Burlington County listed among 500 healthiest communities in America
Burlington County listed among 500 healthiest communities in America
MOUNT HOLLY –Burlington County is one of the healthiest places to live in the nation, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Our county was one of 10 New Jersey counties listed among the publication’s Top 500 Healthiest Communities by U.S. News & World Report, in partnership with the Aetna Foundation. The rankings looked at over 3,000 communities – primarily counties and county-equivalents – throughout the country and ranked them based on 84 metrics across 10 health and health-related categories.
“Community health depends on a lot of different factors, including education, environment, economy and infrastructure, so it’s no great surprise that our county ranks high in New Jersey and across the nation,” said Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “It’s still very gratifying, especially given the impacts we all experienced from the coronavirus pandemic. Community health was a top priority for our Board before COVID-19, but the pandemic put a spotlight on the issue and our entire health care infrastructure. Our county is blessed to have fantastic professionals working in our Health Department and we’re also fortunate to have a strong network of community partners and providers to help look after our residents and their wellbeing.”
Of the 10 New Jersey counties named in the publication’s Top 500, Burlington County ranked No. 208, placing it tops among South Jersey counties and sixth best in New Jersey.
The other New Jersey counties in the Top 500 were Hunterdon (No. 15), Morris (No. 20), Somerset (No. 51), Bergen (No. 92), Sussex (No. 107), Monmouth (No. 254), Middlesex (No. 350), Gloucester (No. 398) and Warren (No. 397).
Among those counties, Burlington County’s scores for health score infrastructure and equity were the fourth highest and its score for housing was the 3rd best.
Burlington County Health Department Director Dr. Herb Conaway said the high equity and infrastructure scores are the result of a history of strong institutional leadership in the private sector with the support of good government.
“We’ve seen throughout the pandemic how important it is to have strong health care systems and infrastructure to deliver care,” Conaway said. “We’ve taken the necessary steps to hopefully bring an end to the current crisis, but our next challenge is to make sure we’re prepared for the next major challenge. Now is the time to make needed investments and improvements to help all our residents live better, healthier lives.”
The Burlington County was one of the first counties in New Jersey to launch a COVID-19 testing program last year and it also distributed more than 2 million items of personal protective equipment to first responders, towns and long-term care facilities.
The County also partnered with Virtua Health, the State of New Jersey and the New Jersey National Guard to operate the Burlington County Vaccine Mega-Site at the Moorestown Mall, where more than 300,000 people have received COVID-19 shots. The Burlington County Health Department has also operated a mobile vaccine program COVID-19 shots to homebound and other vulnerable populations in their own communities, and the Department is currently administering shots at four fixed locations in the county.
The fixed clinics are running on the following schedule:
- Mondays, from 2 PM to 6 PM, at the Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center, 53 Academy Drive, Westampton (drive-thru clinic);
- Tuesdays, from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Palmyra Community Center, 30 West Broad, Palmyra;
- Wednesdays from noon to 4 PM at the Weimann Building, 400 Delanco Road, Edgewater Park;
- Thursdays from 3 PM to 7 PM at the Bordentown Township Senior Center, 3 Municipal Drive, Bordentown.
Appointments for the clinics can be made by online using the online registry at covid19.gov/pages/finder or by calling 1-855-568-0545. Walk-ins without appointments are also welcome.
