HEALTH FACTORS AND
ACCESS TO CARE IN
CALIFORNIA’S COUNTIES
Prepared by: Stella Kim
Hospital Location Implications for
Health
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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
Source:
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/pl
anning_eval/vital_statistics/
Physician_Information_main_
page.html
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
Income and Hospital Location Variation
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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
Map Prepared by Stella Kim
CA Geographic Terrain and Hospital Location
opulation Clusters and Hospital Location
Map Prepared by Stella Kim
Skills: Geocoding, Geoprocessing (clipping), Point
Graduated Symbol
Map Prepared by Stella Kim
Skills: Geocoding, Geoprocessing (clipping)
Sources: California Public Health Department, ARCGIS
Online Basemap
10 Mile Radius of Hospitals Within Counties
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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
±
Map Prepared by Stella Kim
Skills: Geoprocessing (clipping),
Geocoding, Buffering
Source: US Census, California Department of Public Health
Health Risks: Diabetes
Incidence and
Uninsured Populations
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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 News
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/september/12/census-number-ofuninsured-drops.aspx
California Counties Above
National Average Percent
of Diabetic Incidence
Sources: US Census, County Health Rankings Project
California Counties Above
National Average Percent
of Uninsured Populations
Map Prepared by Stella Kim
Methodology: County Health Rankings
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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
Lowest
Map Prepared by Stella Kim
Skills:
Geoprocessing
(clipping),
Geocoding
LA County: A Closer Look
Hospitals in LA County
and California
Number of
Uninsured in LA
County and
California 2,15
6,47
2,43
7
0,98
6
Los
Angeles
County
California
91
Los Angeles
California
Proportion of California
Population in LA County
9,889,056
Los Angeles
County
California
37,691,91
2
535
FINDINGS & NEXT STEPS
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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
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Inset Map
Geocoding
Geoprocessing
Point symbol
Buffering
Attribute sub-set selections
Challenges
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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
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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