In an organization as complex as Johns Hopkins Medicine, it's not surprising when people are confused about when to use what name. It's legally important to use the various Hopkins names correctly, whether it's in a contract, a Web site, printed materials (including books and papers) or public speaking.

Please note that these guidelines are not meant to replace the Johns Hopkins Medicine brand and graphic standards, found on this site.

When to capitalize the

When referring to three specific legal entities The Johns Hopkins University, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation, you must capitalize The in the name.

When referring to a school within The Johns Hopkins University, use lowercase the in a running copy sentence; for example, "The course is offered by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine." However, when referring to one of the University's schools (possessive), use upper case The; for example, "She is a faculty member in The Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine."

The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation

This name refers only to the single legal entity that supports several member entities. The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation provides legal, finance, human resources, compliance, and other services.

Johns Hopkins Health System

This term does not refer only to the legal entity The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation.

To learn more Johns Hopkins Health System and Johns Hopkins Medicine click here

Rather, the term 'Johns Hopkins Health System' refers to a group of entities including The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation and its principle wholly owned subsidiaries, as follows:

• The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Inc.
• Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Inc.
• Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Inc.
• Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs Inc. (EHP) 
• Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center
• Johns Hopkins Regional Physicians LCC
• Johns Hopkins Surgery Center Series, LLC
• Sibley Memorial Hospital
• Suburban Hospital, Inc.

Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC Johns Hopkins Care at Home, and Johns Hopkins Medicine International are not part of the group of entities referred to as the Johns Hopkins Health System because The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation owns only 50 percent of each of these entities. These two legal entities are, however, part of the group of entities referred to as Johns Hopkins Medicine (see below).

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is not part of the group of entities referred to as the Johns Hopkins Health System.

It is critical to identify the actual legal entity(ies) in contracts and in applications for grants, licenses, etc.

 Johns Hopkins Medicine

This term does not refer to a legal entity. Johns Hopkins Medicine refers to the organizational vehicle through which internal operational activities and external initiatives are coordinated. Although it is not a legal entity, it includes the following principal entities:

• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Inc.
• Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Inc.
• Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Inc.
• Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs, Inc. (EHP)
• Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC
• Johns Hopkins Care at Home and subsidiaries
• Johns Hopkins Medicine International, LLC
• Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center
• Johns Hopkins Regional Physicians
• Johns Hopkins Surgery Center Series, LLC
• Sibley Memorial Hospital
• Suburban Hospital, Inc.

Johns Hopkins Medicine should be used when referring to all of the above entities collectively. It is critical to identify the actual legal entity(ies) in contracts and in applications for grants, licenses, etc.

Johns Hopkins medical institutions

The historic term “Johns Hopkins medical institutions” once included entities only on the East Baltimore campus—The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the school of nursing. Today, it includes the same entities that make up Johns Hopkins Medicine and is used in your email address (jhmi.edu). This term does not itself refer to a legal entity. The use of this term is discouraged.