West Plains, MO is a small town with a population of around 8,000. It has a variety of medical facilities and hospitals that provide quality care to its residents. West Plains Medical Center is the largest hospital in town and offers comprehensive healthcare services from general medicine to emergency care. Other local health centers include West Plains Family Clinic, West Plains Dental, Ozark Medical Supply, and Ozarks Rehabilitation Services. These facilities offer preventative care as well as treatment options for various illnesses and injuries. The community also has numerous support organizations such as the West Plains Substance Abuse Task Force and the West Plains Mental Health Advisory Board that focus on public health initiatives. All in all, the medical system in West Plains provides excellent service to its citizens when it comes to their health 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 185 physicians per 100,000 population in West Plains. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the West Plains area is 109.7 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
109.7 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the West Plains area is 100 (100=best). The US average is 55.
100 / 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 West Plains 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 West Plains commutes 14.0 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 West Plains area is 52 (100=best). The US average is 58.
52 / 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.