Branch, Arkansas is a small town with a population of just over 1,200 people. The health of the local population is paramount and is looked after by several local hospitals and medical facilities. These include the Branch Medical Clinic, which provides general medical services; the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, which provides more specialized care; and the Valley View Hospital in Ozark, which offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services. Additionally, there are various nursing homes and assisted living facilities that provide quality care to elderly residents. There are also many pharmacies around town providing necessary medications for both acute and chronic conditions. The local health care providers strive to ensure that all citizens receive the best possible care regardless of their economic backgrounds or needs.
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 34 physicians per 100,000 population in Branch. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Branch area is 84.4 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
84.4 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Branch area is 86 (100=best). The US average is 55.
86 / 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 Branch area is 98 (100=best). The US average is 87.
98 / 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 Branch commutes 26.8 minutes one-way, which is longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Branch area is 54 (100=best). The US average is 58.
54 / 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.