Signs of Via Christi Health’s transition to Ascension Via Christi begin to appear

It’s been more than a year since Via Christi Health announced it would rebrand to include the Ascension name, and now it’s finally happening.

“It’s a very involved process,” says COO Todd Conklin.

In 2013, Via Christ Health became fully owned by the St. Louis-based Ascension, a Catholic nonprofit health system with operations in 22 states and Washington, D.C., that Via Christi had already been part of.

Ascension is the largest national nonprofit health system and the world’s biggest Catholic health system.

“When organizations change their brand, everything is really involved,” Conklin says. “We started this journey in October of 2017.”

Via Christi Health will now be known as Ascension Via Christi, and Via Christi Clinic will now be known as Ascension Medical Group Via Christi.

Conklin says it’s “an exercise to unify the brand.”

“We operate as one. We serve the communities as one. It really is an integrated effort to serve our communities in a unified fashion.”

He says Ascension is a recognized name that “references Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.”

“Our logo is something that we refer to as our trinity,” Conklin says of Ascension’s triangular logo.

Conklin says the colors of the brand reflect how Ascension serves the communities it is in.

Green represents growth, blue is for health and purple represents compassion in how Ascension serves patients.

Conklin says he can’t say how much the changes will cost.

“I really don’t have that figure. We’re right in the process of doing it.”

He says some signage was due to be replaced anyway.

“We have not changed signs in a number of years.”

Conklin says with so many signs — from large monument signs to small wayfinding signs — and vehicles and other things to change to the new brand, Ascension can leverage the volume for better pricing.

“The good thing is that we’re doing this as a national ministry, which allows us to do it at the most effective cost.”

Ascension has seven hospitals in Kansas. Conklin says a deinstalling process began with its signs a couple of months ago.

The installation of the new signs will be complete in February. Conklin says Ascension plans Feb. 13 celebrations in conjunction with the completion.

“We’re excited about the new unified brand.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 2:42 PM.