The health in Newtok, AK is a major concern for the local community. With a population of just over 500 people, there are limited medical facilities and hospitals available to address their healthcare needs. The nearest hospital is located over 50 miles away in Bethel and the closest medical facility is a clinic which serves only basic health needs. As such, the residents of Newtok are reliant on outreach from larger cities like Bethel and Anchorage for assistance with more complex medical care. Although there have been recent initiatives to expand access to healthcare by bringing in visiting doctors from Anchorage, much more still needs to be done to ensure that everyone in Newtok has access to quality and comprehensive healthcare services.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 95 physicians per 100,000 population in Newtok. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Newtok area is 113.8 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
113.8 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Newtok area is 83 (100=best). The US average is 55.
83 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Newtok area is 69 (100=best). The US average is 87.
69 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Newtok commutes 0.0 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Newtok area is 86 (100=best). The US average is 58.
86 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.