Asthma ER Visits By Community

Fifty-eight percent of communities saw a decrease in the age-adjusted rate of emergency room visits for asthma, according to new state Department of Public Health data. The data compares age-adjusted rates for each community for 2005-2009 and for 2010-2014 per 10,000 people. The state’s overall rate for emergency room visits in 2014 was lower than recent years but still was higher than it was 10 years ago. The 2014 rate was 66.2 visits per 10,000 people, down from a rate of 73 in 2011.