DuPage County Ranked Healthiest in the State

By AMIE SCHAENZER (Patch Staff)

DuPage County, IL - DuPage County has been ranked as the healthiest county in the state, according to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health rankings, which were released Wednesday.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation rankings are based on quality of life factors such as longevity and overall health status, including physical and mental health, according to a DuPage County press release.

The rankings cover counties in all 50 states and include two separate categories, including Health Outcomes (how healthy we are) and Health Factors (how healthy we can be). DuPage County ranked No. 1 overall in both categories among the 102 counties in Illinois, according to the news release.

"This is especially gratifying since it is the first time DuPage County has ranked No. 1 in both key measures,” said Karen Ayala, Executive Director of the Health Department. “The Health Department places a high priority on positively and effectively influencing the factors that affect the health of our residents."

DuPage County health officials cite several countywide initiatives over the last several years that have contributed positively to the health of residents, which include the DuPage Narcan Program, RxBOX medication collection initiative, Impact DuPage and the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team continue to drive healthy living in DuPage.

"We realize that within those programs, as well as many others, our success is due to the strong partnerships and collaborative approaches within DuPage County," Ayala said. "These rankings are not the result of a single agency's efforts, but rather the health care safety net systems that exist throughout our communities."

Several other suburban counties fared well in the rankings.Kendall County was ranked No. 2 on the list whileMcHenry County received a No. 4 ranking on the list. Other suburban counties included on the list were: Lake County (No. 7), Kane County (No. 13) and Will County(No. 14). Cook County was ranked No. 64 on the list.

The online report and more information on the rankings can be found here.