Survey Shows Wide Support for Yale School of Medicine Satellite Facility in Palm Beach County, Florida

A survey of more than 27,000 residents of Palm Beach, Broward and Martin counties (Florida) found overwhelming community support for a proposed Yale Medical Group outpatient facility in Palm Beach County.

Yale School of Medicine and the Yale Medical Group, which is the physician multispecialty group of the medical school, conducted the survey in December 2006. However, a decision on whether or not to open the satellite facility will hinge on a further analysis.

"The overall response to the survey was outstanding, demonstrating near universal awareness of Yale and a 90 percent favorable reaction to the proposed Yale Medical Group Comprehensive Outpatient facility in Palm Beach County," said David J. Leffell, M.D., deputy dean for Clinical Affairs at the medical school and director of the Yale Medical Group. "However, extensive analysis and business planning will be conducted in the coming months prior to any decision to go forward."

A total of 9,580 surveys were completed and yielded an overall response rate of about 35 percent.

Leffell said Yale School of Medicine was very encouraged by the fact that more than 90 percent of the respondents, who replied either by traditional mail or through the internet, said they would be interested in using a Yale Medical Group facility with fully equipped, cutting edge medical technology. "A facility that offered the latest clinical trials, supervised by Yale School of Medicine, was also considered to be very desirable," he said.

"Clearly, the survey demonstrates wide community support for such a project," Leffell added. "We believe that Palm Beach County is the ideal location in Florida for a proposed Yale Medical Group comprehensive outpatient facility."

The Connecticut General Assembly chartered Yale School of Medicine in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College. It is the sixth oldest medical school in the United States, and since 1814 has awarded 7,839 medical degrees.

Yale School of Medicine is one of the world's leading centers for biomedical research, advanced clinical care, and medical education. It ranks among the top 10 medical schools receiving research funding from the National Institutes of Health. More than 700 Yale physicians provide care to patients from across the region and around the world. The Yale system of medical education, with its emphasis on critical thinking and independent inquiry, has produced leaders in every field of academic medicine.

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