AMITA Health Chosen As Name For Integrated Health System Serving The West And Northwest Suburbs Of Chicago

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. and HINSDALE, Ill., April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of the Joint Operating Company (JOC) formed by Adventist Midwest Health and Alexian Brothers Health System (ABHS) has chosen the name AMITA Health for its newly integrated health system, the third-largest health system in Illinois.

AMITA Health encompasses nine hospitals and an extensive provider network of more than 3,000 physicians serving the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago.

After legal and regulatory approvals, the two entities officially entered into the JOC, effective February 1. The non-binding letter of intent to form the JOC was announced in June 2014 and, after a period of due diligence, the definitive agreement was announced in October 2014.

Adventist Midwest Health is part of Adventist Health System in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and Alexian Brothers Health System (ABHS) is part of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system.

"This name marks a new beginning firmly rooted in our faith traditions and our past accomplishments," said Mark A. Frey, president and CEO of AMITA Health. "The name is our promise to deliver the most efficient, high-quality, faithbased care."

The name AMITA is inspired by the meaning it has in several languages: friendship in Italian, honesty and truth in Hebrew and spiritual light and boundlessness in Hindi, reflecting the organization's core values of friendship, truth and mutual respect for all, as well as its faith-based call to healing.

"We wanted an inspirational name because we know our team of dedicated caregivers is driven by a higher calling to help others," said David L. Crane, AMITA Health's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Each day we extend God's healing touch through mutual respect for all, and we strive to do everything humanly possible to deliver excellent, patient-driven care."

Naming process
AMITA Health was chosen after an extensive process that began during the early stages of discussions between the two organizations. The deliberate, scientific research process included interviews of many randomly chosen associates and patients from both Adventist and ABHS, as well as board members of both organizations and their foundations and religious leaders.

The research informed a creative process that considered more than 2,000 words, combinations and potential names that matched the criteria and objectives for the brand name of the JOC. From this, a short list of potential names was developed for testing and legal research into trademark availability.

As part of the name announcement, AMITA Health is debuting a series of television and radio ads on Chicago-area stations. There also is a new website, AMITAhealth.org.

The partners in the naming process include market research firm Brandtrust of Chicago, branding and advertising agency Samata of Barrington, Ill., which led the creative process, and Caperion of Carmel, Ind., which produced the television and radio ads.

About AMITA Health
AMITA Health (AMITAhealth.org) is an integrated health system serving communities in western and northwestern suburban Chicago. AMITA Health is a Joint Operating Company formed in February 2015 by Adventist Midwest Health, based in Hinsdale, Ill., and Alexian Brothers Health System, based in Arlington Heights, Ill., encompassing nine hospitals and an extensive physician provider network of more than 3,000 physicians. AMITA Health is committed to delivering the most efficient, highest quality, faith-based care possible and respecting the faith traditions of all people.

About Ascension
Ascension (ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering person-centered care to all with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. More than 150,000 associates and 35,000 affiliated providers serve in 1,900 sites of care – including 131 hospitals and more than 30 senior care facilities – in 23 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to healthcare delivery, Ascension subsidiaries provide a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, treasury management, biomedical engineering, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization.

About Adventist Health System
Adventist Health System (adventisthealthsystem.com) is a faith-based health care organization headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida. A national leader in quality, safety and patient satisfaction, Adventist Health System's more than 70,000 employees maintain a tradition of whole-person health by caring for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of every patient. With 45 hospital campuses and more than 8,300 licensed beds in ten states, Adventist Health System facilities incorporate the latest technological advancements and clinical research to serve more than 4.5 million patients annually. The full continuum of integrated care also includes urgent care centers, home health and hospice agencies, and skilled nursing facilities. Each Adventist Health System facility operates independently in delivering care and services to best meet the needs of the local communities they serve.  While each entity is unique, all remain united in one mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ.

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SOURCE AMITA Health

Related Links

http://www.AMITAhealth.org

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