Jarrard 2026 Survey: Community Impact Drives Hospital Trust and Patient Choice
Hospitals seen as strong community partners earn markedly higher consumer trust, advocacy, and preference, according to Jarrard’s 2026 Community Impact Survey — yet fewer than one-third of consumers strongly agree their local hospital is a good community partner. Consumers who do hold that view are 26 points more likely to trust the hospital to do the right thing, 37 points more likely to speak positively about or defend it, 33 points more likely to advocate for it on policy issues, and 24 points more likely to choose it when all else is equal (15 points more likely even when less convenient). Jarrard frames visible community impact as a business imperative tied directly to loyalty and choice.
For multi-site and health-system growth leaders, this quantifies what community reputation is worth: a measurable lift in preference and word-of-mouth that outperforms convenience. It argues for treating community-impact investment and its visibility as a growth lever, not a PR line item.
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Does a hospital’s community reputation actually affect whether patients choose it?
Yes. In Jarrard’s 2026 Community Impact Survey, consumers who strongly agree their hospital is a good community partner are 24 points more likely to choose it when all factors are equal, and 15 points more likely even when it’s less convenient. Community perception measurably shifts consumer choice, not just reputation scores.
How many consumers see their local hospital as a strong community partner?
Fewer than one-third of consumers strongly agree that their local hospital is a good community partner. That gap is the opportunity: the survey ties strong community-partner perception to sizable gains in trust, advocacy, and preference that most systems are not yet capturing.
What is community-impact perception worth in trust and advocacy terms?
Consumers who view their hospital as a strong community partner are 26 points more likely to trust it to do the right thing, 37 points more likely to speak positively about or defend it, and 33 points more likely to advocate for it on policy issues. Jarrard calls visible community impact a business imperative.