Ascension Michigan rebrands more hospitals amid clinical integration project

Ascension Michigan's statewide rebranding has completed another phase after it renamed all its hospitals in southeast Michigan. "Ascension" will now be the first word in every facility name in an effort to overhaul the systems that goes beyond just the name. 

"In September of 2016 we announced that we would unify our brand statewide. This was the beginning of our efforts to share best practices, enhance patient care and deliver greater value to the communities we serve," said Joseph Cacchione, MD, Ascension Medical Group president. "This rebranding is the next step in that transition to a unified brand."

As part of the rebranding, exterior and interior signage and branded materials will be modified with the Ascension name and logo at all Ascension hospitals and outpatient facilities in southeast Michigan. For some of the hospitals involved, the renaming goes deeper.

"The renaming of Ascension Crittenton Hospital to Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital signals its formal transition to a Catholic hospital and means increased clinical integration, physician integration and service line integration with Ascension Providence Hospital. The Providence name has been familiar to metro Detroit since 1910 and has historical significance and a high-quality reputation," Ascension said in a statement.

The renaming of the remaining Ascension Michigan facilities across the state will be rolled out in subsequent phases.

Changes within Ascension Michigan have been brewing for at least a year-and-a-half, after the system announced in fall 2016 that it was reorganizing into two new divisions and renaming some of the hospitals in the Ascension Michigan health network.

The two divisions became "Healthcare" and "Solutions." Ascension spokesperson Johnny Smith said the move "will enhance collaboration within the network, and provide better support for the physicians and caregivers working under the company banner."

The new Healthcare division includes the organization's hospitals and related sites of care, as well as community clinics, Ascension Senior Living, the home care and hospice partnership Ascension At Home, Ascension Clinical Holdings, and the nation's second-largest doctor-led physician practice, Ascension Medical Group.

The rebranding is not exclusive to Michigan hospitals either. In September 2017, hospitals and sites of care in central and northern Wisconsin previously operating as Ministry Health Care adopted the Ascension brand, naming and logo.

The first hospitals to unveil the new signage were Ascension St. Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point and Ascension St. Clare's Hospital in Weston.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn
Email the writer: beth.sanborn@himssmedia.com