FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. —The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) recognizes the value in measuring health outcomes and acknowledges the 2022 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 www.FLHealthCHARTS.com.

“We strive to improve the health of all Okaloosa County residents,” said Elizabeth Smith, Health Officer of DOH-Okaloosa. “With these rankings, we can see what areas our county scores higher than Florida as a whole. They look at things like high school completion and residents who are uninsured. It also shows us what areas we need to improve upon such as adult smoking, adult obesity and number of teen births.”

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

To explore more health indicators in your county, visit www.FLHealthCHARTS.com.

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

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