Outliers: New slogan dies quick death

CaroMont Health has decided it doesn't want to “Cheat death” anymore. Seems the hospital organization in Gastonia, N.C., wasn't anticipating the negative reaction that greeted its new tagline this month.

CaroMont, which operates CaroMont Regional Medical Center, unveiled its new tagline April 5, saying it was meant to promote a healthy community by preventing illness in the first place. The next day, county commissioners said they were overwhelmed by negative reaction from the community and hospital workers and asked officials to reconsider. The county owns the hospital building and the land it sits on.

County commissioner and hospital board member Jason Williams says some hospital employees think the “Cheat death” slogan cheapens their work, and some pastors consider the slogan blasphemous.

“Our intent was never to offend or incite,” CaroMont President and CEO Randy Kelley said in a statement.

The slogan was meant to raise awareness in Gaston County about the “highest levels of type 1 and 2 diabetes, heart disease, drug and alcohol abuse and obesity we've ever seen,” according to a news release from CaroMont about pulling the slogan. “Our objective is to start a health revolution through an audacious goal and a bold rallying cry.”

The release noted, “Whether you liked the tagline or not, for more than five days we have received more commentary and discussion than any other campaign in the hospital's history. We needed all of our participants and members to wake up and pay attention to the challenge that we face—as a hospital and a community. We have successfully accomplished that goal.”

For now, CaroMont seems to be sticking with a slogan it's been displaying on its website for a while: “In love with life.”

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