HEALTH FACTORS AND ACCESS TO CARE IN CALIFORNIA’S COUNTIES

Prepared by: Stella Kim

Hospital Location Implications for Health

Hospitals are entries to health care access

“Access to health services means the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes”¹

California has 535 licensed acute care hospitals²

1. Institute of Medicine, Committee on Monitoring Access to Personal Health Care Services. Access to health care in America. Millman M, editor. Washington: National Academies Press; 1993.

2. Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development

http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/HID/Products/FacilityList/HospitalListing_June2012.pdf

Source: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/planning_eval/vital_statistics/Physician_Information_main_page.html

Hospitals are heavily clustered in wealthier counties

Median income varied from $36k in Modoc County to $94k in Marin County

Los Angeles County on the higher side of median income at $58,611

Skills: Geoprocessing (clipping) and Geocoding, Inset Map, Select by Attribute – “Highest Income Counties” was derived by Querying “Median Income” for “medincome.> 75000 and exporting data to a new layer. Map Prepared by Stella

Kim

Income and Hospital Location Variation

Map Prepared by Stella Kim

Population Clusters and Hospital Location

Skills: Geocoding, Geoprocessing (clipping), Point Graduated Symbol

Map Prepared by Stella Kim

CA Geographic Terrain and Hospital Location

Skills: Geocoding, Geoprocessing (clipping)

Map Prepared by Stella Kim

Sources: California Public Health Department, ARCGIS Online Basemap

In densely populated counties, most can access hospitals coverage of the entire county is generally within 10 miles

Rural counties have less hospitals and their ranges don’t meet

Source: US Census, California Department of Public HealthSkills: Geoprocessing (clipping), Geocoding, Buffering

Map Prepared by Stella Kim

±

10 Mile Radius of Hospitals Within Counties

Health Risks: Diabetes Incidence and Uninsured Populations

The CDC estimates that in the US, 8.3% of the population is currently diabetic¹

In California the diabetic rate ranges from 8% to 10%

National uninsured rate was 15.7% in 2011 of 311 million people according to the US Census ²

California’s counties ranged from 12% in Marin County to 25% in Los Angeles County

1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf

2. Kaiser Health Newshttp://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/september/12/census-number-of-uninsured-drops.aspx

California Counties Above National Average Percent of Uninsured Populations

California Counties Above National Average Percent of Diabetic Incidence

Sources: US Census, County Health Rankings ProjectMap Prepared by Stella Kim

Methodology: County Health Rankings

County Health Ranking Project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ¹

Ranks counties based on Health Factors, tobacco usage, sex, diet, access to care, quality of care, income, employment, education and environment

Also ranks counties based on health outcomes including morbidity, mortality, health behaviors, clinical care.

1. County Health Rankings http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

County Health Rankings Highest to LowestSkills:

Geoprocessing (clipping), Geocoding

Map Prepared by Stella Kim

LA County: A Closer Look

Uninsured in LA County and Cali-

fornia

Percent of California Population in LA

County

2,150,986

6,472,43

7

Number of Uninsured in

LA County and California

Los Ange-les CountyCali-fornia

9,889,056

37,691,912

Proportion of Cali-fornia Population

in LA CountyLos Angeles County California

91

535

Hospitals in LA County and Cali-

fornia Los AngelesCalifornia

FINDINGS & NEXT STEPS FINDINGS: Median Income breakdown of counties are very

similar to County Health Rankings with wealthier and higher ranked counties having the most hospitals and access of care

Counties with high incidence of diabetes, and uninsured populations are lacking in hospital service.

Additional variables and data must be examined to better compare LA County’s health status and hospital utilization as a possible factor for the final

SKILLS UTILIZED Inset Map Geocoding Geoprocessing Point symbol Buffering Attribute sub-set selections

Challenges CHALLENGES: GIS steep learning curve,

DATA DATA DATA, finding it and manipulating it. Lack of actual hospital utilization data put further query at a standstill

FURTHER QUERIES: Thorough examination and hunting of original data for an innovative project

Sources US Census California Department of Public Health County Health Ranking Project Kaiser Health News Center for Disease Control Office of Statewide Health Planning and

Development Institute of Medicine