Secretary of Health Applauds Pennsylvania Counties Recognized Among Nation’s Healthiest Communities by U.S. News & World Report

Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen today recognized Chester and Montgomery counties for being selected to the top 100 healthiest communities in the country according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Healthiest Communities rankings.

“Congratulations to Chester and Montgomery counties for being among the top 100 healthiest communities in the nation,” said Secretary Bogen. “We are fortunate that Pennsylvania’s new bi-partisan budget makes significant investments in key factors to help make our communities, and Pennsylvanians, healthier.”

The 2024 Healthiest Communities rankings and accompanying analysis are based on an evaluation of approximately 2,800 communities, nationwide. The project looks at how counties perform across 92 health and health-related metrics to capture how they best serve their residents in 10 main categories: Community Vitality, Economy, Education, Environment, Equity, Food & Nutrition, Population Health, Housing, Infrastructure and Public Safety. The top 500 counties receive a ranking, including Adams (477), Allegheny (321), Bucks (188), Butler (250), Centre (478), Chester (84), Cumberland (124), Delaware (442), Montgomery (66), Montour (325), Washington (376) and Westmoreland (476) counties in Pennsylvania.

“Many factors and strategies contribute to improving the health of residents and their communities,” said Secretary Bogen. “The new state budget provides funding for many initiatives that strengthen opportunities toward achieving the vision of a healthy Pennsylvania for all.”

Health-related investments in the bipartisan 2024-25 budget include: 

·         Expanding access to high-quality health care for women with an additional $2.6 million to enhance prenatal care, promote maternal health education, address racial disparities, and strengthen support systems to help ensure every pregnant woman in Pennsylvania receives the comprehensive care necessary for a safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth;

·         Providing $3 million for free menstrual hygiene products in schools to ensure Pennsylvania students have the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom;

·         Supporting health care systems with $34.5 million for rural hospitals and $75 million for nursing home facilities; and

·         Providing $20 million to support community-based mental health services across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

  
For more information on how the 2024-25 budget will create opportunity for Pennsylvanians, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.   

To compile the rankings and create the overall Healthiest Communities project, U.S. News partnered with the University of Missouri Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES), a research institution skilled in community health assessment. Overall, the rankings are based on metrics drawn from sources such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.