A Year into Rebrand, AdventHealth Remains Focused on Consumers First

The national rebrand from Adventist Health System to AdventHealth took place on January 2, 2019. “We embarked on this transformation because we wanted to be a truly consumer-focused organization,” said Terry Shaw, president/CEO of AdventHealth. “Adopting one unified brand across the system was an essential element to achieving that goal.” [Photo: AdventHealth]

On January 2, 2019, years of planning, research, and analysis culminated in bringing one seminal moment to fruition — the national rebrand from Adventist Health System to AdventHealth.

“It was a surreal moment, a great moment, and a great time for our organization,” said Terry Shaw, president/CEO of AdventHealth. “It would not have been possible without the buy-in, support, and dedication of our team members.”

The time leading up to the brand transition was not without its complexities. A halt and re-evaluation of the rebrand, negotiations to secure naming rights, and the sunset of legacy brands that were cornerstones of their respective communities all presented unique challenges. But when it was all said and done, the rebrand of one of the nation’s largest faith-based health systems did more than change the name of the organization and its facilities. It marked a culture shift that placed consumers at the forefront of care.

“We embarked on this transformation because we wanted to be a truly consumer-focused organization,” Shaw said. “Adopting one unified brand across the system was an essential element to achieving that goal.”

Twelve months later, AdventHealth is making health care more accessible and fostering wholeness for consumers. What was once about 30 different hospital brands is now one distinct identity. As a result, the connectivity is making it easier for consumers to distinguish AdventHealth’s locations and services across the network.

“One of the hardest things about health care is that people have difficulty navigating the system to get the care they need, which leads to gaps in care,” Shaw said. “Now, when a person goes from one stage of care to another in our network, they know that they are transitioning in a connected system because the facilities carry the same name. We are also hands-on with the care navigation process, so we guide and work closely with consumers to help them have a more seamless experience throughout their care journey.”

Creating greater connectivity through a unified brand also meant ensuring that there was continuity in the experience consumers have at AdventHealth facilities. To do this, more than 60,000 team members across the organization took part in an immersive training experience to align on its mission, vision, values, and service standards so that consumers would have a consistent, exceptional, whole-person care experience at each care location. And consumers have taken notice.

“The response from consumers has been favorable. I think now, people understand where we are headed and why we did this. Consumers are front and center in everything we do now,” Shaw said.

The health-care organization is further solidifying this consumer-focused approach by leveraging the digital front door to engage and empower people in a meaningful way. The newly launched AdventHealth app is a catalyst for this enhanced digital relationship with consumers. The app empowers users to take charge of their health care with a simple and intuitive interface that reminds patients of doctors’ appointments, notifies them about prescription refills, and alerts them to new lab results. The app also offers patients convenient appointment scheduling and access to their medical records.

With its brand transformation, a lot of things are different across AdventHealth, but Shaw says the organization will never lose sight of what has remained constant and unchanged.

“No matter how many signs we change, our mission of ‘Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ’ is and has always been the reason we exist. Our mission is rooted in a rich Seventh-day Adventist health care legacy, and we are proud to carry on that legacy as AdventHealth,” Shaw added.

The original version of this story was posted on the AdventHealth news site.