ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Hospital announced Tuesday that it's changing its name to AdventHealth.
Adventist Health System, the hospital's parent company based in Altamonte Springs, said the name will reflect a unified brand of its 1,000-plus locations, which include 80,000 team members across 10 states.
"We've been a part of the (Central Florida) community for 110 years," Florida Hospital president and CEO Daryl Tol said. "(Now,) we have a global footprint."
Tol said the company's goal continues to be to help the community be the healthiest it can be.
The organization is not changing its business structure.
“We are transforming to be a more consumer-focused health care system to better meet the needs of those we care for and the communities we serve,” said Terry Shaw, president/CEO for Adventist Health System. “Becoming AdventHealth allows us to be a fully integrated and distinguishable health system across all aspects of the care continuum, while also speaking to our Christian healing ministry, message of wholeness and our rich Seventh-day Adventist roots.”
In addition to the new name, Tol said AdventHealth will introduce the Center for Genomic Health in 2019.
"Genomics is the future of medicine," he said. "Your DNA matters. Your makeup matters. And the way you’re treated should change based on who you are. Precision medicine."
Using a DNA sample provided by the patient, medical professionals hope to identify that patient’s risk for certain diseases like cancer, and then determine how their bodies will react to certain medications.
“Wouldn't you like to know if you have an increased risk of heart disease? And if in fact it's heart disease, what type of heart disease is it?,” asked Dr. Neil Finkler, Florida Hospital’s chief medical officer for Acute Care Services. “We're going to get that specific and hopefully come up with interventions that will reduce the risk or actually mitigate the severity of the disease.”
Wes Walker, the hospital’s associate chief medical information officer, said technology advances have made it possible to more quickly sequence and analyze a patient’s DNA at a lower cost.
“We can use (genomics) to look at the types of drugs that would be effective for (the patient), the types of drugs that would not be effective, and we'll know that information before the prescription is even written, which is exciting because it used to be more of a trial-and-error kind of process,” he said.
According to Finkler, the new facility will eventually serve as a warehouse for patients’ DNA information.
As new medical discoveries are made, that information will be incorporated into an electronic medical file that can potentially be shared with doctors throughout the patient’s life.
“We’re committed to the fact that this is your DNA. This is something you’re going to own. And you’re going to help us navigate what we do with it,” Finkler said.
The hospital also plans to showcase a new technology platform, allowing patients to receive care via their phones.
In September, a transition campaign featuring television and print ads will begin in various markets across the country.
The name change goes into effect Jan. 2, officials said. Changes to signage at hospitals and other facilities are also expected to take place in January.
Florida Hospital is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Orlando by U.S. News and World Report.