8 Distillation Guidebook Co-Lab • 9.18–9.19 2025 catalysts for future economic and community development. Meds Participants from Allentown, Quakertown, St. Louis Park, Meadville, and Erie mentioned their hospitals or medical centers as a “large employer,” “biggest employer,” and an “employment hub,” providing important job opportunities for residents. In many cases, universities host these medical centers, including the University of Michigan’s Michigan Medical which provides “access to great healthcare” in Ann Arbor. Medical institutions tend to have higher contribution and reliance scores (Figure 1) and are often larger drivers of economic development, with bigger employment bases. Today, the healthcare sector also receives more direct government funding and private investment than higher education, further reinforcing its central role in local economies. Eds Participants from Meadville, Ann Arbor, Providence, Bethlehem, and Middletown described their educational institutions as “anchors” or “large employers.” These cities are “college towns,” with reliance indexes and higher education enrollment numbers well above the national average. Ann Arbor stands out most, with a reliance index of 3.08 (national average is 1) and a higher education enrollment percentage of 35.2% (national average is 6%). While lower, Meadville, Providence, Bethlehem, and Middletown have significant populations enrolled in higher education, roughly 13 to 17%, about 3 times as high as the national average. Providence hosts several educational institutions, including RISD, Brown, JWU, and Providence College. These were described for their ability to retain and “train talent/expertise,” channeling students towards similar career paths in education and medicine in the city. Over-Reliance However, the presence of a medical or educational institution does not necessarily indicate that the local economy is strong. In cities with fewer financial resources, over-reliance on failing institutions has created precarious conditions and limited long-term stability. In Erie, the city’s healthcare industry is “amazing where it exists,” but it would be “devastating to the community if they shut down.” Erie is more reliant on their medical institutions for employment and community investment than the
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