ThedaCare Medical Center-New London official in Spring of 2014
New London officials are excited about the pending name change for its community medical center. This year, New London Family Medical Center will change to ThedaCare Medical Center-New London.
Laurie Shaw, executive director of the New London Chamber of Commerce, said the name change will strengthen the hospital, which has been a foundation for the health care needs of area residents. “New London is extremely fortunate to have a local hospital with connections to the complete ThedaCare system,” she said. “ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in northeast Wisconsin and offers well-paying employment opportunities to our residents. They are also very community-minded being involved in multiple philanthropic efforts within our community. We are fortunate to have our affiliation with ThedaCare and look forward to working together in the future.”
Kerry L. Griebenow, O.D., president of the Wolf River Area Healthcare Foundation (WRAHF), agreed, noting the name change will bring greater awareness about the health system affiliation with the hospital, which has been in place since 2000. “Though New London Family Medical Center has been affiliated with ThedaCare for several years now, its affiliation has been somewhat unknown due to the name differences,” said Griebenow. “This brings a more consistent brand to some of the medical centers now affiliated with ThedaCare, including New London and Shawano.”
The name change also gives WRAHF an opportunity to take advantage of this new brand and help with its own identity, said Griebenow. “At this time, we still find many individuals who do not know what the Wolf River Area Healthcare Foundation is and what it helps to support. If we can help the public better understand the purpose of the Foundation through a name change consistent with that of the medical center, it could certainly be an advantage to both the Foundation and ThedaCare Medical Center-New London.”
Heather Stern, WRAHF executive director, agreed. “The ThedaCare brand is powerful and it represents quality,” she said. “This will give us a stronger link with the system as a whole and allow us to continue to put our customer first. Our patients will know who we are and what they can expect from us across the system.”
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of five hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, New London Family Medical Center, Shawano Medical Center, and Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare at Home. ThedaCare is the largest employer in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,175 employees and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Those interested can follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
