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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 12, 1992                   TAG: 9202120328
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Charles Hite
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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SURVEY SHOWS LITTLE CONCERN

What's the public reaction to the merger of Roanoke Memorial and Community hospitals?

"Tepid, ' says Karl Miller, president of Lewis-Gale Hospital.

Miller points to a market survey conducted for the hospital as the basis of his answer.

As the only competitor for the merged hospitals, Lewis-Gale wanted to find how the merger might affect attitudes of potential patients. In a survey to determine Lewis-Gale's image in the community, two questions related to the merger.

The first asked what effect the merger would have on health-care costs in Southwest Virginia. About one-third of those surveyed felt the merger would mean higher medical costs, 18 percent thought it would mean lower medical costs, 28 percent thought it would have no effect and 20 percent said they didn't know.

Another question asked whether the merger would make people more or less likely to choose Roanoke Memorial, Community or another hospital in the Carilion Health System for their care. Two-thirds said the merger would have no effect on their decision in choosing a hospital. Of the remainder, nearly 18 percent said they would be more likely to choose a Carilion hospital, 3 percent said they would be less likely and 12 percent didn't know.

Miller expected more people to be concerned that the merged hospitals - because they control more than 70 percent of the hospital beds in the area - would limit their choices and drive up costs.

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