Orillia’s hospital is celebrating its 111th birthday with a makeover, of sorts.
Officials unveiled a new logo Tuesday as part of a visual rebranding of Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH).
“We’ve changed a lot, and for the better. We look pretty good for 111,” Carmine Stumpo, OSMH president and CEO, told a crowd gathered in the main lobby.
The new logo for OSMH and the OSMH Foundation was then revealed. It features a purple emblem that was inspired by the 1914-15 Star, a medal that was awarded to those who served with British and Imperial forces in the First World War.
That connection to veterans was the focal point during the redesign process. Consultations were held with various groups, including the Royal Canadian Legion, hospital staff and volunteers, the OSMH Nurses Alumnae, Chippewas of Rama First Nation and others. All were open to a new look, but they wanted to ensure at least one word remained: Soldiers’.
“We are Soldiers’ — not merely an acronym,” said Mark Riczu, executive director of the OSMH Foundation, adding the hospital is “a living war memorial.”
It was called Orillia General Hospital until 1922, when it was renamed OSMH to honour local soldiers who served in the First World War.
The Orillia branch of the Royal Canadian Legion was thrilled with the new look.
“It’s really quite touching,” Chuck Penny, the legion’s representative of the hospital board, said of the redesign and the importance that was placed on veterans during the process. “We were really, really impressed and we like that they kept ‘Soldiers’.’”
The hospital wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“The legion inspired us to move toward the values and principles that Soldiers’ represents,” said Stumpo.
The new logo was about getting with the times and getting on the same page. The hospital and the foundation had separate logos. They’re now the same, with only the names being different.
When Orillia’s new hospital is built — which won’t be for a number of years — it will include the new logo. In the meantime, the logo will be updated in phases at the current facility. The sign at the entrance to the parking lot off of Dunlop Street has already been updated. The new logo will also be included on the light fixtures on the property when they are replaced.
The hospital’s website also received a facelift. It has been redesigned to include the new logo and it is now mobile-friendly. Check it out here.
