East Baton Rouge Parish ranks 18th among the healthiest parishes in Louisiana, according to the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, a study released last week by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.

Recent health rankings of East Baton Rouge Parish indicate those numbers are not as accurate, according to Sunanna Chand, community outreach coordinator for the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative. Chand said the numbers from the study were from 2009 and statistics have since changed slightly.

The rankings are based on mortality, morbidity, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and the physical environment.

Sierra Fowler, Student Health Center health promotion coordinator, said the SHC is a service for students, and it important for them to use the resources the University provides to stay healthy.

If students live in East Baton Rouge Parish after graduation, their health will affect the city’s ranking in the future.

“When you establish that good health early on, students will have those patterns of staying on top of their health,” Fowler said.

The Student Health Center is available for more than just personal medical appointments, Fowler said. Students can request for representatives to speak to organizations, and they can stay informed on health issues by stopping by the health center’s table in Free Speech Plaza.

Chand said East Baton Rouge ranks No. 1 for the second year in clinical care, meaning access to and quality of health care are the top in the state, and the city will continue to focus on promoting these services.

“Our residents do not have to leave the city to receive great clinical care,” Chand said.

Partner programs like the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative will help improve health by encouraging an active lifestyle and healthy eating, Chand said.

The Healthy Corner Store program is another initiative that will provide grants for grocery stores to sell fresh produce to reduce food deserts in the parish, Chand said.

The city has also partnered with Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge to get residents physically active and encourage exercise.

“Our residents do not have to leave the city to receive great clinical care.”