People living in Carbon and Schuylkill counties smoke too much, eat too much, and have much less access to dentists and mental health providers than Pennsylvanians on the average.

On the other hand, they have fewer violent crimes, fewer sexually transmitted infections, and a higher number of high school graduates than the state averages.Carbon and Schuylkill are among the 15 least healthy in Pennsylvania, according to County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. The rankings, released in March, are compiled for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine and Public Health.Carbon County ranked 57 of the state's 67 counties, with Schuylkill coming in at 55. Lehigh County ranked 21, Monroe 26, and Northampton 27. Union County ranked as the healthiest, and Philadelphia as the least healthy.To learn more, visit the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps website at

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/pennsylvania/2015/overview.The study looked at two primary measures, health outcomes, which includes the length and quality of life, and health factors, which includes behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment.Schuylkill County ranked 55 of 67 in both health outcomes and health factors.It ranked 62 in length of life, which determines the years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 people. Between 2010 and 2012, the county had 8,319 premature deaths, as compared with the state average of 6,926. Schuylkill ranked 35 in quality of life, 48 in health behaviors, 45 in clinical care, 59 in social and economic factors, and 12 in physical environment.Carbon County ranked 57 of 67 in health outcomes and 62 in health factors.It ranked 61 in length of life. The county had 8,276 premature deaths between 2010 and 2012, as compared with the state average of 6,926. Carbon ranked 48 in quality of life, 62 in health behaviors, 61 in clinical care, 58 in social and economic factors, and 53 in physical environment.State Department of Health press secretary Amy Worden said her agency has programs aimed at improving Pennsylvanians' health, including many of the measures cited in the County Health Rankings.The Department of Health is responsible for The State Health Improvement Plan 2015-2020, which is Pennsylvania's blueprint for health improvement. The plan identifies needs, resources and challenges that influence health outcomes through the use of public health information and data and focuses on obesity, physical inactivity and nutrition; primary care and preventive services; and mental health and substance use, Worden said."We also maintain the Pennsylvania State Health Assessment, which provides a 'one-stop' summary of information on health status, health risks, and health care services in Pennsylvania. It identifies areas for health improvement; determines factors that contribute to health issues; and identifies assets and resources that can be mobilized to address population health improvement," she said.The Department of Health also has The Health Improvement Partnership Program, which supports a statewide health improvement network of partners and provides a forum for these partners to receive public health improvement messages, health improvement education and health improvement best practices.The sixth annual County Health Rankings come two years after Blue Mountain Health System completed its own Community Health Needs Assessment."At that time, a few of the major community health needs identified were mental health, dental care and chronic illnesses such as diabetes and stroke," said spokeswoman Lisa Johnson."As part of our strategic plan, we created goals to address these needs. The health system achieved our certified primary stroke center designation which provides education to every patient with risk factors associated with stroke, developed a dedicated Diabetes Education program which teaches new and previously diagnosed patients about their disease, and increased utilization of our 'Healthy Smiles, Happy Kids' dental van which visits all the area school districts and provides Medical Assistance-eligible children, who do not have access to a primary dentist, with preventive and restorative treatments," she said."As the (County Health Rankings) states, access to primary care physicians and mental health practitioners in Carbon County is drastically inadequate. The Blue Mountain Health System continues to recruit primary care and mental health physicians, as well as physician extenders such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, for our area. In just the past five years, we have recruited more than 15 to our area. A good achievement, but many more are needed," Johnson said.In Schuylkill County, M. Michael Peckman, spokesman for Schuylkill Health, did not respond to a request for comment.