Suicide rates in Kenosha County have begun to stabilize as a result of the work of a coalition and an initiative to prevent them.

While deaths due to suicides increased from 17 in 2008 to 20 in 2009, the suicide rate has begun to level off. In 2007, the suicide rate topped 18.5 per 100,000 population, or 34 percent greater than the state rate. In 2008, the rate was 9.2 percent per 100,000 population.

Stacy Wians, county epidemiologist, credits the work being done by the Kenosha County Suicide Prevention Coalition, which was formed more than four years ago in response to a high number of teen suicides during the 2005-06 academic year.

“I think they have contributed to why the rate has gone down,” Wians said.

The group has been committed to increasing awareness about suicide and its prevention, identifying services and developing new support services in the community for those at risk and for people who are trying to help them.

Last year, to further the county’s goal, the state funded a suicide prevention initiative to purchase and distribute cable gun locks. Last year, 200 gun locks were distributed at hospital emergency rooms, a primary care clinic and the Kenosha Community Health Center.

Suicide prevention and other goals were among the topics addressed in an annual report presented by Wians on Friday which reveals the overall health of Kenosha County’s residents. The data looks at everything from accessing health insurance to black infant mortality rates, tobacco use among adults and youth, teen pregnancies and sexual activity, among others.

The 61-page Healthy People Kenosha County 2010 report also contains the activities and goals of six committees studying access to health care, youth health, lifestyles, mental health, injury prevention and environmental health.

The reports have led to significant changes, including the hiring of a new Kenosha “Medicaid Navigator” to assist pregnant women with prenatal care. An investigation revealed one local doctor was delivering a disproportionate number of Medicaid babies. A dozen obstetrician/gynecologists and five doctors are now sharing the workload, Wians said. About 400 women were referred to doctors in 2009 and 500 received assistance with finding other resources. About 100 women who were already seeing doctors needed assistance with insurance coverage and other issues.

Margaret Schmelzer, health plan director for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, praised the county’s ability to pull together many groups to produce an annual report aligned with state goals and standards. Schmelzer said the county is a model for “best practices” when it comes to putting forward initiatives that can lead to healthier people.