Ohio Living: Rebranding for the Future

“Does the name Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services (OPRS) appropriately reflect who we are today and, more importantly, who we will be tomorrow?” 

That’s the million-dollar question Larry Gumina posed to his board about a year and a half ago.

The process of pondering that question took the Columbus, OH-based LeadingAge member on an 18-month journey to explore how consumers, potential partners, and payers viewed OPRS, and to consider whether a rebranding initiative might help position the organization for a more successful future.

The answer to the question came on Oct. 28, 2016, when OPRS officially announced that it would now be called Ohio Living. 

“We chose Ohio Living because the research told us that residents who move onto our campuses don’t want to retire,” says Gumina, who joined OPRS as president and chief executive officer 5 years ago. “Instead, they want to be part of a community of people who celebrate living. We also wanted to have a brand that communicates a commitment to Ohioans.”

The Ohio Living brand was adopted by the organization’s parent company as well as its various components, says Gumina. For example:

  • The organization’s home health and hospice provider, formerly known as Senior Independence, is now called Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice. The new name is expected to have greater appeal to consumers under age 50, who make up approximately half of knee-replacement patients who might seek physical therapy services from the home health agency. 
  • The name “Ohio Living” has been added to the existing names of each of the organization’s 12 life plan communities. 
  • Ohio Living adopted a new tag line — Faith-Compassion-Community – to emphasize that its faith-based values are not changing.

 

Building Statewide Recognition and Relevance

Ohio Living’s new name is expected to help the organization overcome what Gumina describes as a “fractured brand” in its markets across the state. 

Research showed that the organization’s 12 life plan communities enjoyed strong brand recognition in their local markets. But brand recognition for the parent company was nonexistent, despite the fact that its 3,200 team members serve 73,000 Ohioans in more than 50 of the state’s 88 counties.

Poor brand recognition made it more difficult for OPRS to effectively communicate the value that it could offer to consumers, health care partners, and payers across Ohio, says Gumina. 

Building that statewide brand recognition became especially important after OPRS decided to launch a concerted, multiyear effort to position itself as a post-acute provider that could help health care partners across the state control costs while improving access to and quality of care. 

As part of that positioning effort, the organization has invested more than $96 million in renovation and organizational growth, including expansion of its short-term rehabilitation services. It also has worked diligently to make its quality outcomes stronger than ever, says Gumina. 

Becoming an ACO Partner

Three years ago, those strong quality outcomes gave OPRS the leverage it needed to approach Northwest Ohio Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in Toledo with an innovative proposal. As the ACO’s contracted home health provider, the organization would offer 5 episodes of free home care to ACO patients who needed services after a hospital discharge but didn’t qualify for a home health visit under Medicare. 

The gamble paid off. As of July 2016, the year-to-date readmission rate among patients who agreed to receive services under the agreement was 2.4%. Patients who elected not to use the services had a readmission rate of 19%. 

The initiative’s success sealed the organization’s reputation in the Toledo market, leading to more partnerships with additional health care providers.

“We made a difference in that greater Toledo market and our business unit up there grew 86% from 2013 to 2016,” says Gumina. “We soon realized that there are opportunities in other regions of our state. But we need to do a better job telling our story in those markets.”


Gumina is confident that his organization’s rebranding, which required an investment of more than $3 million, will help Ohio Living tell its story, and find more partners, across the state.

At the Table or on the Menu?

Rebranding may not be the answer for every not-for-profit provider of aging services, acknowledges Gumina. But he maintains that every organization still needs to ask itself 2 questions:

  • Do we have the image today that we need for tomorrow?
  • Are we being proactive in telling our story so we will be at the table for partnership opportunities tomorrow?

“You always want to make sure that you are at the table for these discussions,” says Gumina. “Because, if you’re not at the table, you may be on the menu.”

Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services recently changed its name to Ohio Living. President and CEO Larry Gumina explains why and how.