Children’s Hospital Reveals New Brand

Since 1917, Children’s Hospital has been providing medical care to children. Through the years, the hospital and its services have evolved, providing a wider variety of care to children from Virginia and beyond. While many people recognize the Children’s Hospital name, research conducted in early 2005 showed that many of those same people didn’t really understand what the hospital does, the range of services it offers or the value it brings to the healthcare marketplace and to children and families in the area.

Armed with this research, Children’s Hospital initiated a brand development program, which was shared with employees in mid-July 2006. The new brand provides a revised mission and vision for Children’s Hospital as well as a new look and feel, which will be incorporated into future hospital publications, employee orientation and recognition programs and the hospital web site later this year.

“Our world is changing,” said Leslie Wyatt, president and CEO. “Marketing for health care services is very competitive…As we look to the future of a new full service children’s hospital, it will be vitally important to be clear about who we are…We really are a bit of a ‘well-kept’ secret.”

In early 2005, a 10-member internal planning team was formed to evaluate the hospital’s current mission and vision, review patient exit surveys and award program nominations, interview staff members, field an employee survey and conduct research with current and potential patients and families. This research helped identify five values that define Children’s Hospital – advocacy, collaboration, continuous learning, customized care and stewardship – and led to the creation of Children’s Hospital’s new brand.

“Our brand must capture the ‘heart’ of who we are today,” said Leslie, “so we can carry this heritage with us to new frontiers while preserving the spirit of what we have built right here.”

Used by many successful companies, branding is an important tool that builds customer loyalty and connection to a company’s product.  Leslie described the evolution of the hospital’s brand as “a fundamental business decision…making it more relevant and powerful in today’s world.”

Children’s Hospital’s new brand isn’t truly new but rather a reaffirmation of what it’s always been – young, lively, hopeful, persistent and a place that never forgets it’s all about children. Nearly 90 years after Children’s Hospital was founded in the basement of a physician’s office on East Franklin Street, the hospital still remains young at heart! 

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