Living well summer 2014

muskogeephoenix.com

LLiivviinngg WWeellllLLiivviinngg WWeellllJuly 27, 2014

Checkup:Health careby county

Page 12 — Sunday, July 27, 2014 Living WellMuskogee Phoenix

By Anita RedingPhoenix Staff Writer

Prevention and educa-tion should be top priori-ties for the state regardinghealth care, said Dr.Michael Stratton, aMuskogee physician.

Stratton made thosecomments in reference tothe recent State of theState’s Health Report, onwhich Muskogee Countyranked very low in numer-ous categories.

The state needs to focuson preventative medicineand educate people ondiet, health, smoking ces-sation, substance abuseand other areas, he said.

“Overall, they need tolearn how to live a healthylife,” he said.

Muskogee County isranked 69th in the statefor total mortality, and theleading causes of deathare heart disease, cancerand chronic lower respira-tory disease, according tothe State of the State’sHealth Report.

The county’s cancer inci-dence rate was one of theworst in the state and is20 percent higher than thenational rate, the reportstates.

Muskogee Countyranked 75th in the statefor the rate of deathsattributed to chronic lowerrespiratory disease.

The report also statesthat 28 percent of theadults in the county werecurrently smokers, andranked the county as thefourth highest in the state— 41 percent higher thanthe national rate.

The rates of death dueto chronic lower respirato-ry disease and uninten-tional injury worsened by31 percent and 36 percentrespectively.

The county received lowgrades for several risk fac-tors, including scores of

“F” for minimal fruit andvegetable consumption. Agrade of “F” also was givento the county for lack of

physical activity, thereport states.

The news was not allbad for the county, howev-

er. The rate of deaths dueto nephritis (kidney dis-ease) improved 37 per-cent. The occupational

fatality rate improved 28percent.

The county also saw adecrease in the occurrence

of diabetes, and receivedan “A.” The countyreceived top scores for thenumber of seniors receiv-ing influenza and pneu-monia vaccinations.

Stratton said the recentdecision to cut reimburse-ments for the state’sMedicaid and SoonerCareto physicians will affecthealth care.

“Why are we cuttinghealth care when ourstate is ranked at the bot-tom as far as the health ofour citizens?” he said.

“We’ve made very bigstrides in health care forchildren,” he said, addingthat some specialists havebeen brought to the state.

With the decrease inreimbursement, Strattonsaid the state will seesome of the doctors whowere recruited leaving.

“That’s going to be atragic thing for the state,”he said.

Stratton said there areseveral reasons for theinfant mortality rate beingworse than the previousyear on the recent healthreport, including drugabuse by parents, lack ofprenatal care, child abuseand lack of education.

Based on the informa-tion in the State of theState’s Health Report,Oklahoma overall is mak-ing progress, said WilliamPierson, the county healthdepartment’s acting direc-tor.

“We still have a ways togo, but we are seeing someimprovement,” he said.

He said that theOklahoma healthimprovement plan isfocused on three keyissues — children’shealth, obesity and smok-ing cessation. If thoseareas can be improved “weare making progress.”

Reach Anita Reding at(918) 684-2903 or [email protected].

Living Well Sunday, July 27, 2014 — Page 11Muskogee PhoenixPage 2 — Sunday, July 27, 2014 Living WellMuskogee Phoenix

Report: Incidence of cancer high in county

Previous Current GradeMORTALITY

Infant (rate per 1,000) 5.9 7.5 DTotal (rate per 100,000)963.7 1060.5 F

LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH

(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 252.9 257.4 FMalignant neoplasm (cancer) 217.4 212.7 FCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 54.7 53.1 FChronic lower respiratorydisease 76.2 99.8 FUnintentional injury 49.7 67.4 FDiabetes 29.8 18.7 A

Influenza/pneumonia 18.5 32.8 FAlzheimer’s disease 43.7 33.6 DNephritis (kidney disease)15.7 9.9 BSuicides 14.6 15.7 D

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 12.5% 12.9% FCurrent asthma prevalence10.6% 11.3% FCancer incidence (Rate per100,000) 545.3 553.8 F

RISK FACTORS AND BEHAVIORS

Minimal fruit consumptionNA 51.7% FMinimal vegetable consumption

NA 28.6% FNo physical activity 33.1% 30.1% FCurrent smoking prevalence30.7% 27.6% FObesity 32.2% 33.4% FImmunizations < 3 years72.0% 79.8% ASeniors influenza vaccination 62.2% 67.7% BSeniors pneumonia vaccination 71.7% 73.9% ALimited activity days 19.0% 20.6% FPoor mental health days28.2% 26..5% DPoor physical health days25.8% 26.5% FGood or better health rating74.3% 75.6% FTeen fertility (rate per 1,000)

35.5 29.9 FFirst trimester prenatal care60.3% 63.2% FLow birth weight 8.6% 8.9% DAdult dental visits 49.7% 51.2% FUsual source of care 75.3% 75.4% COccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000 workers)5.0 3.6 CPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000)2486.3 2380.6 F

SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS

No insurance 24.0% 19.9% DPoverty 19.7% 24.1% F

Source: Oklahoma Department of Health

Muskogee County Health Report

Staff photo by Anita Reding

Dr. Michael Stratton completes an office exam for Quaid Sikes, 15 months, as his mother, Lacy Sikes, holdshim. Muskogee County received an A in the recent State of the State’s Health Report for immunizations of chil-dren 3 or younger.

By D.E. SmootPhoenix Staff Writer

A recent report releasedby the OklahomaDepartment of Healthshows the state continuesto face ongoing challengeswith regard to publichealth, but there arepromising signs ofimprovement.

Total mortality rates forthe state — Oklahomahas the fourth highestrate of deaths in thenation from all causes —earned a failing gradewith 915.5 deaths for100,000 residents. Thatcompares to 747 deathsper capita for the nationas a whole.

Oklahoma performedslightly better — itearned a D in the 2014State of the State’s HealthReport — when it comesto infant mortalities, with7.6 deaths for every 1,000infants in the state.Nationally, the per capitarate of infant mortalitywas 6.1 per 1,000.

Wagoner County faredsomewhat better than thestate as a whole, withstate health officialsassigning a score of D fortotal mortality rate.Statistics for 2012, thebase year for this year’sreport, show there were830.7 deaths per 100,000residents — that is downfrom the 910.8 deathsreported previously.

