OVER A TWELVE YEAR PERIOD (2005-2016), 199 HOSPITALS HAVE CLOSED IN THE UNITED STATES, OF WHICH 94 WERE LOCATED IN RURAL ZIP CODES. THESE RURAL HOSPITALS WERE EITHER THE LARGEST EMPLOYER OR ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, RURAL HOSPITALS TEND TO PROVIDE RELATIVELY HIGHER THAN AVERAGE WAGES AND BENEFITS. COMMUNITIES STRIVE TO KEEP THESE HOSPITALS OPEN TO MAINTAIN A CRITICAL HEALTHCARE OPTION FOR ITS RESIDENTS AS WELL AS AN IMPORTANT EMPLOYER TO THE COMMUNITY.WHEN A HOSPITAL CLOSES IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THOSE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY IMPACTED BY THE CLOSURE.THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS 3-YEAR INTEGRATED PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF HEALTHCARE AND A HEALTHY WORKFORCE AS DETERMINANTS OF LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. SPECIFICALLY, OUR WORKING HYPOTHESIS IS THAT WHILE HEALTHCARE ITSELF IS AN IMPORTANT DRIVER OF LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, IT IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN BOTH FIRM AND RESIDENTIAL LOCATION DECISIONS. THROUGH THIS RESEARCH WE WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW A CHANGE IN THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF HEALTHCARE BUSINESSES IMPACTS CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES OF BOTH HEALTHCARE AND NON-HEALTHCARE RELATED INDUSTRIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING INTEGRATED PROJECT OBJECTIVES ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH AN EXPLORATION OF BIG DATA THAT HAS BEEN LARGELY UNDERUTILIZED FOR RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES:OBJECTIVE 1. MEASURE THE ROLE OF HEALTHCARE AS DETERMINANTS OF LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIESOBJECTIVE 2: ESTIMATE THE ROLE A HEALTHY WORKFORCE PLAYS IN FIRM LOCATION AND RETENTION DECISIONS.OBJECTIVE 3: EXPLORE REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.WE WILL EXAMINE THESE ISSUES USING THE U.S. CENSUS LONGITUDINAL BUSINESS DATASET AND THE ANNUAL SERVICES SURVEY AMONG OTHERS AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY FEDERAL STATISTICAL RESEARCH DATA CENTER.WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT IF THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND NON-HEALTHCARE RELATED INDUSTRIES THEN THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE INDUSTRIES TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. EXPECTED LONG-TERM OUTCOMES FROM THIS PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN INDUSTRY, HIGHER WAGES, A HEALTHIER WORKFORCE, AND POPULATION IN-MIGRATION. BY FOCUSING OUR EXTENSION EFFORTS IN TWO DIFFERENT REGIONS IN THE US (KENTUCKY AND NEVADA), WE CAN PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND BEST PRACTICES TO PROMOTE THIS COLLABORATIVE BEHAVIOR BASED ON THE REGION'S SPECIFIC CONDITIONS.