A local hospital in Rushville nearly had a massive lawsuit on its hands earlier this year. Sarah D. Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushvillle was approached by Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois about a possible trademark infringement. The hospital’s logo has long sported a giant blue cross as a part of its trademark in the city. The hospital’s management plead ignorance in the case of the logo’s design because Culbertson has been around longer than Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Illinois.
Culbertson Memorial Hospital was established on February 15, 1921 and pre-dates the insurance giant by 8 years, according to the history of both companies. According to an article from the Peoria Journal-Star, Culbertson Hospital CEO John Kessler said with the 100th anniversary arriving in two years it would give the hospital the chance to change its logo. Kessler said he doesn’t want Culbertson to have the appearance of a large, nationwide corporation anyway. Kessler said that he enjoys the investment the community has in the local hospital because of the familiarity of the employees with the patients. He says that ultimately translates to the quality of care everyone receives when they come to the independent hospital.
The new logo, which Culbertson Marketing and Communications Director Molly Sorrell spearheaded, still features a cross — albeit a thin, powder-blue one. But its primary graphic element is a stylized heart, according to the Peoria Journal-Star. Culbertson Memorial currently employs about 200 employees and operates clinics in Astoria, Beardstown, and Table Grove as well as a medical-arts facility in Rushvillle.