WAYNE AND PIKE COUNTIES, PA — There’s good health care news for Wayne and Pike counties in the latest reports from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).

The new reports at phc4.org provide county-by-county rates of hospitalization and outpatient care. They break the data down into categories for age, gender, and specific health conditions, including opioid overdose and opioid use disorder, maternal stays involving opioids, drug withdrawal in newborns, breast cancer surgery, potentially preventable hospitalizations, diabetes, sepsis, and c. difficile infections.

In data collected from January 1 through December 31, 2023, the hospitalization rate for opioid overdoses in Pike and Wayne was “not reported due to low volume.” Statewide in 2023, the rate was 21.4 per 100,000 residents age 15 and up.

The same low volume is true of maternal hospital stays involving opioids in Pike and Wayne. Last year’s statewide rate was 21.4 for such hospitalizations per 100,000 residents age 15 and up.

The rate is higher but still comparatively quite low for opioid use disorder hospitalizations in Pike, with 98 per 100,000 residents age 15 and up, and Wayne, with 63.1, compared to 281.1 statewide.

Other hospitalizations

The reports say the rate of “potentially preventable hospitalizations” in Pike County is nearly half the statewide average and is also comparatively low in Wayne County (see sidebar for more information).

Pike and Wayne also have lower hospitalization rates—in some cases, much lower—than the statewide rate for breast cancer surgery, diabetes, c. difficile infection, and sepsis. The overuse antibiotics is a major risk factor for C. difficile infections, which is highly contagious and can cause serious intestinal conditions in hospitalized patients.

Medicare and Medicaid

Wayne County has a greater percentage of inpatient hospitalizations for which the payer is Medicare: 54.3 percent in 2023 compared to 47.7 percent statewide. Pike County at 48.9 percent is more in keeping with the statewide percentage.

At the same time, Wayne County’s inpatient hospitalizations for which the payer is Medicaid was 14.7 percent in 2023, less than the statewide percentage of 19.9. In Pike County it was 20.4 percent, slightly higher than the statewide percentage.

A cost-controlling mission

PHC4 is funded primarily through the Pennsylvania state budget. It says increased competition contains costs.

Barry Buckingham, PHC4’s executive director, said providing facts by county is crucial.

“These reports shed light on critical health care components and offer valuable insights into public health in the commonwealth, specifically at the county level,” he said. 

PHC4 was established under Pennsylvania law to collect data, analyze it, and make it public. It also assists the governor and legislature if they ask for recommendations about health insurance benefits.

The organization also customizes reports for users ranging from hospitals and policy-makers to researchers, physicians, insurers, and group purchasers.

To check out its reports, visit phc4.org.