Archive for November, 2016

Lake City Reporter
By Carl McKinney 

Cancer diagnoses are deadlier in Columbia County than most of North Central Florida, a region already facing the highest cancer mortality rate in the state.

The county sees fewer diagnoses than the rest of the state, but that just makes the local mortality rate even more alarming, said Myesha Ponder, co-author of WellFlorida Council’s 2016 North Central Florida cancer report.

“Our numbers aren’t bad when it comes to people getting cancer,” she said. “It’s people dying from it.”

The study looked at reported […]

Columbia County Observer
By Mark Lander

After reading Highest Cancer Mortality Death Rates in Florida? New Report Finds North Central Florida on Top, I wanted to share a few comments regarding the article from my perspective as the Administrator of North Central Florida’s Columbia and Hamilton County Health Departments.

Cause and Effect

Socioeconomics and health equity aspects play a huge role in our community regarding access to care. Whether it be for issues surrounding transportation, economics, or a neglect of personal health, people do not always seek healthcare […]

Columbia County Observer
By Stew Lilker

According to the recently released WellFlorida Council North Central Florida Cancer Report 2016, North Central Florida has the highest cancer mortality rates in the state. Other than Alachua County, the home of the University of Florida, all the counties in the report are what were previously known as Rural Areas of Critical Economic Concern (RACEC) counties, challenged communities with persistent poverty and other chronic problems. The high cancer mortality rates are not a surprise.

Background

Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, […]

WellFlorida News Release
North Central Florida has the highest cancer mortality rates in the state, according to the recently released North Central Florida Cancer Report 2016  by WellFlorida Council.

The report, produced for the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC), includes a wide range of cancer data such as cancer death rates, cancer incidence rates, cancer related emergency room visits and hospital discharge data. This epidemiologic profile of 11 counties in North Central Florida highlights disparities between the region and Florida as well as disparities […]