A History of Gateway
In the summer of 2007, a group of fifteen community leaders and volunteers from the small town of Seaforth, Ontario, undertook a road trip to Hazard Kentucky, to visit a unique Centre of Excellence in Rural Health. In this small (population 5000) coal mining town in the Appalachian Hills, they found a group of dedicated health care providers and teachers operating a very unique and cutting-edge health care centre and teaching hospital. In a modern facility, a rural arm of the University of Kentucky was delivering and teaching health care and conducting research. The town of Hazard and surrounding area shares many health care issues with rural south west Ontario. With state and federal funding and in partnership with the University of Kentucky, the centre thrives as an example of state of the art health care delivery in a poorer, less developed, rural segment of American society and geography.
On their return to Canada, the group of fifteen, inspired by what they had seen and heard, formed a volunteer Board of Directors, named the entity and started Gateway. Gateway continues to expand its team of academic research partners. It has met with great success to date in research team development and professional, academic and economic associations. There are volumes of health and socioeconomic data showing that Canadians living in rural areas are health disadvantaged.
On their return to Canada, the group of fifteen, inspired by what they had seen and heard, formed a volunteer Board of Directors, named the entity and started Gateway. Gateway continues to expand its team of academic research partners. It has met with great success to date in research team development and professional, academic and economic associations. There are volumes of health and socioeconomic data showing that Canadians living in rural areas are health disadvantaged.