SUBJECT:

New Look for a New Era

Over the past several months, our Health Sciences leadership team has developed and communicated our new vision for health care in the 21st century. During these discussions, we have also come to recognize that we have an opportunity to update our identity to better reflect the extraordinary contributions of the region's only university-based hospital and health system.

We evaluated Health Sciences' currently fragmented system of names and logos, and concluded that we could more effectively represent our institution to the community and our patients with a strong, consistent name and look.

We also determined that as part of one of the world's great university systems, we should proudly embrace the University of California name as part of our identity.

Therefore, we are now calling our system of clinical services the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, encompassing our hospitals and medical group. The University of California name is beginning to appear along with the official University seal, using the UC system's traditional blue and gold colors, in our publications, on signage, letterhead and business cards, websites, advertising, and wherever we use our identifying "signature."

This new look is also being adopted for our academic programs, as well as the clinical and research centers within our system. This is more than a cosmetic change. By refocusing on the University's strong tradition of excellence, we underscore the leadership UCSD provides in improving patient care, and in shaping the future of medicine.

Unlike community providers, UCSD has the privilege and responsibility to support the multiple missions of research, education, clinical care and public service. We want our patients and the public to better understand that our clinical system is integrated with our top ranking School of Medicine, and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; and with the research activities of a campus that is among the nation's top-funded National Institutes of Health universities. In fact, in less than four decades, our exceptional faculty, staff and students have helped position this institution as one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.

This accomplishment and what it means for patients is reflected in our new advertising campaign. The theme is "Discover the Power of Academic Medicine" and the ads describe the integration of research and patient care, education and innovation, and how these synergies advance the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease for the benefit of patients everywhere.

This change will be phased with each new order and as attrition allows. As you place your orders, please help us achieve a unifying identify by using the new logo and graphic standards, which you can access at http://health.ucsd.edu/logos/ Note that we are no longer using UCSD Healthcare or the old hospital logo.

If you have questions about how to apply these graphic standards in your area, you can seek assistance from Casey Murphy of the UCSD Medical Center Marketing and Planning department, 619-471-9369.

The URL for the Point of Service Survey: http://somfiscal.ucsd.edu/pss/

Edward W. Holmes, M.D. Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Dean, School of Medicine