States Bet Big on Rural Health Startups, With a Silicon Valley Twist By Sarah Jane Tribble Sept. 16, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/rural-health-tech-startups-funding-louisiana/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--2yuAeMPwY_Zy3IrMb7Z7weFc6aJWtka15lbne4ly502-bd2cGEOSZAXzBoJ91YxaSdB1ASj-3H_vnvuSm6o-NIVapyA&_hsmi=439265515&utm_content=439265515&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: States Bet Big On Rural Health Startups, With A Silicon Valley Twist When Josh Fleig, Louisiana’s chief innovation officer, learned his state had set aside $20 million a year, for five years, to invest in startup rural health companies, his reaction was not surprising: “Wow!” In rural America, where people are often reported to be sicker with poor access to healthcare, the cash influx is a relief. In the economic development space where Fleig operates, it’s an opportunity. “Look, that’s a lot of money for what we do,” said Fleig, whose state-funded economic development office invests in corporate launches, ranging from software startups to shipbuilders. (Tribble, 9/16)