ADU to Rebrand as AdventHealth University

Dr. Hernández announces the University's name change.

The full transition is expected to be completed by March 2019.

Adventist University of Health Sciences announced that it will become AdventHealth University (AHU). This follows an announcement made today by Adventist Health System (AHS), the University’s corporate parent, that the organization and its wholly owned entities will be known as AdventHealth beginning Jan. 2, 2019.

The University began in 1992 as Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences on the campus of Florida Hospital in Orlando, FL. In 2012, the University’s name changed to Adventist University of Health Sciences to reflect the new graduate level status and to align more closely with Adventist Health System (AHS).

When he was informed of the name change, Dr. Edwin Hernández, the University President, requested and received permission from the ADU Board of Trustees to align the institution’s name with its corporate parent.

Dr. Hernández commented, “This change will align us closer with the nationwide AdventHealth brand and reaffirms our mission to provide healthcare education in a faith-based environment, focusing on whole-person care.”

The name, AdventHealth University identifies it as a place of beginnings, where students can fulfill their dreams of providing whole-person health care. As the University sharing the national health care organization’s name, AdventHealth University will contribute to AdventHealth’s promise of wholeness by providing whole-person health care education to its students.

Dr. Sandra Dunbar, Provost, shares her excitement for the University's new name.

AHU will continue to be governed by its own board of trustees. Its goals, mission and educational offerings remain unchanged by the rebranding. There will also be no impact on curriculum or degrees for ADU’s students. All graduates will continue to benefit from the current accreditation granted to the University and its professional programs.

Questions and Answers

Dr. Hernandez answers questions from students about the our new name.

1. Why did ADU change the name to AdventHealth University (AHU)?

ADU is now AdventHealth University because it aligns our brand with the national health care organization with which we are associated. This move returns us to our roots. The University began in 1992 as Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences on the campus of Florida Hospital, Orlando. For many years, ADU flourished under that strong brand association. The change to Adventist University of Health Sciences was made in 2012 to reflect the new graduate level program status and to associate with Florida Hospital’s parent company, Adventist Health System (AHS). AHU regains that brand equity by re-aligning with the system-wide brand of AdventHealth.

Further Reading: Adventist Health System to Advance Its Mission as AdventHealth Come January

2. When does this change take effect?

The announcement of the new brand name occurred August 14, 2018. There is a period of transition where ADU will soon be AHU. This change will be reflected in our branding assets like the web site, social media, brochures, and internal & external signage. The graduation in December 2018 will be conducted under the new AdventHealth University brand name. The seal and diplomas will also reflect the new brand. The full transition to the new brand name is expected to be completed by March 2019.

3. Why did you drop “health sciences” from the name?

The main reason is that the term is redundant to the word in AdventHealth. Also, AHU is no longer a technical school offering only certificates and associates degrees. AdventHealth University is a level 5 doctoral granting institution.

4. What does the new brand name mean?

Advent is synonymous with arrival, dawn, emergence, appearance, coming, development and other hopeful terms of anticipation. In the Christian faith, it often refers to the second coming of Christ. Health is more than a state of being free from illness or injury. In the context of the new AdventHealth brand, it is the state of being whole in mind, body, and spirit. When the terms are combined to form AdventHealth, they represent the hope of whole-person-care.

5. Why were changes made to the flame icon, and what does that represent?

The new AdventHealth logo utilizes a new icon for the rebranding of the entire health care provider system. The icon incorporates a cross between four colored petals or wings of wholeness. All health care provider entities will be branded this way as a unified system (hospitals, urgent care, physician practices, etc.). The University is not a provider of health care; rather, we are in the business of higher education. Our legacy, audience, and value proposition are different. The University was granted special permission to carry forward the flames to preserve this distinction as an institution of higher education.

The flames have been modified slightly from the original design. It incorporates the new color palette, font, and identity standards (where they apply to higher education) of the AdventHealth branding guidelines. The flames now have equal width to represent the equivalent quality of the value words – Nurture, Excellence, Spirituality, and Stewardship. In a wider sense, the flames also represent the flame of knowledge and wisdom whose ultimate source originates from the Creator.

6. Why Advent instead of Adventist?

The term Advent is a word of hope that is well understood by a variety of faith traditions. Before becoming the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in 1863, this group of reformers born out of the Second Great Awakening often referred to themselves as the Advent movement. In fact, the early Adventist church preferred this word when naming its first official publication as The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. The word Adventist designates an individual or church of a specific denomination. The word Advent describes an event of hope for all believers that is broader and more inclusive. When combined to form AdventHealth, it becomes a better description of the University and its mission to develop skilled professionals who live the healing values of Christ.

7. What does the name change mean for recent graduates and alumni?

If they prefer, recent graduates and alumni may order a new diploma with the new name AdventHealth University. A link will soon be provided on the web site at www.ahu.edu. Replacement diplomas will be available at a reduced price. All graduates enjoy the full accreditation status maintained under the previous and new name.

8. What impact does this new alignment have on ownership and governance?

AdventHealth University is governed by a separate board of trustees and not by AdventHealth. The relationship fully complies with the SACS-COC regional accrediting standards and other accrediting bodies for ownership and governance.

9. Does the name change mean a new mission?

AdventHealth University’s mission is unchanged by the rebranding.

10. How does the name change affect current students?

This change does not impact a student’s curriculum or degree. Students will progress under the relevant catalog; however, the new catalog and the Spring 2019 term will reflect the new name.

11. Where do I direct further questions about the name change?

You may send an email to rebranding@my.ahu.edu.