Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center today revealed the first physical evidence of its full integration this morning, announcing a change in the names of its integrated clinical structure, that of its educational and research enterprises and a new visual identity.
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The medical center’s integrated clinical operations and the public-facing name that consumers and the public will see throughout the region is Wake Forest Baptist Health.
This new clinical brand leverages the powerful academic reputation of Wake Forest, honors the hospital’s Baptist heritage of quality and compassionate care and captures the Medical Center’s health-focused mission which is driven by tomorrow’s discoveries.
The institution’s educational and research enterprises will be known as Wake Forest School of Medicine.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is the new name for the main campus and will also be used for corporate-level and news media purposes.
In addition, Lexington Memorial Hospital has also announced a change in its name and its brand. Lexington Memorial will now be known as Wake Forest Baptist Health– Lexington Medical Center and its brand will mirror that of Wake Forest Baptist. Davie County Hospital will also change its name and brand to Wake Forest Baptist Health—Davie Hospital.
Finally, the most visible part of the institution’s brand, its much beloved infinity logo, will be transformed into a strand of DNA.
The purpose of these changes is to unify the medical center’s physical identity, reflect integration of its clinical, educational and research mission and signify the institution’s goals for the future.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Chief Executive Officer John D. McConnell, M.D. explained, “We aspire to be a preeminent, internationally recognized academic medical center of the highest quality that will be known worldwide for its care as much as its cure. To do that we must have a unified brand that reflects our vision, as well as our mission to improve the health of the region, state and nation by providing the highest quality of patient care, discovering the next generation of diagnostic and treatment advances, and educating the medical and scientific leaders of tomorrow.”
This new brand will be used throughout the medical center, including its affiliated hospitals, outpatient facilities, physician practices, imaging centers, and other entities.
While these changes are effective immediately, signage and other identifying features on the Hawthorne Hill campus and at other locations around the region will be replaced over the next few years.
The cost of this visual identity implementation is approximately $3.5 million, to be spent over the next 2 to 3 years for the hundreds of new signs, rebranded vehicles, helicopters and other hardscape identity features. Items such as lab coats, stationery, business cards, forms and other printed brochures and collateral will not be replaced but rather printed with the new brand as existing stock is depleted. Spreading the cost over years is both fiscally and economically sound for an institution of this size.
Over time Wake Forest Baptist’s single brand will be not only a benefit in the marketplace, but will result in a reduction in costs associated with carrying multiple brands.
Media Relations
Paula Faria: pfaria@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1279