The infant mortalityrate in Wagoner Countyalso fared better than thestate as a whole, with just5.6 deaths of children

younger than 12 monthsof 1,000 reported for thestudy year. While scoringa C with regard to infantmortality, the rate creptupward from the previousrate of 5.4 infant deathsper 1,000.

Stacey Jones, extensioneducator for family andconsumer sciences withthe Oklahoma StateUniversity ExtensionOffice in Coweta, creditedpublic awareness andaccess for recent publichealth improvements inWagoner County. She alsoattributed some of thebetter-than-average num-bers on lower poverty lev-els and a more educatedpopulation.

“Here in WagonerCounty, we do have ahigher number of peoplewho have attended col-

lege, more people withmaster’s degrees and doc-torate-level education,”said Jones, who also is amember of WagonerCounty Family ServiceCouncil. “WagonerCounty is somewhat ruralbut semi-urbanized, so wedo have access to severalcolleges and universities.”

Louise Micolites, aregional consultant forOklahoma Turning PointCoalition, credited anincreased focus on envi-ronmental factors thatcan impact public health.She said the coalitionworks with communitiesand local organization tofind solutions to local pub-lic health needs.

“It’s a good and worthything to educate people,but the fact is most peoplealready know what they

need to do to be healthy,”Micolites said. “What weare really trying to do now— the big push during thepast five years — is try tochange the environmentpeople live in a way thatsupports proper eatingand exercise.”

Micolites said the focusin public health initia-tives now tends to focusmore on providing oppor-tunities to live a healthylifestyle. Some factorsinclude efforts to makesure there are safe, light-ed sidewalks, and parksto promote activelifestyles.

While being proactiveon that end, Micolites saidthe No. 1 health concernin most of Oklahoma con-tinues to be tobacco cessa-tion. She said programsmade possible by an

endowment fund set upwith settlement proceedsfrom tobacco lawsuits hasresulted with a 10 percentdrop in tobacco use, butmore can be done.

The leading causes ofdeath in Wagoner County,which ranks as the 13thbest of the 77 counties inOklahoma, were heartdisease, cancer, stroke andchronic lower respiratorydisease. Even with cancerbeing the second leadingcause of death there,Wagoner County had oneof the lowest incidences ofcancer in the state and, 16percent lower than thenational rate with just188.6 deaths of 100,000attributable to cancer.

Wagoner County out-shined most otherOklahoma counties in anumber of public health-

related areas, accordingthe state report. The coun-ty had the 10th best self-health rating and theeighth lowest rate of resi-dents who live below thepoverty level.

Other risk data relatedto behavioral or socioeco-nomic factors showWagoner County tied forthe third lowest rate forteenagers giving birth —with 13.8 teen pregnan-cies per 1,000 teens, itranked 40 percent lowerthan the state rate percapita.

Even while the numberof teen pregnancies inWagoner County trendeddownward, the countyreceived a failing gradefor prenatal care duringthe first trimester of allpregnancies. Jones saidthere could be a couplereasons to explain thephenomenon: Somewomen may not knowthey are pregnant untilthey reach the end of thefirst trimester, and othersmay be opting for alterna-tive care.

With regard to futureimprovements, both Jonesand Micolites said there isa greater emphasis onchildhood obesity and dia-betes. Jones said she isworking with state offi-cials on a program focus-ing on students rangingfrom third- to eighth-grade to improve fitnessthrough better eatinghabits and more activelifestyles.

Reach D.E. Smoot at(918) 684-2901 or [email protected].å

Wagoner County death rate lower than state’sPrevious Current Grade

MORTALITYInfant (rate per 1,000) 5.4 5.6 CTotal (rate per 100,000) 910.8 830.7 D


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 249.4 208.5 DMalignant neoplasm (cancer)206.0 188.6 DCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 59.1 41.2 CChronic lower respiratory disease 68.8 67.1 FUnintentional injury 55.0 56.5 FDiabetes 36.1 22.4 C

Influenza/pneumonia 21.8 11.4 BAlzheimer’s disease 28.3 26.3 CNephritis (kidney disease) 5.9 14.1 CSuicides 10.2 17.0 D

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 11.8% 12.2% FCurrent asthma prevalence8.1% 8.5% CCancer incidence (rate per 100,000) 300.7 384.8 A


Minimal fruit consumption NA 51.3% FMinimal vegetable consumption

NA 25.9% DNo physical activity 30.7% 27.9% DCurrent smoking prevalence25.1% 22.2% DObesity 31.9% 33.0% FImmunizations < 3 years60.1% 73.0% CSeniors influenza vaccination64.7% 70.1% A

Seniors pneumonia vaccination 74.1% 76.2% ALimited activity days 16.3% 17.6% CPoor mental health days26.1% 24.4% CPoor physical health days22.4% 23.0% CGood or better health rating81.7% 82.8% CTeen fertility (rate per 1,000)

14.9 13.8 CFirst trimester prenatal care62.5% 64.2% FLow birth weight 8.1% 7.3% BAdult dental visits 60.7% 62.5% DUsual source of care 81.5% 81.8% BOccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000) 2.0 4.8 CPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000) 1831.7 1747.8 D


No insurance 17.3% 13.6% BPoverty 11.0% 12.8% B


Wagoner County Health Report

““WWhhaatt wwee aarree rreeaallllyy ttrryyiinngg ttoo ddoo nnooww —— tthhee bbiigg ppuusshh dduurriinngg tthhee ppaasstt ffiivvee yyeeaarrss —— iiss ttrryy ttoo cchhaannggee tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt ppeeoopplleelliivvee iinn aa wwaayy tthhaatt ssuuppppoorrttss pprrooppeerr eeaattiinngg aanndd eexxeerrcciissee..””

— Louise Micolites, a regional consultant for Oklahoma Turning Point Coalition


Adams, who is takingthe class, said she haslearned a lot about caringfor herself and her baby.She said she also learneda lot visiting Champlainand Craig at TahlequahMedical Center.

Champlain said womenneed prenatal care earlyin their pregnancy tohelp identify potentialproblems and risk fac-tors. The TahlequahMedical Center, part ofthe NortheasternOklahoma CommunityHealth Centers system,offers ultrasound andfree pregnancy testing.

