Colorado Health Report Card . . . Being a healthy state is not easy, but progress is being made!

The Colorado Health Foundation, in partnership with the Colorado Health Institute, released its 2016 Colorado Health Report Card on February 17, 2016. The report marks 10 years of ranking Colorado against other states based on 38 health indicators across five life stages, revealing data trends that showcase Colorado’s progress and struggles in health over a decade. View the infographic. In addition to sharing 10-year trends for some of Colorado’s most pressing health issues, this year’s Health Report Card features the latest annual rankings across five life stages and “deep dive” workbooks focused on specific health indicators.

Over the past decade, Colorado’s Report Card rankings have faltered on the following health issues: 

• Healthy Beginnings: The percentage of children between 19 and 35 months who received all their recommended immunizations dropped from 80.3 in 2007 to 74.3 in 2016. 
• Healthy Children: The number of children living in poverty is on the rise, from 14.4 percent in 2007 to 20.1 percent in 2016. 
• Healthy Adolescents: The percentage of teens living in poverty has increased from 10.3 percent in 2007 to 17.7 percent in 2016. 
• Healthy Adults: Adults experiencing poor mental health increased from 11.8 in 2007 to 13.7 in 2016. 
• Healthy Aging: Colorado struggles to improve immunization for seniors, with a decrease from 62.2 percent in 2007 to 52.8 percent in 2016. 

While these are concerning trends, there is progress to note from the past 10 years. Both babies and children earned their highest grades in this latest 2016 Health Report Card. The Healthy Beginnings category climbed from a C to a C+, mostly because Colorado moms-to-be reached sixth place nationally for timely prenatal care, jumping 12 places. And Healthy Children also took home a C+, with higher health insurance coverage driving their rise from a C.

The Jefferson County Health Improvement Network (JCHIN) and each of the integrated coalitions are all working to address the drivers of poor health and/or the social determinants of health in our communities.