Nemours Name Change Reflects Bold Strategic Direction to Redefine Children's Health

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nemours Children's Health System announced today it will be evolving its name and introducing its new brand mark to better reflect the organization's bold vision of redefining children's health. The new name and mark were shared with Nemours associates during a virtual Founder's Day event commemorating Alfred I. duPont's philanthropic legacy supporting children's health and marking the launch of a new five-year strategic plan.

"Nemours' new strategy is designed to achieve our vision of creating the healthiest generations of children," said R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, president and CEO of Nemours Children's Health. "Our commitment to transforming children's health recognizes that we must re-write its definition. Experts estimate eighty percent of a child's ability to achieve health occurs beyond a doctor's office. We are committed to working with public, private, governmental, and community partners to address the social determinants of health through a holistic approach beyond healthcare which includes the home, school, and community. The geographic and demographic makeup of Nemours' care sites make it uniquely structured to serve as the test case for the aspirational goal of fundamentally changing the way America cares for kids."

The organization will simplify its name to Nemours Children's Health, creating a unified brand across the five-state health system, which operates two hospitals, including the flagship hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, a network of nearly 80 primary and specialty care practices, a National Office on Policy & Prevention, a robust international program, and its corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. The change to Nemours Children's Health will occur in August.

"Nemours' vision, strategic plan, and new brand are interwoven, all reflected in its new brand mark coined 'The Loop of Care,' which represents both the enduring relationship between a child and caregiver, as well as Nemours' continuous quest for innovation," said Sarah Sanders, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Nemours Children's Health. "Our health system has always been known for its excellence in pediatric care, but also for the relationship created between families and our providers resulting in an experience of trust and genuine connection. The Loop of Care represents Nemours' unique approach to patient care and its bright future as an organization dedicated to improving the world in which every child lives." 

The Nemours Foundation will remain the official name of the organization that provides more than 1.7 million patient encounters annually. The changes announced today will be reflected in the names of its hospitals, and specialty, primary, and urgent care locations to more closely connect the Nemours name to the breadth of communities served. Nemours will rename the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children to Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware. To honor Alfred I. duPont as Nemours' benefactor and his commitment to Delaware, Nemours has established the Alfred I. duPont Campus which is home to multiple entities situated on his estate: Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, Nemours Mansion and Gardens, and the Carillon Tower, which not only rings out music daily but serves as the final resting place of Alfred I. duPont, his wife, Jessie Ball duPont, and his brother-in-law, Edward Ball.

"Naming the Delaware campus after Alfred I. duPont is a fitting tribute to both his foresight and his legacy," said Gina Altieri, executive vice president and enterprise chief communications officer of Nemours Children's Health. "His intention to provide a lasting contribution to the care of children – Delaware's children foremost among them – is fulfilled in the modern hospital that stands today.  As an inventor and a maverick, we believe Mr. duPont would be intrigued by the notion of redefining health and proud that Nemours is serving as a model for innovation in pediatric health care delivery."

Nemours' ultimate goal is to play a profound role in aligning the financial incentives of the U.S. healthcare system to support a pay-for-health model to ensure delivery of the services and resources necessary to achieve improved health outcomes. Through the new plan, Nemours will also increase investments in key initiatives including enhancing its whole child health model of care, moving to value, creating and advocating for a national strategy for children's health, innovating health delivery system research, and leveraging clinical expertise.

These ambitious goals require a multi-stakeholder approach to address those preventative social, economic, and demographic factors that impact a child's health such as health equity, food insecurity, housing, homelessness, exposure to violence, racism, and others with the same vigor used to treat children with acute and emergent health needs.

"Nemours is committed to taking a leadership role in health care transformation by advocating for a pay-for-health model. This platform impacts children in the communities we serve as well as those who may never enter our doors. We must align our health system's collective expertise, community partnerships, and operations to accomplish this lofty goal," said Dr. Moss.

Nemours was established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. and Jessie Ball duPont with the opening of the Alfred I. duPont Institute in 1940. Mr. duPont's final wishes were for a hospital to be built on the expansive grounds of the Nemours Estate, his Delaware home, named after his great-great grandfather, Pierre Samuel DuPont de Nemours, who had represented the Nemours district in France's national assemblies. The Nemours philosophy from the outset included a commitment to caring for the whole child by providing specialized medical care and age-appropriate schooling and activities. Mr. duPont, an avid inventor and supporter of medical research, believed in the importance of nature and light in healing, which are incorporated in Nemours' hospitals and outpatient clinics to this day.

The history of Nemours is documented in a newly released book, "Images of America: Nemours Children's Health," written by Nemours president and CEO R. Lawrence Moss, and published by Arcadia Publishing.

About Nemours Children's Health. Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, including two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of nearly 80 primary and specialty care practices across five states. Nemours seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high quality care, while also caring for the health of the whole child beyond medicine. Nemours also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org.

The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves.

SOURCE Nemours Children's Health System