Why healthcare is America's best bet for business and opportunity

Silicon Valley is hands down the Capital of Technology. But when it comes to healthcare, it's just one face in the crowd.
And that's what makes healthcare such an amazing business opportunity for this country (and the world). In the United States alone, you have 15 "Silicon Valleys:" cities where new products are built; the investors, entrepreneurs and big customers live in high volumes; and the thought leaders who will drive future innovation are located. And, just as fun, there always seem to be another half dozen cities ready to join the crowd with new jobs, innovations and a concentration of big thinkers.
Let's set aside the fact these new innovations will make us healthier. It's also exciting to have an industry that isn't so concentrated in one place, so more people can share in the distributed nature of healthcare innovation.
Don't believe me that healthcare is everywhere? Consider these recent developments.
Big-money bets... in Danville, Pennsylvania. Oak Investment Partners, which in the last 35 years has invested more than $9 billion in smart ideas, recently put $40 million in a startup spun out of Geisinger Health System of Danville, Pennsylvania. That's just one example. Consider that new investment dollars will be coming into healthcare via the South, thanks to a new $125 million investment fund in Durham, North Carolina.
The most promising new flu vaccines are from... Boston, Massachusetts; Blue Bell, Pennsylvania; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and, well, you get it.
In Minnesota, a $6 billion medical growth plan. In a testament to how competitive healthcare is, the renowned Mayo Clinic will spend $3.5 billion as part of a larger $6 billion effort to ensure that Mayo and Minnesota are the medical destinations of choice for people worldwide. "Mayo Clinic not only intends to protect its current status as one of the world’s premier medical institutions but to significantly expand our highly-effective practice model and medical assets to be clearly recognized as a global destination medical center for decades to come," Mayo's CEO said.
Life science crowdfunding: Everywhere but the Valley. Crowdfunding is a national obsession with startup types. And the most interesting models in the life sciences are coming from places like Utah, Washington state and Rochester, New York.
Digital Health: California rules. But others are there, too. Approaches to mobile apps, electronic health records, big data and other digital solutions are white hot in healthcare. California and Boston get the most investments, but other hot spots include Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Illinois.
New thinking on jobs - in Indiana. You don't need to look far to find a company laying off workers (and that goes for healthcare, too). But there is more thinking about how to retrain the workforce in healthcare than many other industries. This Indiana initiative mirrors what's happening in other states: training programs on advanced manufacturing in areas like orthopedics.
It's good to have a capital of politics. It's exciting to have a capital of tech like Silicon Valley that captures the world's imagination. But it's also a very good thing that the capital of healthcare may be close to you - no matter if you're in Cleveland, Palo Alto or Danville, PA.
[Photo courtesy of Flickr user Alex E. Proimos]

Original Article : http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130218005502-107961-why-healthcare-is-america-s-best-bet-for-business-and-opportunity