“We are striving toeliminate any barrierswomen would have toprenatal care,”Champlain said.“Financial barriers arealways a factor. Prenatalcare would be a low prior-ity for people who arestruggling financially. Wehave a lot of patientswith transportationissues.”

Poverty continues to bea major health issue in

Cherokee County.According to the statereport, nearly one in fourCherokee County resi-dents — 24.6 percent —live in poverty.Statewide, 18 percent ofOklahomans live inpoverty.

Gahn said low econom-ic status has been associ-ated with several healthrisk factors.

“A lot of factors tiedirectly into education,”Gahn said.

For example, the statereport also gaveCherokee County an “F”for a high teen fertilityrate — 38.1 per thou-sand.

“One of the root causesfor low economic status ishaving children as ateenager,” Gahn said. “Ifa woman has a child as ateenager, she is not aslikely to finish school.”

Cherokee County alsohad a high rate of deathscaused by heart disease,cancer, lower respiratorydisease, influenza/pneu-monia and suicide,according to the 2014report.

Reach Cathy Spauldingat (918) 684-2928 [email protected].

CherokeeContinued from Page 8

dren who completed theprimary immunizationseries improved by 29 per-cent. The infant mortalityrate saw a slight improve-ment and the low birth-weight rate dropped by 15percent.

“There has been a realconcentrated effort to talkabout tobacco prevention,”Ables said.

Current smoking preva-lence dropped from 26.9percent to 23.8 percent.Ables said a push from thehealth departments, espe-cially in schools, may haveaccounted for thedecrease.

Other positive percent-ages from McIntosh

County include animproved mortality rateand senior vaccinationrates.

The overall mortalityrate improved 6 percent,and the rate of deaths dueto kidney diseaseimproved by 27 percent.Seniors’ influenza andpneumonia vaccinationsranked better than thenational average.

Ables said the health

report is an importantindicator for the state.Risk behavior surveys andhospital data is used togather the information.

“This is something thatgives us a snapshot ofwhat’s goin˚g on in thecounty,” Ables said. “We usethe most consistent datasources that are available.”

Reach E.I. Hillin at(918) 684-2926 or [email protected].

McIntoshContinued from Page 5


Specific leading causes ofdeath that contribute toOklahoma’s high mortalityrate include the following:

• Oklahoma has the 12thhighest rate of death due tocancer in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the third

highest rate of death due toheart disease in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the fourthhighest rate of death due tostroke in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the high-est rate of death due tochronic lower respiratory dis-ease in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the fourthhighest rate of death due todiabetes in the nation.

Contributing to our highmortality rates are behavioralrisk factors that disproportion-ately overburdenOklahomans. Areas of con-cern include the following:

• Oklahoma is the 44thleast physically active state inthe nation.

• Oklahoma has the sixthhighest rate of obesity in thenation.

• Oklahoma’s adult smok-ing rate in 2012, while betterthan the 26.1 percent in2011, was 23.3 percent com-pared to 19.6 percent nation-ally.

Source: Oklahoma StateDepartment of Health’s “State of theState’s Health Report”

State health facts


By Cathy SpauldingPhoenix Staff Writer

TAHLEQUAH — Witha baby due in threeweeks, Hulbert residentRachel Adams said sheappreciates the prenatalcare she receives atTahlequah MedicalCenter.

“Dr. Champlain isgreat,” Adams said, refer-ring to Dr. WallaceChamplain, ob/gyn at thecenter. “And I go to SarahCraig, the nurse midwife.I love her to pieces. She isa miracle worker. She isthere every step of theway.”

Adams, 28, is fortunateto receive such care.

According to theOklahoma StateDepartment of Health,most Cherokee Countymothers-to-be do notreceive adequate prena-tal care in their firsttrimester. The depart-ment’s 2014 State of theState’s Health Reportgave Cherokee County anF letter grade for firsttrimester prenatal care,noting that 59.6 percentof women in the countyreceive such care, com-pared with 65.5 percentof women statewide.

Even at 65.5 percent,the state of Oklahomareceived an F in that cat-egory.

The 2014 reportshowed a slight improve-ment from the state’s2011 report, which indi-cated 56.1 percent ofCherokee County womenreceiving first trimesterprenatal care.

Area health careproviders are working tohelp women get throughtheir pregnancy.

Cherokee Nation’sW.W. Hastings Hospitalhas six certified ob/gyns,

a certified nurse practi-tioner and seven certifiednurse midwives, said Dr.David Gahn, an ob/gynand surveillance coordi-nator for CherokeeNation Public Health.

Tahlequah CityHospital has threeob/gyns and one nursemidwife, said MeganGrogan, RN. Groganhelps teach a three-weekbirthing class at the hos-pital, which is changingits name to NortheastHealth System.

“We have a class everythree months,” Grogansaid, adding that theclass is $35 for womendelivering at TCH or $50for women delivering atother hospitals.

Cherokee County gets F in prenatal care

Previous Current gradeMORTALITY

Infant (rate per 1,000) 8.9 7.2 DTotal (rate per 100,000)1053 9 955.2 F


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 291.8 257.7 FMalignant neoplasm (cancer) 194.4 215.6 FCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 73.2 43.8 DChronic lower respiratorydisease 63.9 65.4 FUnintentional injury 74.7 48.1 DDiabetes 35.7 24.2 D

Influenza/pneumonia 24.4 26.0 FAlzheimer’s disease 15.5 20.5 BNephritis (kidney disease)20.7 8.7 BSuicides 14.0 25.2 F

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 10.7% 11.1% DCurrent asthma prevalence9.7% 10.3% DCancer incidence (rate per 100,000) 447.3 489.2 D



NA 27.6% DNo physical activity 30.5% 27.7% DCurrent smoking prevalence26.5% 23.7% DObesity 31.3% 32.6% DImmunizations < 3 years74.8% 76.9% BSeniors influenza vaccination 63.5% 68.9% ASeniors pneumonia vaccination 73.5% 75.7% ALimited activity days 17.5% 19.1% DPoor mental health days26.0% 24.4% CPoor physical health days24.6% 25.3% DGood or better health rating79.2% 80.2% DTeen fertility (rate per 1,000)

33.7 31.8 FFirst trimester prenatal care56.1% 59.6% FLow birth weight 7.7% 8.7% CAdult dental visits 58.4% 60.1% DUsual source of care 72.6% 72.7% DOccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000 workers)* 5.6 DPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000)1775.7 1328.7 B


No insurance 21.5% 17.5% CPoverty 25.3% 24.6% F* Denotes <5 events in mor-tality fields.


