Is Healthcare Rebranding Your Favorite Bacchanal Feast in Vegas?

The rebranding of healthcare organizations and networks is like a feeding frenzy at a bacchanal buffet in Vegas.

The promotion and party usually take on a life of their own.

Recently, announcements by many healthcare organizations to rebrand continue to build a trend using clear strategy shifting from individual hospital brands to monolithic or 'umbrella' brands while incorporating a simple tactic - using the word 'health.'

Most have followed a path similar to HCA, Advocate, Atrium, CommonSpirit, and others to present their organizations as growing and gaining much-needed leverage as they become bigger.

This is a necessity in today's healthcare transformation where survival of the fittest becomes the ultimate challenge and goal.

The proliferation of healthcare rebranding reminded me of a personal example close to my heart. Not because of the party, but more so for its simplicity.

And that should be the number one rule.

Using the word 'health' in a healthcare rebrand is a no-brainer. It's smart, but not new.

Back in 2008 as Chief Marketing Officer for Orlando Regional Healthcare System, our team was charged with a rebrand to simplify the name and move it forward in a very competitive environment. 

Florida Hospital, a part of Adventist Health, and HCA were the largest health systems in the state and planning to grow even bigger. Orlando Regional had only six hospital campuses at the time.

Yet, we had something unique that no other network could claim. We had the word ‘Orlando’ in our name. Research would validate its importance.

Now, you can ask how a city overtakes a state name or a national for-profit health chain for brand affinity. Well, looking deeper, we were safeguarding a gift. 

‘Orlando’ is a worldwide destination thanks to a man named Walt Disney. Uncle Walt was followed to Central Florida by Universal Studios, Sea World, and others landing Orlando on many lists as the No. 1 tourist destination in the world. 

The state loves visitors. At its peak, 70m+ of the world’s population annually traveled to Orlando. That’s brand awareness, affinity, AND prowess all rolled into one flat piece of terrain in the middle of the state! 

Not everyone can tell you where South America is on a map, but I would bet heavily that most can tell you where Orlando is located.

The effort by our team to rebrand Orlando Regional is likely similar to other healthcare organizations wrestling with a brand name change.

It took the better part of 12 months. Intensive research and testing eventually landed on the two words that made the most sense to leadership, medical staff, consumers, and marketing. 

#OrlandoHealth. Orlando = worldwide destination; Health = Health

The physicians and employees loved it. The news media, too, since they didn’t have to continually write, print, or say a long moniker anymore. 

The new name gained traction immediately. It was simple and easy to reference, and it provided a flexible umbrella to embrace all other health services under its cover – including Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies – two very prominent and specialized brands in their own right. 

So, Orlando Health was born in 2008. Today it’s 10+ hospitals along with many more physicians and specialty healthcare locations throughout Central and West Central Florida.

Clearly, that example is only one of many.

Fast forward to 2022, healthcare brands are consolidating and shortening their original names to include the word ‘health' under an umbrella strategic brand approach.

Makes total sense for an industry that in theory advocates keeping you healthy, not just taking care of you when sick.

Yet, as we all know, the brand is more than a name and logo. Much more than that bacchanal feast with all the trimmings.

Brand in healthcare is a simplified, seamless journey and exceptional experience for the customer. It’s also about access, convenience, quality, and transparency.

Simplicity is the first step.

More work to do for sure. The healthcare brand battle to win over consumers – even with the right word combo -- rages on everywhere.