Summit Health is the primary and specialty care brand of the integrated healthcare network formed by the 2019 merger of Summit Medical Group and CityMD. The organization unveiled its current visual identity on September 29, 2022, featuring a shared pictorial mark developed in partnership with the consultancy firm Lippincott.[1]
Design and History
The current Summit Health logo features a mark made up of four intersecting arrows, which represents the joint commitment of Summit Health and CityMD to a new kind of healthcare that puts patients at the center.[1] The shared pictorial mark symbolizes a “beacon of care” designed to support patients at every step of their care journey.[1] CEO Jeff Alter described the logo as four nearly intersecting arrows pointing toward the center, a space that represents Summit Health’s patients.[2]
The 2022 refresh followed an earlier rebrand announced in March 2021, when Summit Medical Group and CityMD introduced the Summit Health name as the combined organization’s corporate identity and the new brand for the multispecialty group.[3] That initial identity was developed by the design agency Elmwood, whose creative idea showed the top and bottom of the letter “s” as separate parts coming together, “as in a hug,” to form a larger “S.”[4] Elmwood’s executive creative director Meg Beckum explained that the logo depicted a choreographed movement demonstrating how the two organizations unite to create something new.[5]
In the 2022 refresh, Lippincott reimagined the visual and verbal identities for both brands, developing the shared “beacon of care” symbol and introducing color variation that retains existing equities while allowing each brand to stand on its own.[6] The new brand identities were rolled out across over 370 physical locations in the New York metropolitan area and Oregon over the following 24 months.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The four intersecting arrows of the current logo represent Summit Health and CityMD’s joint commitment to paving the way for a new kind of healthcare that puts patients in the center.[1] The shared mark symbolizes a “beacon of care” that places the patient at the very center, surrounded by the physicians and care team.[7] The visual system was designed to infuse shared humanity and optimism into both Summit Health and CityMD while reinforcing their connection as one care team.[6]
Typography and Design
For the 2021 Elmwood identity, the rounded letterforms of the “s” mark were echoed in the typeface Buenos Aires, chosen for its modern look with a “whimsical softness to the letter forms and terminals.”[4] The coral color for the logo and blue for the type were selected for the warmth and seriousness each color evokes.[5] The 2022 Lippincott refresh introduced color variation that retained existing equities while allowing each brand to stand on its own.[6]
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