Cherokee County Health Report

Staff photo by Cathy Spaulding

Hulbert resident Rachel Adams rests on a pillow during a birthing class at Tahlequah City Hospital. The hos-pital offers the three-week class about four times a year.

By E.I. HillinPhoenix Staff Writer

While the numbers ofuninsured adults andsmokers decreased inMcIntosh County, there’sdefinitely room forimprovement, said TressiaAbles.

“We have madeimprovements,” Ablessaid. “We are very awarethere are things we wantto work on.”

McIntosh County’s lead-ing causes of death areheart disease, cancer, andunintentional injury.According to theOklahoma StateDepartment of Health’s“State of the State’sHealth Report,” one inseven adults in McIntoshCounty had been diag-nosed with diabetes, mak-ing it the second worse inthe state and 46 percenthigher than the national

rate.Ables, public informa-

tion officer for McIntoshCounty HealthDepartment, said thethree flagship issues thestate health department isconcentrating on aretobacco use prevention,obesity, and children’shealth.

Inside the health report,data collected from 2012 iscompiled to show risk fac-tors, disease rates, andleading causes of death foreach county.

Ables said there is aconnection between thehigh percentages of heartdisease and stroke and thelifestylˇˇes of residents inthe county.

“McIntosh County isconsidered a poverty coun-ty,” Ables said. “There’snot a lot of economicdevelopment, and peopleare job hunting.”

The report states that

one in four residents inthe county live in poverty.The poverty rateincreased from 20.8 per-cent to 24.5 percent sincethe previous year.

“When you’re living in apoverty county there’s nota whole lot of activities,”Ables said. “Type two dia-betes directly tied intolack of exercise and pooreating habits.”

Teen fertility rates haveincreased from 21 percentto 27.3 percent. McIntoshranked 27th in the statefor teen fertility rates andis 77 percent higher thanthe national average.

While poverty and dia-betes plague the county,the improvements in theamount of tobacco use andchild immunizations aregood signs, Ables said.

The percentage of chil-

Diabetes incidence high in McIntosh County


Infant (rate per 1,000) 12.8 11.4 FTotal (rate per 100,000) 965.5 1027.5 F


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 277.9 255.4 FMalignant neoplasm (cancer) 205.1 210.8 FCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 55.9 49.0 FChronic lower respiratorydisease 77.3 83.8 FUnintentional injury 83.4 87.3 FDiabetes 28.6 18.6 AInfluenza/pneumonia 15.0 35.4 FAlzheimer’s disease 12.6 24.0 CNephritis (kidney disease) 11.9 8.7 BSuicides 18.0 17.9 F

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 13.4 14.0% FCurrent asthma prevalence 8.3 8.8% CCancer incidence (rate per100,000) 484.8 496.1 D


Minimal fruit consumption NA 52.2% FMinimal vegetable consumption NA 28.6% FNo physical activity 35.8% 32.9% FCurrent smoking prevalence 26.9% 23.8% DObesity 32.4% 33.5% FImmunizations < 3 years 62.5% 80.6% ASeniors influenza vaccination 63.3% 68.7% ASeniors pneumonia vaccination 72.4% 74.6% ALimited activity days 18.5% 20.0% D

Poor mental health days 26.5% 24.7% CPoor physical health days 26.0% 26.8% FGood or better health rating 73.8% 75.0% FTeen fertility (rate per 1,000) 21.0 27.3 FFirst trimester prenatal care 54.7% 58.3% FLow birth weight 9.4% 7.9% CAdult dental visits 50.5% 52.1% FUsual source of care 77.6% 78.1% COccupational fatalities(Rate per 100,000 workers)* *Preventable hospitalizations(Rate per 100,000)1733.0 1763.9 D




McIntosh County Health Report

(See MCINTOSH, Page 10)

(See CHEROKEE, Page 10)

““WWee aarreessttrriivviinngg ttooeelliimmiinnaattee

aannyy bbaarrrriieerrsswwoommeennwwoouullddhhaavvee ttoo

pprreennaattaallccaarree..””

— Dr. Wallace Champlain,ob/gyn at Tahlequah

Medical Center

Staff photo by E.I. Hillin

Teryy Acuff, 38, stands smoking a cigarette on West Gentry Avenue in Checotah.Acuff said he has been smoking most of his life and has no home. Poverty is oneof the leading factors in health issues in McIntosh County according to health offi-cials.


U.S. Okla. GradeMORTALITY

Infant (rate per 1,000)6.1 7.6 DTotal (rate per 100,000)747.0 915.5 F

LEADING CAUSESOF DEATH

(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease179.1 235.2 FMalignant neoplasm(cancer)172.8 191.3 DCerebrovascular disease

(stroke) 39.1 50.0 FChronic lower respiratory disease42.2 67.4 FUnintentional injury38.1 60.5 FDiabetes20.8 26.9 DInfluenza/pneumonia 15.1 19.7 DAlzheimer’s disease 25.1 26.1 CNephritis (kidney disease) 15.3 15.0 CSuicides12.1 16.5 D

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence9.7% 11.5% DCurrent asthma prevalence8.9% 10.2% D

Cancer incidence(rate per 100,000) 460.5 456.9 C

RISK FACTORSAND BEHAVIORS

Minimal fruit consumption 37.7% 50.2% FMinimal vegetableconsumption 22.6% 26.8% DNo physical activity 22.9% 28.3% DCurrent smokingprevalence 19.6% 23.3% DObesity 27.6% 32.2% DImmunizations < 3 years 71.9% 64.7% DSeniors influenza vaccination 60.1% 67.8% BSeniors pneumonia vaccination68.8% 74.9% ALimited activity days (avg.)2.6 3.0 D

Poor mental healthdays (avg.)3.9 4.2 CPoor physical health days (avg.) 4.0 4.4 DGood or better health rating83.1% 81.0% DTeen fertility(rate per 1,000) 15.4 22.9 DFirst trimester prenatal care 73.1% 65.5% FLow birth weight 8.1% 8.4% CAdult dental visits 67.2% 58.9% FUsual source of care 77.8% 75.9% COccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000 workers)4.1 7.0 FPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000) 1562.1 1815.8 D

