MONTICELLO — A new health report was released on Wednesday and Sullivan County is still ranked 61st of the 62 counties in New York in health.

While speaking in the lobby of the Sullivan County Government Building, County Manager Josh Potosek said that it wasn't important where the county ranks at this present time, but its headed in the future.

While acknowledging the health initiatives that have been put in place throughout the county, Potosek said, “Our health ranking will improve.”

One thing that has changed since last year is the health factors rating which has risen to 47 from 58. The county has made progress in terms of diminishing local tobacco and alcohol use, along with monitoring diabetes.

Several factors went into the health ranking - conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute - such as health behaviors which include adult obesity and physical inactivity, smoking, unemployment and access to healthy foods.

Additionally clinical care, social and economic factors, along with physical environment make up the county health ranking.

According to County Legislator Nadia Rajsz, some things that helped lift the health factor rating include that unemployment is down to 4.8 percent from 5.5 percent of last year. There is also a decrease in adult smoking rates which is down to 18 percent along with decreases in alcohol fatalities and preventable hospital stays.

Furthermore there is an increase of residents who have health coverage.

“We will continue to make progress by investing in the public health initiatives that have been shown to improve the health and life of the resident of the county,” said Rajsz.

Some factors that caused Sullivan to remain at 61 is the adult obesity rate, which has risen to 30 percent, along with child poverty, and the reduced number of mammography screenings, in addition to the number of drug overdoses remaining the same as last year's report.

Sullivan County is making efforts to improve the overall health of residents but as Jonathan Schiller, CEO of Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) stated, “This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Schiller explained the effects of CRMC's recent efforts to help residents of the county , which included a $10 million primary and urgent care center in Thompson that received more than 1,000 patients per month.

By the same token, Sullivan 180, a new nonprofit organization, has been formed to help turn around the county's health ranking. The organization wants to make the county a healthier place to live, work, play and raise a family.

They're also bringing together businesses, organizations and individuals in the healthcare education, agriculture, arts and faith based institutions.

“We are committed to change, but change by degrees,” said Sandi Rowland, Executive Director of Sullivan 180. “It will be a slow transformation but it will be thoughtfully conceived and implemented.”

Equally important, Sullivan Renaissance offers grants towards healthy communities initiatives which help create trails, community gardens and contributes to the beautification of local towns.

One program that recently gained traction is the Catskill Edible Garden Project (CEGP) that works with Catskill Mountainkeeper and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County. Together they work with schools and communities to design and build edible gardens for educational and gathering spaces.

“This project is an example of how a partnership can form a foundation for a sustainable health initiative,” said Colleen Emery, Project Coordinator for Sullivan Renaissance.

Several schools are already participating in the program in Monticello, Liberty, Roscoe, Jeffersonville and White Sulphur Springs. Also, there are community gardens in Monticello, Liberty and Livingston Manor.