The new name is Sentara Health to reflect the health organization’s enhanced focus on promoting the overall health and well-being of patients, members and communities.
The name change also represents the deeper alignment between Sentara’s healthcare services and health plans. By the end of 2023, Sentara will no longer offer the Optima Health and Virginia Premier brands, but combine then into one brand called Sentara Health Plans.
“It is an exciting day for all of us here at Sentara. Our new name and logo help us show our commitment to making healthcare simple, seamless, personal, and more affordable,” Sentara President and CEO Dennis Matheis said. “By leveraging both healthcare services and a variety of health plan options, we are creating greater access for consumers to receive high-quality healthcare.”
Recognized by Forbes as “Best Employer for Veterans” in 2022, Sentara was founded 135 years ago, and is one of the largest health systems in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast of the United States. Sentara has 30,000 employees and 12 hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina.
The new name and logo come after more than a year of market research and communication with patients, members, communities, individuals and colleagues. The new logo retains elements of the original logo, including the beloved “swoosh,” which consumers told Sentara represents the “gold standard” in healthcare. Connection to the communities Sentara serves helped create the design of the new logo and look.
“Our name may be changing to reflect healthcare today and, in the future,” Matheis said, “but our commitment to our mission, to improve health every day, is stronger than ever.”