Lehigh Valley Hospital - Lehigh Valley Hospital

Lehigh Valley Hospital, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is the largest hospital in the Lehigh Valley and the flagship hospital of Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). LVHN includes three full-service hospitals: Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, (with additional clinical campuses at LVH-17th Street in Allentown and LVHN-Tilghman in west Allentown); LVH-Muhlenberg in Bethlehem, and LVH-Hazleton in the Greater Hazleton area. LVHN also includes Children’s Hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Community Health Centers, primary care and specialty physicians, pharmacy, imaging, home health, hospice and laboratory services.

Lehigh Valley Health Network

Founded as the Allentown Hospital in 1899, LVHN is currently represented by five campusesâ€"Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown (which also includes Lehigh Valley Hospital-17th Street and Lehigh Valley Health Network-Tilghman, both in Allentown), Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg in Bethlehem, and Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton in Hazleton. The network also includes Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG), 11 ExpressCARE locations for common illnesses and minor injuries, and community health centers located in Bangor, Bath, Bethlehem Township, Emmaus, Hamburg, Hazleton, Muhlenberg, Kutztown, Macungie, Moselem Springs, Quakertown and Trexlertown. The network’s key clinical areas are cancer treatment, cardiovascular medicine, mental health, neurosciences, pediatrics, surgery services, trauma, women's health, perinatal care, kidney transplantation and burn treatment.

Statistics

LVHN has 981 licensed-acute beds on its three campuses. In 2007 there were 50,070 admissions, 14,319 inpatient surgeries, 453,477 outpatient visits, 14,841 outpatient surgeries, 119,017 ER visits and 3,184 births in network hospitals. LVHHN operates the third largest heart surgery program in Pennsylvania with more than 1,200 open-heart procedures performed each year. Pennsylvania’s first Level I Trauma Center was at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest and this trauma center remains the only Level I trauma center in the Lehigh Valley with additional qualifications in pediatric trauma. The LVHHN Cancer Center is the fourth largest in Pennsylvania and cares for more than 2,400 new patients each year.

Financials

In fiscal year 2014 LVHN's operating revenue increased by $9 million to $42 million. Acute admissions were up more than 2 percent to 55,000. Also up were emergency room visits, which increased 7 percent to 190,000. In 2014 the not-for-profit LVHN increased its community benefit - a combination of free care, reduced-cost care, education and other efforts that make up the foundation of the network's not-for-profit status - by 8 percent to $354 million. That supported more than 11,000 free flu shots distributed at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township and Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, and a dental van that provides free care to more than 1,000 children yearly. The benefit also helps to cover the growing differential between health care costs and how much Medicaid and Medicare are willing to reimburse. The Morning Call, Dec. 3, 2014

Quality of care

Lehigh Valley Hospital has achieved national recognition continuously since 1995 as one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals. Lehigh Valley Hospital has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report eight times for cardiac care and cardiac surgery. The hospital has received a total of 28 specialty category listings in the past five years, including heart care and heart surgery, hormonal disorders including diabetes, digestive disorders, orthopedics, urology, and ear, nose and throat care.

LVHN hospitals are the only Lehigh Valley hospitals participating in the Leapfrog Group’s evaluation of health care safety, quality and customer value. Lehigh Valley Hospital is one of 39 hospitals nationwide to receive the 2007 Leapfrog Group Top Hospital award. All LVHN hospitals meet Leapfrog standards for patient safety. All LVHN campuses are accredited by the Joint Commission.

On February 23, 2011, Becker's Hospital Review listed Lehigh Valley Hospital under the 50 Best Hospitals in America.

It is also a three time certified National Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The Joint Commission designated Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest campus as a Comprehensive Stroke Center in 2014

Letter of Intent to Merge with Pocono Health System

In May, the parent companies of Pocono Health System and Lehigh Valley Health Network announced they have agreed to merge. The planned merger was approved by both corporations' boards of directors in separate meetings. The merger is expected to be finalized early in 2016 following "due diligent" discussions of respective service delivery and financial issues, negotiation of final merger documents and government regulatory approvals. Pocono Record, May 28, 2015

Notes

External links

Media related to Lehigh Valley Hospital at Wikimedia Commons

• Lehigh Valley Health Network