NATCHEZ — Riverland Medical Center will be known as Trinity Medical when the new facility being constructed at 6569 U.S. 84, Ferriday, is projected to be open in August 2020, hospital officials recently announced.

Riverland began construction on the new $36 million hospital complex in March after months of work to obtain funding.

The name for the new facility was revealed following a two-year rebranding campaign conducted Riverland Medical Center’s Administration and Board of Directors, said Brandy Spears, Riverland’s marketing director, who led a committee of RMC employees, nursing staff and management.

“The goal of the committee was to identify areas within the current facility that needed improvement and to implement ways to make those improvements prior to our staff moving into the new hospital,” Spears said. “We also wanted to give each of our employees healthcare specific customer service training, so that our hospital can become the leader in our field for providing exceptional patient care.”

Currently, more than 200 Riverland employees have completed a two-hour healthcare customer service class presented by Anna Devening, RN, Spears said.

Over the past 55 years, the physicians and staff at Riverland Medical Center have built a strong reputation for providing quality care and compassionate service to their patients, hospital officials said.

However, branding research determined that keeping the name Riverland Medical Center for a new, state-of-the-art medical facility was not the optimal decision, the hospital said.

The reputation built under Riverland Medical Center’s current identity is a valuable asset but no longer accurately reflects the new model of healthcare.

“Our market research confirmed that changing our name when we move to the new hospital is the appropriate strategic move,” the hospital said in a press statement.

RockitScience Agency of Baton Rouge was engaged to work with our Marketing team to create the new brand.

“We were fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such an experienced and fun group of professionals,” Spears said. “RockitScience Agency, has an impressive resume with a list of clients that include: H&E Equipment, Nasa, John Deere, LUBA Workers’ Comp.”

“Successful rebranding does not happen overnight, developing a logo and a name is one thing, but introducing the brand internally and to the community is a process of its own,” the press release said. “We hope that with our rebranding efforts and a new identity that the next 50 years will exemplify our core values of Compassion, Integrity & Wellness.”

On Aug. 13, Riverland officials met with employees to unveil the name for the new hospital.

A four-minute video that revealed the name, “Trinity Medical” was shown to employees, the press statement said. The video focused, not only, on the new name and reasons it was chosen, but summarized the history of the Concordia Parish Hospital beginning in 1964 at its current location, continuing to it’s name change in 1986 to the current name Riverland Medical Center.

The presentation also included a preview of the new Trinity Medical website, which will go live later this month. The presentation concluded with each employee receiving a gift imprinted with the new Trinity Medical logo.