Dr. Hughan Frederick chose the name for his Mansell Road clinic innocently enough.
His brother suggested ISIS might make a good name for the obstetrics/gynecology clinic in honor of the Egyptian goddess who is known for several things including healing and motherhood.
Little did he know that a few years later, people would start to associate the ISIS Women's Health Care clinic with the terrorist organization that has inspired attacks around the world.
Recently, it got so bad that the clinic began receiving complaints and even threats.
Frederick became so concern about the safety of patients and staffers that he realized a name change was in order. The new name - Nile Women’s Health Clinic - is related somewhat to the name because of its Egyptian connection.
“I wanted the kind of name that would honor women and fertility,” said Frederick, who had used the name since 2006. “I looked around and around and my brother came up with ISIS. I looked ISIS up and thought, ‘Wow, this is perfect’.”
For years, it’s been quietly growing. About two years ago they moved into the Roswell space and has another office in Johns Creek.
After the office moved the phone calls started complaining about the name. Frederick though it wasn’t a big deal and would die down, especially after they would explain the difference to callers.
At the time his patients and staffers did not seem overly concerned. They even joked about it.
The last few months, however, the staff noticed people pulling up in front the building. Sometimes they would take photos. Other times they would just sit there. They were accused of being “disrespectful to the military.” Someone threatened to come and shoot up the building.
“It was making the staff a bit uneasy,” he said.”It wouldn’t be worth it to have something happen…I was just kind of waiting to hear that somebody threw a rock through the window.”
Things “changed after that call,” he said. They removed some of the signage and since then the number of calls dropped.
The name change takes effect at the end of the month.
It wouldn’t be the first time a business had to rethink it’s name because of ISIS.
According to a 2014 CNN report, more than 270 products or business names were among active federal trademarks use “ISIS,” based on information from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. There’s wig makers and pharmaceutical companies.
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