SOCIOECONOMICFACTORS

No insurance 17.1% 18.0% CPoverty15.9% 17.2% C

Source: Oklahoma Dept. of Health

Oklahoma Health Report


U.S. Okla. GradeMORTALITY

Infant (rate per 1,000)6.1 7.6 DTotal (rate per 100,000)747.0 915.5 F

LEADING CAUSESOF DEATH

(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease179.1 235.2 FMalignant neoplasm(cancer)172.8 191.3 DCerebrovascular disease

(stroke) 39.1 50.0 FChronic lower respiratory disease42.2 67.4 FUnintentional injury38.1 60.5 FDiabetes20.8 26.9 DInfluenza/pneumonia 15.1 19.7 DAlzheimer’s disease 25.1 26.1 CNephritis (kidney disease) 15.3 15.0 CSuicides12.1 16.5 D

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence9.7% 11.5% DCurrent asthma prevalence8.9% 10.2% D

Cancer incidence(rate per 100,000) 460.5 456.9 C

RISK FACTORSAND BEHAVIORS

Minimal fruit consumption 37.7% 50.2% FMinimal vegetableconsumption 22.6% 26.8% DNo physical activity 22.9% 28.3% DCurrent smokingprevalence 19.6% 23.3% DObesity 27.6% 32.2% DImmunizations < 3 years 71.9% 64.7% DSeniors influenza vaccination 60.1% 67.8% BSeniors pneumonia vaccination68.8% 74.9% ALimited activity days (avg.)2.6 3.0 D

Poor mental healthdays (avg.)3.9 4.2 CPoor physical health days (avg.) 4.0 4.4 DGood or better health rating83.1% 81.0% DTeen fertility(rate per 1,000) 15.4 22.9 DFirst trimester prenatal care 73.1% 65.5% FLow birth weight 8.1% 8.4% CAdult dental visits 67.2% 58.9% FUsual source of care 77.8% 75.9% COccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000 workers)4.1 7.0 FPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000) 1562.1 1815.8 D

SOCIOECONOMICFACTORS

No insurance 17.1% 18.0% CPoverty15.9% 17.2% C

Source: Oklahoma Dept. of Health

Oklahoma Health Report


By Cathy SpauldingPhoenix Staff Writer

TAHLEQUAH — Witha baby due in threeweeks, Hulbert residentRachel Adams said sheappreciates the prenatalcare she receives atTahlequah MedicalCenter.

“Dr. Champlain isgreat,” Adams said, refer-ring to Dr. WallaceChamplain, ob/gyn at thecenter. “And I go to SarahCraig, the nurse midwife.I love her to pieces. She isa miracle worker. She isthere every step of theway.”

Adams, 28, is fortunateto receive such care.

According to theOklahoma StateDepartment of Health,most Cherokee Countymothers-to-be do notreceive adequate prena-tal care in their firsttrimester. The depart-ment’s 2014 State of theState’s Health Reportgave Cherokee County anF letter grade for firsttrimester prenatal care,noting that 59.6 percentof women in the countyreceive such care, com-pared with 65.5 percentof women statewide.

Even at 65.5 percent,the state of Oklahomareceived an F in that cat-egory.

The 2014 reportshowed a slight improve-ment from the state’s2011 report, which indi-cated 56.1 percent ofCherokee County womenreceiving first trimesterprenatal care.

Area health careproviders are working tohelp women get throughtheir pregnancy.

Cherokee Nation’sW.W. Hastings Hospitalhas six certified ob/gyns,

a certified nurse practi-tioner and seven certifiednurse midwives, said Dr.David Gahn, an ob/gynand surveillance coordi-nator for CherokeeNation Public Health.

Tahlequah CityHospital has threeob/gyns and one nursemidwife, said MeganGrogan, RN. Groganhelps teach a three-weekbirthing class at the hos-pital, which is changingits name to NortheastHealth System.

“We have a class everythree months,” Grogansaid, adding that theclass is $35 for womendelivering at TCH or $50for women delivering atother hospitals.

Cherokee County gets F in prenatal care


Infant (rate per 1,000) 8.9 7.2 DTotal (rate per 100,000)1053 9 955.2 F


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 291.8 257.7 FMalignant neoplasm (cancer) 194.4 215.6 FCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 73.2 43.8 DChronic lower respiratorydisease 63.9 65.4 FUnintentional injury 74.7 48.1 DDiabetes 35.7 24.2 D

Influenza/pneumonia 24.4 26.0 FAlzheimer’s disease 15.5 20.5 BNephritis (kidney disease)20.7 8.7 BSuicides 14.0 25.2 F

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 10.7% 11.1% DCurrent asthma prevalence9.7% 10.3% DCancer incidence (rate per 100,000) 447.3 489.2 D



NA 27.6% DNo physical activity 30.5% 27.7% DCurrent smoking prevalence26.5% 23.7% DObesity 31.3% 32.6% DImmunizations < 3 years74.8% 76.9% BSeniors influenza vaccination 63.5% 68.9% ASeniors pneumonia vaccination 73.5% 75.7% ALimited activity days 17.5% 19.1% DPoor mental health days26.0% 24.4% CPoor physical health days24.6% 25.3% DGood or better health rating79.2% 80.2% DTeen fertility (rate per 1,000)

33.7 31.8 FFirst trimester prenatal care56.1% 59.6% FLow birth weight 7.7% 8.7% CAdult dental visits 58.4% 60.1% DUsual source of care 72.6% 72.7% DOccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000 workers)* 5.6 DPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000)1775.7 1328.7 B




Cherokee County Health Report

Staff photo by Cathy Spaulding

Hulbert resident Rachel Adams rests on a pillow during a birthing class at Tahlequah City Hospital. The hos-pital offers the three-week class about four times a year.

By E.I. HillinPhoenix Staff Writer

While the numbers ofuninsured adults andsmokers decreased inMcIntosh County, there’sdefinitely room forimprovement, said TressiaAbles.

“We have madeimprovements,” Ablessaid. “We are very awarethere are things we wantto work on.”

McIntosh County’s lead-ing causes of death areheart disease, cancer, andunintentional injury.According to theOklahoma StateDepartment of Health’s“State of the State’sHealth Report,” one inseven adults in McIntoshCounty had been diag-nosed with diabetes, mak-ing it the second worse inthe state and 46 percenthigher than the national

rate.Ables, public informa-

tion officer for McIntoshCounty HealthDepartment, said thethree flagship issues thestate health department isconcentrating on aretobacco use prevention,obesity, and children’shealth.

