Survey Demonstrates Marin County Residents Support Locally Owned and Operated Marin Genera...( GREENBRAE Calif. Au...),Health

GREENBRAE, Calif., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a new telephone survey polling Marin residents and commissioned by the Marin Healthcare District (MHD) to gauge awareness and attitudes about the future of Marin General Hospital (MGH) demonstrate alignment with the District's efforts to return the hospital to local control and that MGH is viewed as a critical community healthcare asset.

Seventy-two percent of Marin residents believe that a locally owned and operated hospital is important. Furthermore, 90 percent of respondents agreed that it was important for MGH to continue providing a full range of medical services. More than any other hospital in Marin, MGH is the preferred source of medical care among Marin residents.

"Spot surveys are important for the District to stay informed about what information residents require on this issue and, thus, to succeed in the task of taking back the governance of the hospital once Sutter leaves at the end of June, 2010," said MHD CEO Lee Domanico.

The survey, conducted by NSON Research, polled 400 Marin County residents from July 13 - July 15. It also found that MGH is first among Bay Area hospitals in terms of top-of-mind awareness (75 percent), that 82 percent of those polled who received care at MGH in the last two years said the hospital provides good or excellent medical care, and that even 40 percent of those polled who had not sought recent hospital care graded the hospital as good or excellent.

Domanico said these numbers are consistent with previous market research, including the statistic that MGH holds a 42.5 percent of local market share, with Kaiser a distant second at 18.5 percent. The survey also pinpointed preferred sources of information among residents to assist the District in targeting communications efforts.

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