AdventHealth Used To Be Called Something Else-here's Why
What AdventHealth was before
AdventHealth was formerly known as Adventist Health System, and many of its hospitals, including Florida Hospital, rebranded under the AdventHealth name on January 2, 2019. The organization says its roots go back much further, to a Seventh-day Adventist health ministry that began in 1866 and the formal system that was founded in 1973.
Why the name changed
The move to AdventHealth was designed to create one unified, consumer-friendly brand across what had been dozens of separate names and local hospital identities. In the company's own history materials, the 2019 change is described as consolidating 30 brands into one systemwide identity while preserving its faith-based mission of whole-person care.
Historical timeline
The story of AdventHealth history is easier to understand as a timeline, because the brand's current name sits on top of a long institutional lineage. The organization traces its values to early Seventh-day Adventist medical pioneers in Battle Creek, Michigan, then later formalized the health system in 1973 before adopting the AdventHealth name in 2019.
- 1866: Seventh-day Adventist medical pioneers open what became known as Battle Creek Sanitarium.
- 1973: AdventHealth says its modern health system was formally founded.
- 2019: Florida Hospital and related facilities officially become AdventHealth.
What it was called before
Before the 2019 rebrand, the system name was Adventist Health System, and in many markets the hospitals were known by local names such as Florida Hospital. The rebrand did not change ownership or business structure; it changed how the system presented itself to patients and communities.
| Current name | Previous name | Change date | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdventHealth | Adventist Health System | January 2, 2019 | Unified brand identity across hospitals and care sites |
| AdventHealth Orlando | Florida Hospital Orlando | January 2, 2019 | Local hospital renamed under the new system brand |
| AdventHealth network | Multiple local brands | 2019 rollout | About 30 brands consolidated into one name |
Why it matters
The rebrand mattered because large hospital systems often struggle when patients see different names for what is really one network. AdventHealth said the new name would make it easier for people to recognize services across the system, while keeping its mission centered on "whole-person" care for body, mind, and spirit.
"This is an historic and transformational time for our organization and the communities we serve," the system said in announcing the brand change.
Mission and roots
AdventHealth roots are tied to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has emphasized health ministry for more than 150 years. The organization says that mission began with a belief that prevention, healing, and spiritual care should work together, not separately.
That background explains why the company did not choose a purely geographic or corporate-sounding name. The new brand keeps the word Advent, signaling its Adventist heritage, while pairing it with "Health" to make the purpose immediately clear to patients.
Brand rollout details
The rollout covered a broad network, not just a single flagship hospital. At launch, AdventHealth said its facilities, physician practices, urgent-care centers, and other care sites were adopting the new name across nearly a dozen states, with the system operating nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care centers.
- System name before 2019: Adventist Health System.
- Many local hospitals before 2019: Florida Hospital and other regional names.
- Rebrand date: January 2, 2019.
- Stated goal: One consumer-centric, nationally recognizable brand.
How to think about it
If you are asking "what was AdventHealth before," the simplest answer is that it was Adventist Health System, and in Florida and some other markets the hospitals were often known as Florida Hospital. If you are asking about the organization's deeper history, the answer stretches back to Seventh-day Adventist health reform efforts in the 1800s and the system's formal founding in 1973.
Bottom line
AdventHealth was previously known as Adventist Health System, and many of its hospitals were branded locally as Florida Hospital before the January 2, 2019 rebrand. The new name unified the network without changing its core faith-based mission or its broader historical roots in Adventist health care.
Everything you need to know about Adventhealth Used To Be Called Something Else Heres Why
Was AdventHealth always called AdventHealth?
No. The name AdventHealth was adopted in 2019 as part of a systemwide rebrand, replacing the Adventist Health System umbrella name and bringing many local facilities under one identity.
Was Florida Hospital the same company?
Yes. Florida Hospital facilities became AdventHealth facilities on January 2, 2019, as part of the same ownership structure and brand transformation.
Did the rebrand change ownership?
No. The organization said the ownership and business structure did not change; the update was a branding and naming change.
Why did AdventHealth keep the word "Advent"?
The word keeps the connection to the Seventh-day Adventist heritage that shaped the system's mission and values, while making the health-care purpose clearer to the public.