Inside the health report,data collected from 2012 iscompiled to show risk fac-tors, disease rates, andleading causes of death foreach county.

Ables said there is aconnection between thehigh percentages of heartdisease and stroke and thelifestylˇˇes of residents inthe county.

“McIntosh County isconsidered a poverty coun-ty,” Ables said. “There’snot a lot of economicdevelopment, and peopleare job hunting.”

The report states that

one in four residents inthe county live in poverty.The poverty rateincreased from 20.8 per-cent to 24.5 percent sincethe previous year.

“When you’re living in apoverty county there’s nota whole lot of activities,”Ables said. “Type two dia-betes directly tied intolack of exercise and pooreating habits.”

Teen fertility rates haveincreased from 21 percentto 27.3 percent. McIntoshranked 27th in the statefor teen fertility rates andis 77 percent higher thanthe national average.

While poverty and dia-betes plague the county,the improvements in theamount of tobacco use andchild immunizations aregood signs, Ables said.

The percentage of chil-

Diabetes incidence high in McIntosh County


Infant (rate per 1,000) 12.8 11.4 FTotal (rate per 100,000) 965.5 1027.5 F


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 277.9 255.4 FMalignant neoplasm (cancer) 205.1 210.8 FCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 55.9 49.0 FChronic lower respiratorydisease 77.3 83.8 FUnintentional injury 83.4 87.3 FDiabetes 28.6 18.6 AInfluenza/pneumonia 15.0 35.4 FAlzheimer’s disease 12.6 24.0 CNephritis (kidney disease) 11.9 8.7 BSuicides 18.0 17.9 F

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 13.4 14.0% FCurrent asthma prevalence 8.3 8.8% CCancer incidence (rate per100,000) 484.8 496.1 D


Minimal fruit consumption NA 52.2% FMinimal vegetable consumption NA 28.6% FNo physical activity 35.8% 32.9% FCurrent smoking prevalence 26.9% 23.8% DObesity 32.4% 33.5% FImmunizations < 3 years 62.5% 80.6% ASeniors influenza vaccination 63.3% 68.7% ASeniors pneumonia vaccination 72.4% 74.6% ALimited activity days 18.5% 20.0% D

Poor mental health days 26.5% 24.7% CPoor physical health days 26.0% 26.8% FGood or better health rating 73.8% 75.0% FTeen fertility (rate per 1,000) 21.0 27.3 FFirst trimester prenatal care 54.7% 58.3% FLow birth weight 9.4% 7.9% CAdult dental visits 50.5% 52.1% FUsual source of care 77.6% 78.1% COccupational fatalities(Rate per 100,000 workers)* *Preventable hospitalizations(Rate per 100,000)1733.0 1763.9 D




McIntosh County Health Report

(See MCINTOSH, Page 10)

(See CHEROKEE, Page 10)

““WWee aarreessttrriivviinngg ttooeelliimmiinnaattee

aannyy bbaarrrriieerrsswwoommeennwwoouullddhhaavvee ttoo

pprreennaattaallccaarree..””

— Dr. Wallace Champlain,ob/gyn at Tahlequah

Medical Center

Staff photo by E.I. Hillin

Teryy Acuff, 38, stands smoking a cigarette on West Gentry Avenue in Checotah.Acuff said he has been smoking most of his life and has no home. Poverty is oneof the leading factors in health issues in McIntosh County according to health offi-cials.


Specific leading causes ofdeath that contribute toOklahoma’s high mortalityrate include the following:

• Oklahoma has the 12thhighest rate of death due tocancer in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the third

highest rate of death due toheart disease in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the fourthhighest rate of death due tostroke in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the high-est rate of death due tochronic lower respiratory dis-ease in the nation.

• Oklahoma has the fourthhighest rate of death due todiabetes in the nation.

Contributing to our highmortality rates are behavioralrisk factors that disproportion-ately overburdenOklahomans. Areas of con-cern include the following:

• Oklahoma is the 44thleast physically active state inthe nation.

• Oklahoma has the sixthhighest rate of obesity in thenation.

• Oklahoma’s adult smok-ing rate in 2012, while betterthan the 26.1 percent in2011, was 23.3 percent com-pared to 19.6 percent nation-ally.

Source: Oklahoma StateDepartment of Health’s “State of theState’s Health Report”

State health facts


Adams, who is takingthe class, said she haslearned a lot about caringfor herself and her baby.She said she also learneda lot visiting Champlainand Craig at TahlequahMedical Center.

Champlain said womenneed prenatal care earlyin their pregnancy tohelp identify potentialproblems and risk fac-tors. The TahlequahMedical Center, part ofthe NortheasternOklahoma CommunityHealth Centers system,offers ultrasound andfree pregnancy testing.

“We are striving toeliminate any barrierswomen would have toprenatal care,”Champlain said.“Financial barriers arealways a factor. Prenatalcare would be a low prior-ity for people who arestruggling financially. Wehave a lot of patientswith transportationissues.”

Poverty continues to bea major health issue in

Cherokee County.According to the statereport, nearly one in fourCherokee County resi-dents — 24.6 percent —live in poverty.Statewide, 18 percent ofOklahomans live inpoverty.

Gahn said low econom-ic status has been associ-ated with several healthrisk factors.

“A lot of factors tiedirectly into education,”Gahn said.

For example, the statereport also gaveCherokee County an “F”for a high teen fertilityrate — 38.1 per thou-sand.

“One of the root causesfor low economic status ishaving children as ateenager,” Gahn said. “Ifa woman has a child as ateenager, she is not aslikely to finish school.”

Cherokee County alsohad a high rate of deathscaused by heart disease,cancer, lower respiratorydisease, influenza/pneu-monia and suicide,according to the 2014report.

Reach Cathy Spauldingat (918) 684-2928 [email protected].

CherokeeContinued from Page 8

dren who completed theprimary immunizationseries improved by 29 per-cent. The infant mortalityrate saw a slight improve-ment and the low birth-weight rate dropped by 15percent.

“There has been a realconcentrated effort to talkabout tobacco prevention,”Ables said.

