Name Change For Hamilton’s Hospital

Order the new letterhead and the signs - Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital is changing its name. Because of its continuing expansion of services throughout the Bitterroot Valley, the whole group of 13 clinics will come under the new name "Bitterroot Health." For instance, Hamilton's hospital, which is the flagship facility of the group, will be known as Bitterroot Health - Daly Hospital. Two newly developed locations will be known as Bitterroot Health - Stevensville and Bitterroot Health - Darby Scripps.

The management of the hospital will stay the same - it's only the name that is changing. John Bishop, CEO of Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, said in a news release, "As our community has grown so has our organization. From our roots in Hamilton we have expanded to provide services throughout the Bitterroot. Today, we are excited to announce a new unifying brand and name Bitterroot Health."

The change will be gradual over the next few months, and the Hamilton hospital will retain the Daly name to continue honoring the late Margaret Daly, wife of town founder Marcus Daly. Margaret, in 1929 with a small group of county citizens, held the first board meeting that led to the opening of the first Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital two years later.

Marketing Director Christina Voyles, who has previously managed health care name rebrands, said that the name change has been in the works for years. "I think the main thing is that folks might want to know the 'why' for the name change. The biggest thing to keep in mind is again we're very proud of the history and we know that we want to stand on that. This isn't about eclipsing the past, but it's about moving that past into the future."