On July 28, 2022, Gary Paxson, White River Health System (WRHS) President and CEO, announced White River Health System is now White River Health. With the new name, White River Health (WRH) is introducing a new brand image, logo, and tagline. Each of which were carefully designed to support the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
“The past two years have been very difficult with the pandemic and staff shortages,” said Gary Paxson. “With the help of our dedicated employees, WRH has grown even stronger and, during this time, reaffirmed our commitment to the health of our communities. We believe this transition is indicative of this achievement and the bright future of the organization. We have grown in our culture and service, and the rebranding serves as a symbol to remind us, and to communicate to our communities, of our ongoing commitment to a culture of service and exceptional healthcare.”
“What is the meaning behind the rebranding design decision? It is important to note that businesses should refresh their branding image every five years. The health system used the same logo and tagline for nearly two decades. However, the decision to make this change earnestly and authentically had to be at a time when the culture was right.” Paxson said.
“While dropping ‘System’ from the name is a small change, it allows the healthcare organization to focus on what we do – Health. The W in the new logo represents the White River and is a tribute to the organization’s history, upon further investigation, you can see two hearts coming together,” Paxson continued. “The two hearts overlap to show caring and connection. The colors are refreshing, natural colors that flow together like the river: Blue represents calm, comfort, trust, and commitment and green represents health, growth, and energy.”
The new tagline – Caring Beyond Healthcare – communicates what WRH represents and their purpose. It means caring extends beyond the walls of the hospital and into the communities, making this region a healthier place. It also means maintaining an exceptional level of caring within the walls of our facilities by delivering lifelong, next-level care to patients. Lastly, it means providing a warm, empowering, culture for the employees.
“WRH aims to be more than medicine, building brighter futures for North Central Arkansas.” Paxson said. “WRH remains an independent, not-for-profit healthcare system serving residents throughout North Central Arkansas. The system includes hospitals, outpatient facilities, primary care and specialty physician office practices, and Senior Life Centers. WRH is a member of the Premier Alliance, the American Hospital Association, and the Arkansas Hospital Association and licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health.”