May 22, 2024
Central Health, CommUnityCare Health Centers, and Sendero Health Plans – collectively known as the Central Health system – unveiled their unified brands, as the Travis County hospital district celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The rebranding initiative aims to better reflect the three organizations’ shared history, mission, and commitment to expanding equitable access to healthcare for the people of Travis County and make the system easier for patients, providers, and stakeholders to recognize and navigate.
“We are unified, and we’re wholly committed to earning, maintaining and justifying the community’s trust,” said Central Health President & CEO Dr. Patrick Lee. “Trust is the cornerstone of the Central Health system, and it is essential that we strengthen our bonds and partnerships within our system and with our community.”
The need for clearer branding was first identified in a 2017 third-party performance review requested by the Travis County Commissioners Court, which found that many constituents were confused about the relationships between Central Health, CommUnityCare, and Sendero. After pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizations embarked on extensive research and community engagement in 2023 to inform the rebranding process.
“Aligning our brands under a common symbol reflects our long-standing commitment to collaboration,” said Dr. Jaeson Fournier, President & CEO of CommUnityCare. “This new visual identity communicates our shared dedication to delivering high-quality healthcare to all, while also strengthening our collective impact in the community.”
The resulting brand identity centers on a new logo featuring a “C” for “central” and “community,” an “H” for “health,” also illustrating the Sendero path, plus the internationally recognized healthcare cross. The green color palette was chosen to symbolize the Central Health system’s values of trust, healing, and warmth.
“As an HMO associated with Central Health, Sendero is well positioned to further our shared objectives of caring for the most disadvantaged citizens of Travis County,” said Sharon Alvis, CEO of Sendero Health Plans. “Sendero serves as a vital part of the trio of entities by providing a product that makes health insurance possible for thousands of people every year.”
Travis County voters created the hospital district in May 2004. In 2012, voters approved a tax increase to invest in the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, which is now a key collaborator in Central Health’s mission.
The new branding will roll out gradually across the system’s facilities, materials, and digital platforms in the coming months and years. Leaders see it as a critical step in empowering patients and the broader community to more easily navigate and access the system’s vital healthcare services.
“For two decades, Central Health has been transforming how people get care and striving to serve as a model for other systems across the country,” said Dr. Lee. “Today, that transformation continues as we are guided toward our goal that healthcare should always be getting better.”