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May 14, 2024
GREEN BAY – Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System, who merged in December 2022, are now moving forward under the name Emplify Health.
Dr. Scott Rathgaber, CEO of the Bellin and Gundersen Health System, said the new name is a combination of the words “empathy” and “amplify.”
Empathy is defined as feeling aware of another’s emotions and amplify means to increase.
“Emplify is a new word created to reflect a united goal of increasing access, creating a culture of empathy and enhancing population health outcomes for the patients and the communities we serve,” he said. “These are the values we stand for and set us apart.”
Rathgaber said unifying under one brand allows the health system to align its teams and resources “to provide the best possible care and experience for our patients and community.”
Emplify Health, Rathgaber said, is more than a name.
“It’s a promise,” he said. “It’s a symbol of trust. It is a continuation and evolution of our shared legacies. It prepares us for the future.”
Strong foundations
The Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System serves communities throughout Wisconsin, northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota and northern Michigan at 11 hospitals and more than 100 clinics.
Because of that reach, Rathgaber said, implementing the new brand will take time.
He said initially, people will see the name as Emplify Health by Bellin and Emplify Health by Gundersen in their respective markets.
Scott Rathgaber
“The new brand will be slowly and thoughtfully incorporated into the health system,” he said. “Right now, Bellin Hospital is still Bellin Hospital.”
Though patients won’t notice any immediate change, Rathgaber said a lot of work is happening behind the scenes as Bellin and Gundersen continue to bring its workforce, processes and technology together.
The health system announced the brand change during a virtual news conference at the end of last month – which featured a video featuring Gundersen and Bellin employees announcing the new brand.
“Do we expect everyone to immediately embrace this journey? Certainly not,” Rathgaber said. “But we will journey together. Change takes time. And we must honor our legacy names into the future. I know we have the best people in the industry working at our organization who will help to build this new identity in the right way while respecting our rich histories.”
A necessary move
The new brand, Rathgaber said, features the word “emplify” in lowercase blue letters while the word “health” is in all caps.
The bottom half of a smile, he said, is under the “lif” in “emplify” in a lighter blue color.
“New brands take time to build,” he said.
Rathgaber said the graduate rollout means that costs associated with the name change will be spread out over months and years.
“There is a cost (associated with rebranding), but there’s also the cost of having two names,” he said.
Rathgaber said a new brand was necessary for the merged health system since Bellin, headquartered in Green Bay, and Gundersen, headquartered in La Crosse, had their own separate identities.
“We wanted a cohesive identity that brought together the best of Bellin and Gundersen,” he said. “There’s a rich history behind the brand, and we also wanted to get across that along with that legacy, there’s a history of innovation.”
Empathy, Rathgaber said, is what the system’s employees show every day as they work with patients and “as we lead with love.”
He said by incorporating the word amplify into the name, the system is enabling its bold vision and “empowering our employees” as they prepare for the future.
Scott Rathgaber said the new brand will gradually be incorporated into the health system – meaning right now, Bellin Hospital is still Bellin Hospital. Submitted Photo
Though all clinics and hospitals will change to the Emplify Health name in the next couple of years, Rathgaber said the health systems’ foundations will retain their legacy names – the Gundersen Medical Foundation, the Bellin Health Foundation and foundations associated with the other hospitals.
“As we shared when Bellin and Gundersen merged in December 2022, the funds received by each foundation will remain designated for their intended areas as directed by donors,” he said.
In addition, Rathgaber said Emplify will continue to support community events that Bellin and Gundersen have been involved in, including the Bellin Run in Green Bay and the Gundersen Medical Foundation’s Steppin’ Out in Pink event in La Crosse.
The name change, he said, does not affect the system’s commitment to providing compassionate care close to home remains unchanged.
Rathgaber said patients will receive their care with the same providers and staff at the same location – it’s just that over time, the name on the door will change.
“The care we provide for our patients is rooted in empathy and amplified through the collective efforts of our 15,000 team members system-wide,” he said.
For more information on the new brand, visit emplifyhealth.org.
