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| SCOTT GULLEDGE / Scroll |
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Madison Memorial Hospital expansion plans released late this summer have received positive feedback from the community.
In a recent survey given to random residents of Rexurg and the surrounding area, 77 percent were aware of the expansion and renovation set to begin later this year.
Mike Cannon, a public relations professor at BYU-Idaho, created the survey to make the area’s residents more aware of the happenings at the hospital.
Approximately 300 people, mostly in Madison County, along with some residing in Fremont and Jefferson counties, were randomly contacted by the Rexburg Opinion Center and given the three to five minute survey.
Cannon’s objective for the survey was to determine the real (versus perceived) level of community support for the hospital and its services, and for its expansion and renovation.
“The survey affirmed that there truly is widespread approval for the plans of the hospital. The administration and board were pleased of the support given by the community through the phone survey,” Cannon said.
The project is expected to run about $42 million, none of which will be taken from Rexburg’s taxpayers.
From the opinion survey, 61 percent polled were not aware that tax money would not be used for the expansion project.
The hospital has received the services of Ponder and Company, based in Boise, to assist in the financing of the project. The hospital has not received any tax revenue from Madison County since the 1970s.
“I support anything that will bring better health care to Rexburg,” said Florence Manwaring, a resident of Rexburg.
“Our town is growing and we need to catch up with it! We are outgrowing it and a better health care facility would better prepare us for anything,” Manwaring said.
The expansion will be built onto the current hospital, which required the hospital to purchase additional land. Eleven homes were sold in order to do so.
The hospital board discussed a name change to accompany the expansion, but the community largely voted for the name to remain the same.
