There are many important factors related to your entrepreneurial ecosystem, but the factors that makeup the foundation of your entrepreneurial ecosystem are of particular importance. In general, this foundation is comprised of workforce development, public policy, physical infrastructure, and healthcare. Despite these factors being the foundation of your entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly in rural areas, healthcare is often difficult to measure. Even outside of rural areas, there are limited resources available for those interested in rural health.

In an effort to increase the understanding of issues in healthcare related to rural areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just launched a new site today focusing on issues around rural health. A series of reports will follow and will be posted to the site.

As the website notes, “Some rural areas have characteristics that put residents at higher risk of death, such as long travel distances to specialty and emergency care or exposures to specific environmental hazards. Rural Americans tend to have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and obesity. Rural residents report less leisure-time physical activity and lower seatbelt use than their urban counterparts. They also have higher rates of poverty, less access to healthcare, and are less likely to have health insurance. All of these factors can lead to poor health outcomes.”

See the link here for more information! https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/