ANN ARBOR, MI - The Washtenaw County Health Department is launching a new initiative to fight racial inequalities made apparent in a new set of health statistics.

The 2018 County Health Rankings, published online, ranks Washtenaw County No. 1 in health factors like smoking, obesity and the ratio of primary care doctors to the population and No. 4 in outcomes such as premature death, low birthweight and poor physical and mental health days related to unequal access to healthcare.

But Washtenaw ranked 81

st

out of 83 counties when considering economic inequality, said Jessie Kimbrough Marshall, medical director for the Washtenaw County Health Department, a disturbing statistic.

"Washtenaw County has wonderful opportunities for achieving a healthy life, however those opportunities are not available for all who live here," Marshall said.

"Differences in the social, economic, and physical environment across Washtenaw County can help explain the differences in quality of life and health that we see among our residents."

Black babies in Washtenaw County are twice as likely to be born at a low birth weight as white babies, and six times more likely to grow up in poverty, the health department said. Hispanic children are almost three times more likely to grow up in poverty compared to white children.

Additional data also shows further discrepancy between Washtenaw County residents at the end of life: There is a nine-year difference in life expectancy between residents living in Ann Arbor's 48104 ZIP code and Ypsilanti's 48198 ZIP code.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Factfinder website, Ann Arbor's racial make-up in 2016 was 71 percent white and 6 percent black. There was no up-to-date data available for Ypsilanti.

A new initiative, One Community: Advancing Racial Equity in Ann Arbor & Washtenaw County, launched in January as a partnership between Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor to combat these inequalities and high rankings in air pollution and violent crime.

Community leaders from six areas in Washtenaw County will be part of the initiative to help with health assessment and planning processes, the health department said.

"We won't be a truly healthy community until everyone in our county has the opportunity to live their healthiest life, regardless of race, income, or ZIP code," says Jimena Loveluck, deputy health officer at the health department.

The five counties with the highest health outcomes in Michigan include:

#1: Ottawa, which includes Grand Haven

#2: Grand Traverse, which includes Traverse City and Interlochen

#3: Livingston, which includes Howell and Brighton

#4: Washtenaw, which includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Chelsea, Dexter and Saline

#5: Clinton, which includes parts of Lansing