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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) It’s official. Valley City’s Mercy Hospital and Bismarck’s St. Alexius Medical Center are now an affiliate of Catholic Health Initiatives non-profit.

Mercy Hospital is now called CHI Mercy Health. A new name and logo will be imbedded in each of Catholic Health Initiatives’ markets over the next several months, highlighting a unified brand that strengthens local links to a nationally recognized health system that operates 89 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient centers, assisted living and other facilities in 18 states.

Keith Heuser, President of Mercy Hospital says we would not be where we are today if we were not a part of CHI. Before we became a part of CHI we had limited access to resources and were facing a very difficult future. CHI has invested and believed in us with facility updates and equipment enhancements necessary to serve our patients.

The new approach, in development for more than a year, is the first change in the branding strategy of Catholic Health Initiatives since it was formed in 1996. The organization celebrated its 18th birthday on May 1.

Joyce Ross, Catholic Health Initiatives’ senior vice president for communications says this new branding strategy reflects CHI’s commitment to building the Next Era of Healthy Communities through bold approaches, new services, a strengthened system and greater focus on consumers.

The CHI system is based in Colorado and has a division based in Fargo. In Bismarck, CHI and St. Alexius will form a regional health system of hospitals and clinics in western and central North Dakota. St. Alexius will remain associated with the Benedictine Sisters of the Annunciation Monastery in Bismarck and will retain a local board of directors.