County Ranks Low on the Health Ladder
 Attendees shared their comments and suggestions for improving the community's health. |
That was the diagnosis from Dr. A. Gray Ellrodt, chief of medicine and director of internal medicine at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, on Thursday night.
"You can tell a whole lot based on some very powerful indicators," Ellrodt said. "Socio-economic status is one. Another is behavioral factors. People think of the Berkshires as a wealthy community — we are not. We are far from it."
Ellrodt and three other area medical professionals participated in the first of the "Four Freedoms Forums," a monthly town-meeting style forum held at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Inspired by Rockwell's iconic "Four Freedoms" — of speech and worship and from want and fear — the museum is bringing the community together for discussions to mark the paintings' 70th anniversary.
Thursday night's forum, "Sickness, Wellness and Social Responsibility" sparked major discussion amidst some alarming statistics.
Of the 14 counties in Massachusetts, the Berkshires ranked 11th in health outcomes and social and economic factors, eighth in health factors and 12th in physical environment. Additionally, 15 percent of children under the age of 18 live in poverty while adult smoking is at 20 percent and teen pregnancy is at 25 percent.
"In terms of quality of life and by that we mean days lost from work because you're feeling depressed or sick," he said. "We don't do well in this. When you see this you wonder can we overcome that destiny?"
The county is not just lagging behind in physical health. Lisa Fletcher-Udel, director of collaborations and prevention activities at the Berkshire Area Health Education Center, said mental health statistics are also less than stellar.
"Between 2003 and 2007, we had the highest rate of nonfatal, self-inflicted injury hospital visits in the whole state," she said. "That was for kids ages 10 to 24. Between 2004 and 2008, we've had six teen suicides. As a result of these numbers we've gotten grants. We're trying to raise awareness about this."
Dr. Jennifer Michaels, medical director of the Brien Center in Pittsfield, also expressed concern for the county's mental health status.
"Twenty-five percent of us will experience mental illness in our lives," she said. "Many suffer quietly. We serve over 10,000 Berkshire residents every year. The people I see come in toward the end of their disease. We are paying by not being socially responsible. People who are mentally ill are not 'them' – it's us."
While the statistics are sobering at best, Dr. Mark Pettus, chief of medicine at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, said that the numbers offer an opportunity to improve.
"Healthy living does not occur at the doctor's office. The road to healthy living is paved by the choices we make every day," he said. "The statistics are pretty sobering. We have incredibly unique resources and we have to figure out how we can begin to leverage these with the numbers."
The crowd had many comments and suggestions for improving the health situation in the area. Forming peer support groups, "old-fashioned" Medicare, education, preventative care and more community involvement were among these.
"Lack of community is one of the ills of our culture," said Cheryl Rose of Dalton. "It's in making our financial and political discussions about more than just what we want that we think about others as a whole."
For more information on county health statistics visit the County Health Rankings website. The next forum, on "Freedom From Want," will be held on Feb. 17 at 5:30 and will focus on "Food, Farmers and Families."
