continue to be the healthiest in the state, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin' Population Health Institute.
Benton County has ranked first in the state and Washington County second since the report started in 2010. Lafayette County in southwest Arkansas, on the Louisiana border, had the worst ranking in this year's report.
At A Glance
The top 10 healthiest counties in the state according to the 2015 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. For more rankings and data visit countyhealthranking…
• Benton
• Washington
• Boone
• Saline
• Faulkner
• Pike
• Madison
• Pope
• Lonoke
• Craighead
The report is meant to provide counties with information they need to improve health, said Jan O'Neil, an associate researcher and community coach with the report, titled County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.
"We pick measures that people can do something about," O'Neil said. "It is a call to action and it is an opportunity for counties."
The report gathers data on health outcomes such as premature death and low birth weight to rank the counties on those outcomes. It also ranks the counties on what it calls health "factors." Data about ease of access to exercise, access to primary care physicians, economic status and pollution are compared to rank counties for health factors.
Benton County remained No. 1 for health factors in the 2015 report and Washington County kept its fourth place position. Phillips County, whose county seat is Helena-West Helena, ranked last out of Arkansas' 75 counties.
O'Neil said the outcomes ranking provides county officials with an idea of where they are at currently. The factors ranking is more an idea where the county will be in the future, she said.
Loy Bailey, Benton County Health Unit director, said the report gives officials data to use for goal-setting.
"Even though we might rank very well in the state overall, we can continue to improve," Bailey said.
Benton County has 1,787 people to every primary care physician, the report shows. That compares to 1,562 to every one physician in the state.
Population growth in Benton County has contributed to the shortage of doctors, Bailey said.
"That is continually going to be a challenge," Bailey said.
Michael Harvey, chief operating officer for the Northwest Arkansas Council, said a discussion has started at the regional level about health care providers
"People want more medical services in the region," Harvey said. "They want more specialists. They want more doctors. We are an underserved market in almost every health occupation in the book."
At some point a consultant will probably be brought into the region to explore the issue, Harvey said.
Access to exercise opportunities is one factor that helps Benton County keep a high ranking every year, according to the report. The report says 84 percent of residents have access to exercise, compared with 66 percent of people in the state.
Misty Murphy, regional trails coordinator for the Northwest Arkansas Council, said trails are the easiest way for people to access exercise in the region.
"There is no barrier to entry," Murphy said. "You don't have to buy anything to be on a trail."
Private and public entities have worked together to develop and expand trails in the region, Murphy said.
"I love to see Washington and Benton County on top because that is where we do our work, but I would love to see other regions in the state prioritize this as well," Murphy said.
Every county has its strengths and weaknesses, O'Neil said.
"Every community is unique and individual," O'Neil said. "Every county can partner with business, government, education and public health."
Phillips County ranked 74th of the 75 counties in the state overall. However, it is ranked 45th for clinical care, which includes data points such as number of physicians and mental health professionals and percentage of people who are insured.
Becky Hall, center director of UAMS East in Helena-West Helena, leads a wellness and prevention program that includes a diabetes education clinic. The program teaches people how to monitor their health for signs of the disease.
About 75 percent of diabetic Medicare patients in Phillips County had their blood sugar monitored in 2015, according to the report. This compares to 83 percent of the population in the state. However, the county has shown a steady trend upward for diabetic monitoring. About 68 percent of Medicare patients were monitoring their blood pressure in the county in 2014, the report states.
Independence County in northeast Arkansas ranked 29th in the state overall even though some of its social and economic factors are below state averages. For example, the county had a 9.2 percent unemployment rate compared to the state's 7.5 percent rate.
Andi Ridgeway, Hometown Health Improvement Program director, said Independence County ranks well because of dedication from its residents to be healthy.
Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh said he has created several health-related initiatives. These include adding trails and a farmer's market, along with building sport fields and a community center.
City employees also receive a day off for primary care appointments, Elumbaugh said.
"We had 50- to 60-year-olds who had never had a health screening," Elumbuagh said.
Pulaski County ranked 22 in the state overall and 1st for clinical care.