Current smoking preva-lence dropped from 26.9percent to 23.8 percent.Ables said a push from thehealth departments, espe-cially in schools, may haveaccounted for thedecrease.

Other positive percent-ages from McIntosh

County include animproved mortality rateand senior vaccinationrates.

The overall mortalityrate improved 6 percent,and the rate of deaths dueto kidney diseaseimproved by 27 percent.Seniors’ influenza andpneumonia vaccinationsranked better than thenational average.

Ables said the health

report is an importantindicator for the state.Risk behavior surveys andhospital data is used togather the information.

“This is something thatgives us a snapshot ofwhat’s goin˚g on in thecounty,” Ables said. “We usethe most consistent datasources that are available.”

Reach E.I. Hillin at(918) 684-2926 or [email protected].

McIntoshContinued from Page 5

By Anita RedingPhoenix Staff Writer

Prevention and educa-tion should be top priori-ties for the state regardinghealth care, said Dr.Michael Stratton, aMuskogee physician.

Stratton made thosecomments in reference tothe recent State of theState’s Health Report, onwhich Muskogee Countyranked very low in numer-ous categories.

The state needs to focuson preventative medicineand educate people ondiet, health, smoking ces-sation, substance abuseand other areas, he said.

“Overall, they need tolearn how to live a healthylife,” he said.

Muskogee County isranked 69th in the statefor total mortality, and theleading causes of deathare heart disease, cancerand chronic lower respira-tory disease, according tothe State of the State’sHealth Report.

The county’s cancer inci-dence rate was one of theworst in the state and is20 percent higher than thenational rate, the reportstates.

Muskogee Countyranked 75th in the statefor the rate of deathsattributed to chronic lowerrespiratory disease.

The report also statesthat 28 percent of theadults in the county werecurrently smokers, andranked the county as thefourth highest in the state— 41 percent higher thanthe national rate.

The rates of death dueto chronic lower respirato-ry disease and uninten-tional injury worsened by31 percent and 36 percentrespectively.

The county received lowgrades for several risk fac-tors, including scores of

“F” for minimal fruit andvegetable consumption. Agrade of “F” also was givento the county for lack of

physical activity, thereport states.

The news was not allbad for the county, howev-

er. The rate of deaths dueto nephritis (kidney dis-ease) improved 37 per-cent. The occupational

fatality rate improved 28percent.

The county also saw adecrease in the occurrence

of diabetes, and receivedan “A.” The countyreceived top scores for thenumber of seniors receiv-ing influenza and pneu-monia vaccinations.

Stratton said the recentdecision to cut reimburse-ments for the state’sMedicaid and SoonerCareto physicians will affecthealth care.

“Why are we cuttinghealth care when ourstate is ranked at the bot-tom as far as the health ofour citizens?” he said.

“We’ve made very bigstrides in health care forchildren,” he said, addingthat some specialists havebeen brought to the state.

With the decrease inreimbursement, Strattonsaid the state will seesome of the doctors whowere recruited leaving.

“That’s going to be atragic thing for the state,”he said.

Stratton said there areseveral reasons for theinfant mortality rate beingworse than the previousyear on the recent healthreport, including drugabuse by parents, lack ofprenatal care, child abuseand lack of education.

Based on the informa-tion in the State of theState’s Health Report,Oklahoma overall is mak-ing progress, said WilliamPierson, the county healthdepartment’s acting direc-tor.

“We still have a ways togo, but we are seeing someimprovement,” he said.

He said that theOklahoma healthimprovement plan isfocused on three keyissues — children’shealth, obesity and smok-ing cessation. If thoseareas can be improved “weare making progress.”

Reach Anita Reding at(918) 684-2903 or [email protected].


Report: Incidence of cancer high in county

Previous Current GradeMORTALITY

Infant (rate per 1,000) 5.9 7.5 DTotal (rate per 100,000)963.7 1060.5 F


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 252.9 257.4 FMalignant neoplasm (cancer) 217.4 212.7 FCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 54.7 53.1 FChronic lower respiratorydisease 76.2 99.8 FUnintentional injury 49.7 67.4 FDiabetes 29.8 18.7 A

Influenza/pneumonia 18.5 32.8 FAlzheimer’s disease 43.7 33.6 DNephritis (kidney disease)15.7 9.9 BSuicides 14.6 15.7 D

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 12.5% 12.9% FCurrent asthma prevalence10.6% 11.3% FCancer incidence (Rate per100,000) 545.3 553.8 F



NA 28.6% FNo physical activity 33.1% 30.1% FCurrent smoking prevalence30.7% 27.6% FObesity 32.2% 33.4% FImmunizations < 3 years72.0% 79.8% ASeniors influenza vaccination 62.2% 67.7% BSeniors pneumonia vaccination 71.7% 73.9% ALimited activity days 19.0% 20.6% FPoor mental health days28.2% 26..5% DPoor physical health days25.8% 26.5% FGood or better health rating74.3% 75.6% FTeen fertility (rate per 1,000)

35.5 29.9 FFirst trimester prenatal care60.3% 63.2% FLow birth weight 8.6% 8.9% DAdult dental visits 49.7% 51.2% FUsual source of care 75.3% 75.4% COccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000 workers)5.0 3.6 CPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000)2486.3 2380.6 F


No insurance 24.0% 19.9% DPoverty 19.7% 24.1% F


Muskogee County Health Report

Staff photo by Anita Reding

Dr. Michael Stratton completes an office exam for Quaid Sikes, 15 months, as his mother, Lacy Sikes, holdshim. Muskogee County received an A in the recent State of the State’s Health Report for immunizations of chil-dren 3 or younger.

By D.E. SmootPhoenix Staff Writer

A recent report releasedby the OklahomaDepartment of Healthshows the state continuesto face ongoing challengeswith regard to publichealth, but there arepromising signs ofimprovement.

Total mortality rates forthe state — Oklahomahas the fourth highestrate of deaths in thenation from all causes —earned a failing gradewith 915.5 deaths for100,000 residents. Thatcompares to 747 deathsper capita for the nationas a whole.

Oklahoma performedslightly better — itearned a D in the 2014State of the State’s HealthReport — when it comesto infant mortalities, with7.6 deaths for every 1,000infants in the state.Nationally, the per capitarate of infant mortalitywas 6.1 per 1,000.

