KaneHealthCounts.org Is Live!
“Why is this important?”
That’s one of the questions answered time and time again on KaneHealthCounts.org, the new and extremely cool data-sharing site that launched today courtesy of the Kane County Health Department.
The site allows residents to find health data, resources and track and compare Kane County to other counties, and promises to be a boon not only to residents, but students, researches and Kane County healthcare professionals.
“Users can look up their communities — often being able to drill down to their zip code — and find meaningful statistics related to health,” said Barbara Jeffers, executive director of the Kane County Health Department. “You will be able to see for yourself the many ways the information can be used to compare your health with the community in which you live, as well as the communities in the region.”
The new website serves as a storehouse of health data, demographic information, resources, best practices and reports that provide an unbiased look at life in Kane County.
“Because we know that where we live has a direct effect on our health, this type of information is crucial,” Jeffers said in a press release. “It dictates the ability to find healthy food (grocery stores and farmer’s markets) and opportunities for physical activity (walkable neighborhoods and parks). The physical environment plays a part in the air we breathe and the water we drink. The information concerning these factors and much, much more will be available on the new website.”
The best way to get familiar with the site, of course, is to peruse it yourself. Visit www.KaneHealthCounts.org.
Just One Example
Want to know how many Kane County adults are covered by health insurance? It’s 84.8 percent. And you can break down the information by zip code, by demographics and by other factors that could be of more than passing interest to you and your family. An example is posted below.
Why is this important?
Medical costs in the United States are extremely high, so people without health insurance may not be able to afford medical treatment or prescription drugs. They are also less likely to get routine checkups and screenings, so if they do become ill they will not seek treatment until the condition is more advanced and therefore more difficult and costly to treat. Many small businesses are unable to offer health insurance to employees due to rising health insurance premiums.
The Healthy People 2020 national health target is to increase the proportion of people with health insurance to 100 percent.
Key Features of www.kanehealthcounts.org
- It has a wide variety of data that you can look up. Just a few examples of the numerous indicators are access to health services, heart disease, employment, educational attainment, air quality, transportation, and numerous others. Some of this data can be drilled down to zip code level as well. Each indicator you click on contains information on the measure, related measures, and an interactive map.
- There are numerous dashboards on the site such as a disparities dashboard, a demographics page, a Health People 2020 progress tracker, and a SocioNeeds Index.
- You can also build custom reports based on the areas and categories you are looking up and can even have the reports emailed directly to you.
- Whenever you search a particular indicator they also list promising practices to help address that particular need.
- Whether searching a particular indicator or our resource page, there are also funding opportunities tied to the issue you are researching.
- You can also join our mailing list to be part of the Health Departments monthly newsletter Health Matters or you can also join the interactive outreach initiative Kane County Connects.
About the Kane County Health Department
In active partnership with our community, the Kane County Health Department improves the quality of life and well-being of all residents by developing and implementing local policies, systems, and services that protect and promote health, and prevent disease, injury and disability. Visit the Health Department’s Facebook Page and sign up for the award-winning “Health Matters” newsletter.
