Rebrand makes sense for hospital’s growth
The landscape of Northwest Montana’s health-care industry is poised for a new look in 2021. Kalispell Regional Healthcare made a major announcement last week that it would be rebranding as Logan Health beginning next month.
The name Logan is a nod to Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass, and the bright green and dark blue colors of the new logo are meant to convey stability and energy while reflecting the natural beauty of the area. The tagline for the organization is “Advancing medicine. Enhancing Care.”
The health-care company said the new name and brand is an effort to unify the organization that has grown immensely over the past few decades, and continues to expand beyond Northwest Montana.
With that in mind, the rebranding effort makes absolute sense and is a smart move forward.
The hospital that opened 110 years ago in a cottage on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Third Street East has matured into a major entity of the health-care industry that matches the valley’s rapid growth.
Currently, KRH employees more than 4,000 people including 197 physicians in 66 specialties. There are 47 clinics and outreach services stretched across the state, and hospital officials have been working to expand that network across the Continental Divide. The company has maneuvered to purchase several county-owned health-care facilities in Shelby, and is also eyeing acquisitions in Cut Bank and Conrad.
Similar to how Logan Pass connects east and west Glacier, the name Logan Health will provide a unifying bridge for the hospital’s properties on each side of the state — from Libby to Cut Bank, and wherever the company expands to next.
“Our continued growth has brought us to a pivotal point,” Craig Lambrecht, president and CEO of Kalispell Regional Healthcare, said about the name change. “We feel that now is the time to truly unify our organization and move forward under the one name of Logan Health.”
Of course, change is never easy to digest. And it’s even more difficult to accept when the change is tied to an organization that has been an integral part of the community for generations.
Locals will remember the initial pushback when Big Mountain rebranded as Whitefish Mountain Resort. That was a tough one to swallow for longtime patrons of the ski area, but from a marketing and business stance it was a no-brainer that has paid off tenfold over the past decade.
Likewise, Kalispell Regional’s rebranding plan is a wise move forward for a company with ambitions beyond the Flathead Valley. Meanwhile, patients across the state stand to benefit from more of a “seamless and streamlined experience” and access to ever-advancing technologies.
We’re excited to see continued prosperity for the hospital under its new brand. And while the name and logo may be different next year, we have confidence the hospital will carry forward its commitment to patient-centered care and the community it has served since 1910.