The others have reputable staffs, a broad range of programs and participate in cutting-edge research. A doula, or labor support expert, trained the Oakwood staff in patient comfort techniques. For nonemergency pediatric care, Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit topped the list by a small margin over Beaumont-Royal Oak. Other survey findings Hospitals need bilingual staffers. Forty-three percent of the people polled said it was important for a hospital to have bilingual staffers, a reflection of the growing ethnic diversity of metro Detroit.
Religion matters to some.
Nearly one in five people wants a hospital with his or her own religious affiliation. Wellness programs haven't caught on in a region with high numbers of smokers and overweight people. Washtenaw County had the most people saying they used some type of program to stop smoking, lose weight, exercise or prepare for childbirth, with 57 percent. Macomb had the smallest number of participants, with 26 percent, followed by the city of Detroit, with 34 percent. Big isn't always better.