Pocahontas County Market Analysis Portrait - 1268 Words

Pocahontas County Market Analysis Portrait of Pocahontas County Pocahontas County is a rural area located in the southeast region of West Virginia, spanning 942 square miles. The scenic area serves as the site of the head waters for eight rivers: Cherry River, Cranberry River, Elk River, Ganley River, Greenbriar River, Tygart Valley River, Williams River, and Shaver Fork of the Cheat River and consists of 10 scattered small towns. As with other rural communities across the United States, Pocahontas Country suffers from a depressed local economy, substantial barriers to health care access, and difficulty in attracting health professionals. A market analysis of both the rural community and some options that may be used to attract health professionals to Pocahontas Memorial Hospital offers some proposed relief to the dampened healthcare outlook. Market Analyses Pocahontas County’s Population Gorchels indicated that to begin a market analysis, one must use segmentation factors most appropriate for the industry. In particular, consumer product companies, in this case Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, must use demographic variables such as age, family status, or lifestyle (Gorchels, 2000, p. 74). As of the 2010 Census there are 9,131 people residing in Pocahontas County. The racial makeup is 98% Caucasian, .78% African American, .43% Hispanic, .14% Asian, and .07% Native American with a median income for a household within the county of $26,401 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013).