ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – In a major legal decision, a St. Louis County court ruled in favor of Northside Urgent Care Hospital, which had been sued by the Homer G. Phillips Nurses’ Alumni Association over the hospital’s use of the name “Homer G. Phillips Memorial Hospital.”
“The nurses, just like the Red Cross, should be able to control the use of the trademark name,” President of Homer G. Phillips Nurses’ Alumni Association Yvonne Jones said.
The lawsuit filed by the group argued that using the name engaged in trademark infringement. Jones added that they do not have the trademark, while the association does.
The original Homer G. Phillips Hospital, a beacon of healthcare for the African-American community, closed decades ago. Its nursing school is remembered by former students who fought to protect its legacy.
“We are on the national registry as far as our building; as far as I’m concerned, there is no other Homer G. Phillips, and there will never be another one. You can’t really compare those two,” Homer G. Phillips’ Nursing School Alumna Lois Collier-Jackson added.
The court highlighted that while both organizations may share the iconic name, their purposes are different enough to prevent confusion.
Darryl Piggee, a Homer G. Phillips Memorial Hospital Board Member, stated, “Our only goal was to honor the life and legacy of Homer G. Phillips and all he did to improve the lives of everyone in our community.”
Since the hospital opened in January, Piggee says they have treated more than 3,000 patients in the community and offer shorter wait times than other local emergency rooms.
“(The) dismissal of a group of nurses suit against the new hospital’s use of the name Homer G. Phillips is disappointing. While we seek increased access to healthcare, this facility does not honor the legacy of the original hospital nor does it provide the hundreds of beds that were once available,” Alderman Rasheen Aldridge (Ward 14) said.
While this may be a setback for the alumni group, they vow to continue honoring the legacy of Homer G. Phillips, the man behind one of St. Louis’ most historic hospitals.
