Last month North Fulton Regional Hospital changed its name to North Fulton Hospital after more than 25 years in existence. The hospital has also unveiled a new logo.

According to Debbie Keel, CEO of the Roswell hospital, the new branding suits the hospital’s growth since its establishment in 1983.

“The hospital has expanded several times since then, but we still had this kind of old look,” she said. “People take a lot of pride in this hospital, so we wanted a look that we were proud of.”

The new logo, a medical cross with leaves in the corners, was designed by Max2o, an advertising agency in Atlanta. This is the first time the hospital has had a unique graphic logo.

Ms. Keel said a logo will help residents recognize the hospital as the same updated, caring facility even if Milton County necessitates another name change in the future.

“We chose this design because we think it looks updated without being too technical. It has a Southern, community feel,” she said. “We’re a friendly place to go when you need high-quality medical care, and we hope the logo conveys that.”

The new logo is accompanied by the hospital’s name change, which Ms. Keel said is less confusing than the former name with “Regional” in it, which makes the hospital appear geographically-limited.

“‘Regional’ could refer to a big area or a small area in peoples’ minds,” she said. “It’s too easy to wrongly define it, so we need to just call it what it is.”

Ms. Keel said the hospital treats patients from all over Georgia and other regions and the new, more concise name represents that.

The hospital is incorporating the new name and the logo throughout the year and Ms. Keel said by 2011 all changes will be made and the old name will be a distant memory.

The hospital also has a new Web address at www.nfultonhospital.com.