Lehigh Valley Hospital

The lehigh valley fleming neuroscience institute - the lehigh valley fleming neuroscience institute perpetuated its legacy in fy2024 as a world-class team providing extraordinary care for brain, spine, neurological, and neurosurgical disorders. As a dedicated hub of collaboration, innovation, education, and research, we continued our evolution as a premier destination for care for the region. We prioritized collaboration and teamwork through interdisciplinary teams, stressed ongoing education and training, and made decisions based on the latest research and evidence for every patient. Additionally, our teams positioned themselves for rapid response to an ever-changing network structure and its optimization initiatives for improved access and patient experience.to expand and continue to serve as many patients as possible, our institute implemented several additions to our already-robust offerings across the lehigh valley. We welcomed a second neuro-ophthalmologist, further expanding access to a program only offered by lvhn in this region. Following a hospital discharge for stroke, we like keep patients close to home for their follow-up care, so we added an outpatient clinic site at lvh-hecktown oaks which also included the addition of outpatient eeg services as well. Our multidisciplinary muscle disease clinic launched and was accompanied by the start of our internal genetic counseling program for the diagnosis and counsel of neurogenetic disease and associated familial risk. In response to fda-approval, our fleming memory center housed on our 17th street campus began anti-amyloid infusion therapy for biomarker-positive mci and early-onset alzheimer's disease. In the continued advancement of our functional neurosurgery capabilities, our institute obtained capital funding to acquire and install and mr-guided focused ultrasound (mrgfus) for the treatment of essential tremor and parkinson's disease. This state-of-the-art treatment offering opened in october 2024 and this program marks itself as the first in our region with less than 75 units available in the country. Finally, in partnership with our neuro rehabilitation program, the vivistim functional neurosurgery program began in december 2023, which is a surgical treatment for patients who are still experiencing upper extremity weakness following a stroke.in addition to our program advancements and expansions, our institute was awarded several national accolades throughout the course of the year. Lvh-hecktown oaks met all evidence of standards compliance by the joint commission and was awarded their first acute stroke ready certification (asrh) in the hospital's history. Coupled with that and based on quality and regulation standards by the american heart association, lehigh valley hospitals received several aha/gwtg awards. Lvh-cedar crest was awarded the stroke gold plus, stroke elite honor roll, and advanced therapy honor roll awards as well as being named a healthgrades 2024 stroke care excellence award winner. Lvh-muhlenberg was awarded the stroke gold plus and the stroke honor roll awards. Lvh-hecktown oaks earned the stroke silver plus award in just their first year of having stroke certification. Lvh-cedar crest was once again recognized as a "high-performing" site in neurology and neurosurgery by usnwr with an overall score of 58.1 and a total ranking of 89th, which was a 21-spot improvement from the prior year. Additionally, the lvh-cedar crest epilepsy team was awarded their 2-year reaccreditation status as a national association of epilepsy centers level 3 program. Becker's hospital review released their list of 70 hospital and health systems with notable spine and neuroscience programs and lvh-cedar crest made the list! These notable programs are renowned for their excellent outcomes, leading surgical techniques, and cutting-edge research in addition to featuring leaders and top specialists in the field. Finally, lvhn was named as a multidisciplinary team of distinction by the north american skull base society. Joining only 51 other centers in the country, this recognition confirms our program's commitment to the multi-disciplinary assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the full range of skull base pathology. Achievement of this distinction is made possible by the partnership of the 3 lvhn institutes of topper cancer, fleming neuroscience, and surgical excellence.lehigh valley orthopedic institute - the lehigh valley orthopedic institute (lvoi) has eight multidisciplinary practices in the lehigh valley region, and we provided 22,100 procedures to the community in fy2024. These procedures include total joint replacements, foot and ankle surgery, general orthopedics, pediatric orthopedics, orthopedic trauma, hand surgery and pain management procedures. We are proud of our multidisciplinary programs that are located throughout the lehigh valley where we provide care to a diverse group of patients in the community. We provide 24/7 orthopedic trauma coverage at lvh-cedar crest, lvh-muhlenberg, and lvh-hecktown oaks. Our team is very active in the community and committed to high quality care in this region. The