Our new name will honor our past

When employees of General Hospital of Greater Syracuse joined the then-new Community Hospital in November 1964, the new hospital changed its name. It became Community-General Hospital of Greater Syracuse.

The name is used today without a hyphen, but the link to General Hospital was important for many. It recognized their association with a caring institution that served the community for 69 years.

Leonard Markert, Sr., a long-time community leader and a past director of Community General Hospital, once spoke earnestly to me about the linkage. "Don't forget," he said, "where we come from."

Upstate has talked about Community General's tradition of caring, even as our campus becomes part of SUNY Upstate University Hospital -- a single hospital with two campuses, as described in the Certificate of Need application.

Upstate has considered several versions of the Community General name. As we anticipate the closing of this transaction on or about July 1, the name "Upstate University Hospital at Community General" recognizes the new role of this campus, as well as "where we come from."