Butler, Excela announce new name for system
Say hello to Independence Health System, the new name of the merged Butler and Excela health systems.
The two entities merged early this year, and include hospitals in Butler, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland, along with numerous outpatient facilities.
The new name was announced Monday, May 22, by organization officials.
“Last June, two like-minded, independent health systems announced their intent to come together with the goal of creating a new and distinct health care choice for patients in Western Pennsylvania,” said Ken DeFurio, president and chief executive officer of Independence Health System. “On Jan. 1 of this year we successfully formed the new organization.”
According to officials, Independence Health System is the third largest in Western Pennsylvania, with 7,300 employees and more than 1,000 physicians.
DeFurio said the new name highlights the strengths of a new system.
“I think something that makes us different is our commitment to local communities. It’s not some big corporate office somewhere, it’s a board of trustees and executives who want the very best care for our communities,” he said. “People choose to live in these communities for a reason.”
Through focus groups and discussions with stakeholders in Butler and Excela’s systems, the name was brought up.
“We wanted to see what doctors and nurses thought, what values they believed were important and what our name needed to convey. The winner needed to be representative of who we are and what we become,” he said.
He added that he was surprised the Independence Health System name wasn’t spoken for.
The new logo includes a medical cross, and circles that represent people with arms outstretched. The circles represent the how caretakers are interwoven, according to officials.
The name change comes at a time when merger activities are still in full swing. Though the companies officially merged in January, DeFurio said he has spent months getting to know people from Excela’s system.
“It’s a large organization with five hospitals and and 7,000 people,” he said. “There’s lots of loyalty and pride in these local communities. The activity over the course of the summer will be focused on clinical service lines and patient access, so doctors can provide the most availability for patients.”
As far as seeing the new system name on signage and documents, DeFurio said that takes time.
“Email addresses and business cards will be changed quickly. Some changes will be seen immediately and some will be over the next couple of months,”
DeFurio said the name will reflect to patients the values Independence Health System upholds.
“They’ll know that if I’m accessing Independent Health System, I have access to a wide range and depth of services, and I can be well taken care of within that system,” he said.
