CHICAGO, Feb. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC), formerly known as HealthSouth Corporation, is celebrating the launch of its new brand, developed in partnership with global consultancy Prophet.
The company, which is the nation’s leading owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and a leader in home-based care, changed its corporate name, effective January 1, 2018. Its 127 hospitals and 237 home health and hospice locations will begin transitioning to the Encompass Health name on April 1, with local migrations across its 36 states and Puerto Rico continuing throughout 2018. The rollout is expected to be fully completed by the first quarter of 2019.
To develop the new brand, the company partnered with Prophet to conduct intensive research among patients, employees, healthcare providers and investors. Research showed that many stakeholders were not aware that HealthSouth had evolved its business strategy to deliver both inpatient and home-based post-acute care and did not understand the benefits of its integrated solutions. Based on these insights, the new identity grew out of the strengths and heritage of both business segments and communicated the unified company’s commitment to delivering high-quality, cost-effective care across the post-acute continuum.
“As Encompass Health, we’re honoring the legacy of our foundational businesses, while continuing to advance our leadership in the changing landscape of post-acute care,” says Encompass Health President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Tarr. “Throughout this process, we worked closely with Prophet to define a brand strategy that would improve awareness of our business strategy and the value proposition for each of our business segments.”
In addition to rebranding as Encompass Health, the company worked with Prophet on a number of efforts to prepare for brand launch, including defining the company purpose and values; incorporating the new visual and verbal identity into the company’s content; and developing and implementing a comprehensive stakeholder engagement program.
“The move to rebrand in support of our company’s strategy was an important business decision, due to the level of investment and preparation,” says Casey Lassiter, Encompass Health’s Director of External Communications. “Prophet partnered with us at each step of the way to define and execute a thoughtful brand activation plan.”
Encompass Health will be rolling out the new brand across several phases. “The strength of Encompass Health’s business provides the flexibility to introduce the brand more deliberately, engaging all 35,000-plus employees to help build this new brand together,” says Paul Schrimpf, Prophet Partner and healthcare practice lead. The transition to Encompass Health branding across its hospitals and home health and hospice locations is scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2019.
More information about Prophet’s work with Encompass can be found at: www.prophet.com/impact/projects/encompass-health
About Prophet
Prophet is a consultancy that helps clients find better ways to grow by focusing on three important areas: creating relevant brand and customer experiences, driving accelerated growth strategies and leveraging digital as a transformative force in their business. We operate differently than other consultancies, blending insight, strategy and creativity with an optimistic yet pragmatic approach. We have partnered with some of the world’s most successful companies, including Electrolux, T-Mobile, UBS, Gatorade and GE. With nine global offices and more than 350 experts in marketing, innovation, digital and design, we are able to bring together the right people with the right experience to solve our clients’ business challenges.
About Encompass Health
As a national leader in post-acute care, Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) offers both facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that spans 127 hospitals and 237 home health & hospice locations in 36 states and Puerto Rico, the Company is committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective care across the post-acute continuum. Driven by a set of shared values, Encompass Health is the result of the union between HealthSouth Corporation and Encompass Home Health & Hospice, and is ranked as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, as well as Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Media Contact:
Julia Dennison | 917.597.8805
jdennison@prophet.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/14ee207e-2572-421e-bf80-95246eb332d3