Ohio ranked 7th nationally for emergency care

Although Ohio was rated seventh-best in the nation on a new ranking of emerceny care, the national analysis gave the state just a C+ grade and outlined several areas for improvement (Source: “Report ranks Ohio 7th in nation for emergency medical care,” Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 16, 2014).

Among the finding of the analysis from the American College of Emergency Physicians was that Ohio does especially well in access to emergency care, quality and patient safety. An increase in emergency physicians and other medical specialists and increased use of electronic medical records are among the factors that benefit states in those categories. However, Ohio does poorly in prevention, in part, because there are no laws requiring motorcycle helmets or banning hand-held cellphone use for all drivers, the report concludes. And the state has high rates of infant mortality and smoking.

Five years ago, Ohio ranked 18^th in the report. The nation as a whole received a D-plus grade, with  Washington, D.C. earning the highest grade and Wyoming ranked at the bottom.