Philadelphia ranks dead last on health. And with budget cuts . . .
Philadelphia was 67th out of 67 counties in Pennsylvania for the third year in a row. The wealthier suburban counties were all in the top 10. Yes, there's a pattern.
By Michael Yudell
Some of the wealthiest counties in Pennsylvania were deemed among the healthiest in the state — Chester (No. 2), Montgomery (5), and Bucks (7) — while more urban Delaware County ranked a worse-than-average 37. The New Jersey suburbs, all of which are less-well-off than their northern counterparts across from New York City, were all in the middle of the Garden State's rankings or worse: Burlington (10), Gloucester (14), and Camden (18).
So what do we do to fix this problem?
With the poor health outcomes that Philadelphia and other counties in the state are seeing, can we really afford the types of cuts that the austerity disciples are advocating? Are we prepared to bear the human cost of continued cuts to our social safety net?
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