Islanders will continue to see more integration of the Massachusetts General Brigham (MGB) brand at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, but Denise Schepici, CEO and president of the Island hospital, told The Times patient care won’t change.
Schepici said the brand changes have been slowly implemented over the past two years at the hospital, but signs outside the building aren’t likely to be adjusted until sometime in the spring, because they must go through the local planning process. She added that the rebranding wasn’t done all at once because of the costs involved in changing everything from signs to business cards and stationery to staff clothing.
A recent Boston Globe story focused on some of the ego-driven drama over the rebranding between staff at Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women’s hospitals — two powerhouses on the Boston healthcare landscape. “Multiple physicians at MGB, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the uncertainty and change are causing anxiety for some, who feel disconnected from decisions made at the corporate level,” the Globe reported. “Yet many agreed that the system has to evolve to become more efficient and accessible for patients.”
Schepici said there has not been that kind of drama among staff at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. “Not at all,” she said. “We’ve seen the benefits of being part of the system, and are proud of being part of the system.” The unified branding shows “we’re one part of an integrated health system,” she added.
Schepici, who was a longtime employee of Partners Healthcare before being hired as the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital CEO, said she still finds herself slipping and referring to Partners, but said the MGB brand is ultimately better for the hospital and its patients, because it’s more intuitive.
“People had a hard time understanding what Partners was,” she said. “Hence the new name. Really, by elevating those names, it recommits everyone to this one collective purpose.”
On Nantucket, a new logo incorporating MGB with the Cottage Hospital was introduced to staff last week with mixed reactions, according to the Nantucket Current.
In an email to The Times Monday, Claire Seguin, chief operating officer and chief nurse at MVH, said an unveiling of the new logo at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has been delayed at least until the spring.
Ultimately, Schepici said, the Island hospital’s affiliation with all of the hospitals that make up MGB makes it better for patients. Each day, Seguin is on a call with others in the system to determine things like bed capacity and other issues. The parent company is also helpful in providing assistance with core services like radiology and pathology.
Sometimes Island patients can be directed to care at other MGB community hospitals, for example Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Schepici said. “It’s better access to get you the care needed,” she said. Some people don’t want to go to the academic centers in downtown Boston, Schepici said. “Parking there costs more than your copay,” she said.
