Naming Conventions for Clinical Practices

With our complex ecosystem of clinical locations and affiliations, the WashU Medicine clinical practices strive to offer a coherent experience to patients and guests at every point of contact.

One aspect of the patient experience is how we name and refer to clinical practices and clinical initiatives with hospital partners. These naming standards were agreed by our clinical chairs and reviewed by the Clinical Practice Committee.

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Clinical practice names should lead with WashU Medicine, followed by the clinic name.

The naming convention of WashU Medicine [Clinical Name] is used to clearly establish and reinforce with patients that the medical care they receive is provided by a WashU Medicine physician or other supervised clinicians.  

This naming convention applies to: 

• clinical practice names
• office directories
• reception room signage
• maps
• clinical reports and other patient care communications
• stationery (letterhead, business cards, appointment cards and memo sheets)

Examples: 

• WashU Medicine Allergy and Immunology
• WashU Medicine Gastroenterology

This naming convention does not currently apply to Washington University Clinical Associate clinical practices and Washington University Physicians in Illinois, Inc. clinical practices.

Please contact the Faculty Practice Plan marketing office prior to implementing a new clinical practice name.

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For more naming and additional editorial style details, see our nomenclature and editorial style guide.