A county health report ranked Alachua County No. 1 for clinical care.
The sixth annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report — a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute — ranks counties based off of health factors and health outcomes.
Under health factors, Alachua County ranked top in the state in the clinical care category, which includes the percentage of uninsured people and the dentist-to-patient ratio.
In Florida, Alachua County received an overall ranking of 18 out of 67 counties. Roger Dolz, program administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County, said it’s important for those in the county to take pride in being at the top of the clinical care category.
“This is not just a county health department ranking,” he said. “This is a community ranking.”
Tony Hernandez, office manager for Gainesville Medical Centers, said there are few areas where the student population and the residential Gainesville community come together, but health and wellness is one of them.
To stay at the top of the list, Hernandez said it’s important not to forget the word “care” because health care remains a service-based industry.
Daniel Duncanson, the CEO of Southeastern Integrated Medical, said he thinks the high ranking is a result of the combined efforts of community physicians and UF.
He said ensuring people are educated and providing resources to areas where health care may not be as strong are part of how the county will maintain its ranking.
Alicia Baker, health promotion specialist for GatorWell, wrote in an email that she thinks Alachua County has such a high ranking for clinical care because of the county’s health resources.
The university provides expansive medical support through its UF Health programs and Shands Hospital, she said, adding that Gainesville also has the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, which helps serve the area’s veterans.
In the past, Alachua County’s overall ranking has been between 15 and 18.
“That ranking makes me happy, but not thrilled because I know Gainesville and UF have the resources to make this county even healthier than it already is,” Baker said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 4/1/2015 under the headline “Alachua County ranked No. 1 in the state for clinical care”]
