Mercy's name change reflects modernization

In early March, Mercy Health Center will be getting a new, but familiar name -- Mercy Hospital Fort Scott.

That's what it was called before it moved to its location at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.

The name change is taking place system-wide with the objective of having consumers know the system as Mercy, Mercy Health Center Spokeswoman Tina Rockhold said. The system is now called Sisters of Mercy Health System with 31 hospitals in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas and 38,000 coworkers, or employees.

Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Decals on vehicles and ambulances will change, as will advertising, signage on clinics, hospitals and urgent care clinics, Rockhold said. The cross-within-a-cross symbol will remain intact, but the colors will change.

Mercy Physician Group will change to Mercy Clinic-Fort Scott. And, for example, Mercy Medical Plaza of Arma will change to Mercy Clinic Family Medicine-Arma.

While Rockhold said she didn't have a good dollar figure on the cost of the brand conversion, she said the system has been preparing for this "for years."

"Although there will be a significant cost upfront, we do (predict) that in time we will see a financial benefit by seeing a growth in referral patterns within Mercy. Eventually our patients will understand they have an opportunity to stay within the system," Rockhold said.

This means patients can stay within the broader Mercy system and take advantage of all the specialists it can offer. Plus, their medical records will go with them through the electronic system.

"That truly does expedite the care that we are able to provide," she added.

In Mercy's east region, including St. Louis and Washington, Mo., the change has already taken place. Beginning this month, changes will start in Joplin and Springfield, Mo. "And we'll continue to work west," she said. Arkansas will go live in April and Oklahoma in May.

"You'll start to see some transitions soon," Rockhold said. "In our area, some of the television advertising is already in effect. If you're watching a regional television station from Joplin or Pittsburg, you will see it. Locally, in the Fort Scott, Arma and Pleasanton areas, where we have clinics, signage and print materials will start (changing) in early March and be completed by the end of August."

In the works for several years, Rockhold said the change is a piece of Mercy's long-term strategy. Other examples include its transition to electronic medical records, and most recently, the MyMercy Internet portal which allows patients to do such things as book physician appointments and check test results.

"Across the Mercy Health System, we are moving toward integrating our physicians," she said, referring to the collaborative relationship the hospital has with the doctors. "It's truly all encompassing (as to) how we enhance the patient experience, enhance the ability for our patients to identify that we can refer within a larger system; there is that continuity of care for our patients," Rockhold said.

"This signals we are a modern and dynamic organization, yet we still cherish our connection to the Sisters of Mercy," who have endorsed the brand conversion, Rockhold said.

"It was actually several sisters who suggested the one name, Mercy. It was several years ago that the sisters handed over the ministry to the coworkers and entrusted ... us to carry it into the future, so we are deeply committed to carrying out the values and services they exemplified for us," she said.