Wagoner County faredsomewhat better than thestate as a whole, withstate health officialsassigning a score of D fortotal mortality rate.Statistics for 2012, thebase year for this year’sreport, show there were830.7 deaths per 100,000residents — that is downfrom the 910.8 deathsreported previously.

The infant mortalityrate in Wagoner Countyalso fared better than thestate as a whole, with just5.6 deaths of children

younger than 12 monthsof 1,000 reported for thestudy year. While scoringa C with regard to infantmortality, the rate creptupward from the previousrate of 5.4 infant deathsper 1,000.

Stacey Jones, extensioneducator for family andconsumer sciences withthe Oklahoma StateUniversity ExtensionOffice in Coweta, creditedpublic awareness andaccess for recent publichealth improvements inWagoner County. She alsoattributed some of thebetter-than-average num-bers on lower poverty lev-els and a more educatedpopulation.

“Here in WagonerCounty, we do have ahigher number of peoplewho have attended col-

lege, more people withmaster’s degrees and doc-torate-level education,”said Jones, who also is amember of WagonerCounty Family ServiceCouncil. “WagonerCounty is somewhat ruralbut semi-urbanized, so wedo have access to severalcolleges and universities.”

Louise Micolites, aregional consultant forOklahoma Turning PointCoalition, credited anincreased focus on envi-ronmental factors thatcan impact public health.She said the coalitionworks with communitiesand local organization tofind solutions to local pub-lic health needs.

“It’s a good and worthything to educate people,but the fact is most peoplealready know what they

need to do to be healthy,”Micolites said. “What weare really trying to do now— the big push during thepast five years — is try tochange the environmentpeople live in a way thatsupports proper eatingand exercise.”

Micolites said the focusin public health initia-tives now tends to focusmore on providing oppor-tunities to live a healthylifestyle. Some factorsinclude efforts to makesure there are safe, light-ed sidewalks, and parksto promote activelifestyles.

While being proactiveon that end, Micolites saidthe No. 1 health concernin most of Oklahoma con-tinues to be tobacco cessa-tion. She said programsmade possible by an

endowment fund set upwith settlement proceedsfrom tobacco lawsuits hasresulted with a 10 percentdrop in tobacco use, butmore can be done.

The leading causes ofdeath in Wagoner County,which ranks as the 13thbest of the 77 counties inOklahoma, were heartdisease, cancer, stroke andchronic lower respiratorydisease. Even with cancerbeing the second leadingcause of death there,Wagoner County had oneof the lowest incidences ofcancer in the state and, 16percent lower than thenational rate with just188.6 deaths of 100,000attributable to cancer.

Wagoner County out-shined most otherOklahoma counties in anumber of public health-

related areas, accordingthe state report. The coun-ty had the 10th best self-health rating and theeighth lowest rate of resi-dents who live below thepoverty level.

Other risk data relatedto behavioral or socioeco-nomic factors showWagoner County tied forthe third lowest rate forteenagers giving birth —with 13.8 teen pregnan-cies per 1,000 teens, itranked 40 percent lowerthan the state rate percapita.

Even while the numberof teen pregnancies inWagoner County trendeddownward, the countyreceived a failing gradefor prenatal care duringthe first trimester of allpregnancies. Jones saidthere could be a couplereasons to explain thephenomenon: Somewomen may not knowthey are pregnant untilthey reach the end of thefirst trimester, and othersmay be opting for alterna-tive care.

With regard to futureimprovements, both Jonesand Micolites said there isa greater emphasis onchildhood obesity and dia-betes. Jones said she isworking with state offi-cials on a program focus-ing on students rangingfrom third- to eighth-grade to improve fitnessthrough better eatinghabits and more activelifestyles.

Reach D.E. Smoot at(918) 684-2901 or [email protected].å

Wagoner County death rate lower than state’sPrevious Current Grade

MORTALITYInfant (rate per 1,000) 5.4 5.6 CTotal (rate per 100,000) 910.8 830.7 D


(Rate per 100,000)Heart disease 249.4 208.5 DMalignant neoplasm (cancer)206.0 188.6 DCerebrovascular disease(stroke) 59.1 41.2 CChronic lower respiratory disease 68.8 67.1 FUnintentional injury 55.0 56.5 FDiabetes 36.1 22.4 C

Influenza/pneumonia 21.8 11.4 BAlzheimer’s disease 28.3 26.3 CNephritis (kidney disease) 5.9 14.1 CSuicides 10.2 17.0 D

DISEASE RATESDiabetes prevalence 11.8% 12.2% FCurrent asthma prevalence8.1% 8.5% CCancer incidence (rate per 100,000) 300.7 384.8 A


Minimal fruit consumption NA 51.3% FMinimal vegetable consumption

NA 25.9% DNo physical activity 30.7% 27.9% DCurrent smoking prevalence25.1% 22.2% DObesity 31.9% 33.0% FImmunizations < 3 years60.1% 73.0% CSeniors influenza vaccination64.7% 70.1% A

Seniors pneumonia vaccination 74.1% 76.2% ALimited activity days 16.3% 17.6% CPoor mental health days26.1% 24.4% CPoor physical health days22.4% 23.0% CGood or better health rating81.7% 82.8% CTeen fertility (rate per 1,000)

14.9 13.8 CFirst trimester prenatal care62.5% 64.2% FLow birth weight 8.1% 7.3% BAdult dental visits 60.7% 62.5% DUsual source of care 81.5% 81.8% BOccupational fatalities (Rate per 100,000) 2.0 4.8 CPreventable hospitalizations (Rate per 100,000) 1831.7 1747.8 D


No insurance 17.3% 13.6% BPoverty 11.0% 12.8% B


Wagoner County Health Report

““WWhhaatt wwee aarree rreeaallllyy ttrryyiinngg ttoo ddoo nnooww —— tthhee bbiigg ppuusshh dduurriinngg tthhee ppaasstt ffiivvee yyeeaarrss —— iiss ttrryy ttoo cchhaannggee tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt ppeeoopplleelliivvee iinn aa wwaayy tthhaatt ssuuppppoorrttss pprrooppeerr eeaattiinngg aanndd eexxeerrcciissee..””

— Louise Micolites, a regional consultant for Oklahoma Turning Point Coalition

muskogeephoenix.com

LLiivviinngg WWeellllLLiivviinngg WWeellllJuly 27, 2014

Checkup:Health careby county

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