The board of Nashville (Tenn.) General Hospital has deferred a vote on new marketing contracts after a controversy over bidding and the company's owner, Tennessee Lookout reported.

Kingwood (Texas) Emergency Hospital has changed its name to Elite Hospital Kingwood, Community Impact reported Aug. 1. 

Florence, S.C.-based McLeod Health is the most improved health system brand, according to marketing agency Monigle.

Health systems that were named among the most empowering brands in healthcare told Becker's they are "laser-focused" on putting patients first and personalizing their care.

Three health systems ranked among the 10 most personalized healthcare brands, according to a study by Monigle.

The Memphis (Tenn.) VA hospital has been renamed to the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, according to a July 23 report from ABC24.

Irvine, Calif., could become the breeding ground for the nation's next big healthcare brands as large health systems such as Newport Beach, Calif.-based Hoag are spending billions to expand in the area, The Orange County Register reported July 23. 

Three acute care hospitals — Modesto, Calif.-based Doctors Medical Center, Turlock, Calif.-based Emanuel Medical Center and Doctors Hospital of Manteca (Calif.) — are rebranding under a new name, Central Valley Doctors Health System. 

The "sea of sameness" concept, which refers to when healthcare marketing and advertising looks similar across entities, has been causing friction among hospitals and health systems working to stand out to their patient communities. 

Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare launched the "Look for the N" campaign comprising a series of TV ads meant to spotlight the various neighborhoods, backgrounds and cultures that act as the foundation of the greater Louisville area.

Unlike many other health systems, Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare hasn't changed its logo much over the years, but it has different emblems for specific geographic regions, branding agency Fabrik reported.

CVS Health's chief marketing officer, Norm de Greve, is leaving the company for a role at General Motors. 

Alex Morgan, forward for the U.S. Women's National Team, will serve as an ambassador for Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and will dedicate funds to support comprehensive care at the hospital. 

Health systems that have signed up for Threads, the new Twitter competitor from Instagram, told Becker's they were excited to have a new way to reach consumers and are pleased with the early results.

Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare leads the way in a list of the most empowering health system brands, according to a study by Monigle.

U.S. News & World Report will incorporate software from 3M Health Information Systems into its "2023-2024 Best Hospitals Specialty" rankings to incorporate insights on patient safety outcomes for common outpatient surgeries. 

While some health systems have soured on rankings systems such as U.S. News & World Report, many patients still rely on them for finding healthcare, USA Today reported July 12.

Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare is piloting a partnership with digital healthcare marketing company Abundant Healthcare Acquisition to use two of its software tools to aid patients seeking care.

As chief consumer officer for Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services, Reed Smith is also in charge of marketing. Just don't call it that.

Three hospitals and health systems that have announced name changes or other rebranding efforts since June 23: