By Matt Tarleton, Project Associate.    “ Change is debilitating when done to us, but exhilarating when done by us .” – Rosabeth Moss Kanter This quote is one of Mac Holladay’s favorites, and it has quickly become one of mine as well. When looking back on 2009, many of us entered this year hopeful amidst tremendous economic uncertainty. We had elected a new president that inundated us with his messages of hope and change. But when I look back at what have likely been the two...

By Alex Pearlstein, Senior Project Manager.    If I had to make a rough estimate I’d say that in 85 to 90 percent of the communities where Market Street works the local/regional hospital(s) is the area’s largest employer. Time after time after time, this is the case. It is also almost universally true that local economic development entities do not include health services as a component of their targeting efforts. With so many sick local economies, does it really make sense to ignore...

By Ellen Anderson, Research Manager.  The College Board, a not-for-profit membership organization composed of more than 5,400 colleges, universities, and other educational entities, reports that the tuition prices at many universities continue to outpace inflation (see chart below; 5.6% inflation in 2008).  As costs for high education have soared, so have average debt loads per student – up 18 percent since 2000 (calculation uses 2008 constant dollars). The average debt load among...

By Ranada Robinson, Project Associate.  A hot topic in the news lately has been how healthcare will be reformed under the leadership of President Obama. In an environment where health access and cost have become increasingly important and healthcare related legislation is covered in the news daily, leaders across the country are finding ways to increase wellness in their communities. This is not just an issue for individual citizens—the well-being of our communities depend on healthy...

By Christa Tinsley, Project Associate.  The most recent edition of the American Journal of Medicine reports that more than 60 percent of U.S. bankruptcies can be attributed to medical problems ( PDF ) – that’s nearly two in three bankruptcy cases due to medical debts or loss of income from serious illness. This coincides with the release of the White House’s Economic Case for Health Care Reform ( PDF ) that shows an alarming spike in the percent of uninsured between the ages of 20 and 30....

As traditional economic development becomes more intertwined with community development, knowing details related to residents' and workers' socioeconomic wellbeing becomes as important as industry growth, job growth, and capital investment.  Healthy people are an integral part of healthy communities.  Together, Gallup and Healthways, Inc., have developed a  Well-Being Index that measures public well-being in the United States.    The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is calculated based...