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Every day brings change. But big changes don’t come every day. The Eastern Panhandle is growing and changing – and we are too! We’ve listened to the communities we serve and evolved with them to provide access to the best health and wellness services possible.
University Healthcare is the alliance of WVU Hospitals – East, City Hospital and Jefferson Memorial Hospital. Uniting under one name – University Healthcare – enables us to pool the resources at our disposal, combine our efforts and make significant improvements to care quality and patient experience through renewed facilities, increased doctor recruitment, new specialties, new services, the latest and most advanced technologies, and more.
To better represent who we are and identify ourselves more closely with the communities we serve, our organization will use new names: University Healthcare (formerly WVU Hospitals-East), Berkeley Medical Center (formerly City Hospital) and Jefferson Medical Center (formerly Jefferson Memorial Hospital).
We have changed names to better reflect the leading medical institution that we have been and are continuing to become through a commitment to sustainable growth and total dedication to improving access to care. We are University Healthcare. It’s more than a name change. It means the future we’ve been building is here.
With significant change, many organizations find the need to rename and launch a rebranding initiative. It is a task that isn’t taken lightly, as every outward and inward aspect of the brand is an opportunity, from websites to signage, to public opinion and employee service approach. This rebranding is designed to align the name with the already fantastic improvements that have taken place. We have a great story to tell.
Q. What is the new name? How do we say the new name?
A. Effective May 13, 2013, the names of West Virginia University Hospitals – East, City Hospital, and Jefferson Memorial Hospital are no longer being used to describe our organization. We are now being referred to as University Healthcare, Berkeley Medical Center, and Jefferson Medical Center.
Q. Why did WVUH-East change the names? & How was the decision made?
A.
Health system administration and the Board of Directors have invested eight years of careful deliberation into the evaluation of our brand strategy. Significant community research was performed and branding expertise was utilized. It was determined that the name “WVUH-East” was both confusing and awkward to consumers. Research also identified that the public perception of City and Jefferson Memorial hospitals did not align with the multitude of improvements made over the past several years.
The selection of “University Healthcare”, “Berkeley Medical Center” and “Jefferson Medical Center” were suggestions from our best resource: the community. Our research showed that patients, their families, and community members overwhelmingly preferred these names and had a positive association to WVU Healthcare. It is their wish and the goal of the organization to raise the bar – to grow from two separate community hospitals to one integrated health care community with two medical centers. With regional reach and expanded services, these new names more accurately reflect our evolving organization and care centers. As we tell our story, it is increasingly important that our name accurately represents what we now offer – a needed and expected change.
Q. What is the affiliation with WVU Healthcare?
A.
The new name continues to reflect our strong bond with WVU Healthcare in Morgantown and West Virginia United Health System. It is a name that more accurately represents us as the premier health care organization in the area and our relationship with the state’s leading, world-class teaching medical center.
Q. What does this rebranding mean for the community?
A.
It’s more than a new name. It reflects our continued bond with the state’s leading teaching medical center, an affiliation that is already paying off in better technology, more specialists, improved facilities, and continued growth in the healthcare provided to our community. Eastern Panhandle residents benefit from first-class care available close to home, while physicians benefit from working with a healthcare system that is strong and viable well into the future.
Q. Is the name change and marketing worth the expense it will cost the hospital?
A.
Absolutely. The expenses made in branding and marketing initiatives are an important investment in us and our community. Organizations that don’t invest in the image projected to the community find themselves vulnerable to negative public perception. With over $100 million in investments and improvements to the health system, we have a great story to tell and must have a public perception that matches our commitment to improving access to quality of care in our region.
Q. What improvements have been made?
A.
The 2005 merger of WVU Healthcare in Morgantown, City Hospital, and Jefferson Memorial Hospital made it possible to realize major health care improvements in the Eastern Panhandle. For the past eight years, we have diligently worked to redefine quality care and wellness services in the Eastern Panhandle. With $100 million invested in improvements, strong recruitment efforts, and the addition of new specialties and expansion of services, we have made significant strides in quality of care and patient experience. We have changed names to better reflect the leading institution that we have been and are continuing to become through a commitment to sustainable growth and total dedication to improving access to care.
Advances include:
- more satellite family medicine clinics
- the addition of cardiac catheterization, outpatient cancer treatment, wound care, and sleep lab facilities
- modernized emergency departments and major overall facility improvements to both Jefferson and Berkeley Medical Centers
- state-of-the-art Women’s Imaging Center utilizing the latest digital mammography and stereotactic breast biopsy technologies
Q. What will happen with affiliated names, such as the foundations or physician groups?
A.
Our rebranding efforts are comprehensive and reflect our strength as one, integrated entity. Our physician group is now called “University Healthcare Physicians”. The Foundation Board of Directors is in the process of determining new names for the WVUH-East Foundations.
Q. I see the C2E buttons staff are wearing. What does that mean?
A.
C2E stands for Committed to Excellence. It is more than a guest relations program. Rather, it is a complete performance platform created by and for our employees. It represents a renewed dedication to provide the best in service and care in all areas. It is a commitment to exceeding our own expectations and those of the community.