A reputable healthcare IT magazine recently released a list of the 100 leading healthcare IT companies by revenue. A detailed look at the list would show that the Atlanta metro area of Georgia was home to seven of those 100 companies. What's more, 15 of the other top companies listed have significant operations in the city (the runner-up was Mobile, Ala., which is home to three of the top 100).

Does this mean Atlanta is the Silicon Valley for the healthcare IT industry? Why not?

Atlanta is being touted as the capital of the New South and its airport, Hartsfield-Jackson, is the busiest passenger airport in the United States, as Atlanta – and indeed the rest of the Southeast – continues to grow in economic importance.

This is hardly surprising. In February 2004, "Inc." ranked Atlanta No. 1 among large metro areas as a place to do business for entrepreneurs.  The ranking, based on an objective review of federal job growth data in 277 cities, also calculated sustained job growth balanced among diverse industries.

Since the Summer Olympics of 1996, Atlanta has been undergoing its own boom compared to the rest of America. The Games meant that the city had to invest millions of dollars in facilities to accommodate the millions of visitors who came to the Olympics.

The Games generated a housing boom and professionals in other cities began to realize that they could afford good quality housing for a reasonable price in Atlanta – and flocked there in droves. This led to Atlanta being known as one of the cities best suited for young professionals.

Atlanta is also home to two top-class universities, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, and is the fourth most highly educated city in the United States. According to the U.S. Census' 2002 American Community Survey, 17.2 percent of the population (71,634 people) have master's degrees, doctorates, medical or law degrees.

This might not explain why there are so many healthcare IT companies in Atlanta, but it does makes it easier to attract top-class professionals to their Atlanta-based offices.

Quality affordable housing, world class transport, sporting and entertainment facilities are all results from hosting the Olympic Games and can be very convincing reasons to get companies to set up shop in the city and to attract potential employees.

For healthcare IT professionals looking to start off their careers – or looking to switch jobs in order to move another city – Atlanta may be the best place to start looking. With a recent survey showing that more healthcare organizations are going to invest in IT, coupled with the government's push to get more healthcare organizations to adopt IT practices to reduce medical errors and improve health services, this could not be a better time for a healthcare IT professional.