lvoi program was ranked 20th in the nation in 2024.perioperative services - perioperative services at lvh consists of the surgical and endoscopic staff and facilities where over 77,000 procedures are performed annually. Surgical procedures are performed in 72 operating rooms throughout lvh, including lvh-17th street, lvh-cedar crest, the lvh children's surgery center, lvh-muhlenberg, lvh-carbon, lvh-hecktown oaks, lvh-1503 north cedar crest, lvh-highland avenue, and the lvhn-tilghman campuses. The children's surgery center located at lvh-cedar crest provides specialized care for our pediatric population. Patient care in the operating room is supported by anesthesia services, surgical prep and staging, post anesthesia recovery, and sterile processing departments, among others. Lvh performs endoscopic procedures at six locations: lvh-cedar crest, the lvh children's surgery center, lvh-highland avenue, lvh-carbon, lvh-hecktown oaks and lvh-muhlenberg. The operating room technologies and facilities include two hybrid operating rooms, a trauma code omega operating room, 12 da vinci surgical robots, six orthopedic total knee replacement robots, and cardiac surgery operating rooms. Operating room nursing staff are trained to support multiple surgical disciplines including cardiac surgery, orthopedics, vascular surgery, urology, general surgery, transplant surgery, gynecologic surgery, pediatric surgery, and many others. Cutting edge endoscopic technologies include endoscopic ultrasound, endo-bronchial ultrasound, and video capsule endoscopy.behavioral health services - lvh operates inpatient behavioral health programs for adolescents and adults. The combined programs total 65 beds and serves lehigh, northampton, carbon, monroe, schuylkill, and berks counties. Clinical programs include psychiatric, psychological, nursing, dual diagnosis, psychiatric rehabilitation, social work and discharge planning services. Lvh also provides ambulatory behavioral healthcare, including: psychiatric evaluation services in eleven hospital emergency departments; three partial hospital programs for adults and adolescents; several large outpatient group practices providing multidisciplinary short-term treatment to children, adolescents, adults and older adults; one outpatient mental health clinics for seriously and persistently mentally ill adults; psychiatric home care; and, two residential treatment sites, supporting and educating adults in independent living skills. Both sites and the clinics are funded in part, under a contract with lehigh county department of human services through funds provided by county of lehigh and the pennsylvania department of public welfare; psychiatric home care services; behavioral health integration in medical/programs on medical/surgical inpatient units and ambulatory, primary care and specialty practices. Consultation /liaison psychiatry, education and research and service offerings to schools, and other community agencies round out lvh's contribution to the health and well-being of the region. The behavioral health services provide clinical training opportunities for physicians and other allied healthcare students. A psychiatric residency was established in 2019 and expanded in 2022. A child and adolescent fellowship program was established in 2021.

Trauma and burn services - on march 13, 2024, the trauma program at lvh-muhlenberg underwent their third reaccreditation survey. They were successfully re-accredited as a level 2 trauma center with no significant issues identified. The accreditation period will extend through september 30, 2027.the fall 2023 tqip adult benchmark report based on admission data from 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 which benchmarks the trauma program against 527 other tqip centers in the country highlighted the lvh-muhlenberg trauma program as being in the first decile and top performer (top 10% of all tqip centers) for risk-adjusted mortality for cohort of "all patients and the first decile and top performer (top 10% of all tqip centers) for risk-adjusted mortality for cohort of "elderly".we are pleased to share that on july 8th, 2024, hko began keeping orthopedic trauma patients, supported by 24/7, 365-day call coverage. From july 8th to august 31st, a total of 22 orthopedic trauma patients were entered into the trauma registry. Of these, we successfully admitted 14 to lvh-hecktown oaks, including 7 surgical cases. Additionally, our trauma ambulance volume in august 2024 was the highest recorded to date with an increase in the number of patients brought to the ed by ems. This marks a significant achievement in expanding our trauma care capabilities.lvh-cedar crest meets the benchmark in risk adjusted mortality of all patients with an observed 7.6%, compared to the tqip average of 7.8%. This includes a mortality rate of 44.8 % for our severe tbi patients compared to the expected rate of 52.9% and below the tqip average of 47.6%. This is in the top decile and a credit to the outstanding care our neurosurgery colleagues provide to our patients with the most severe brain injuries. This outstanding performance compared to the benchmark is also true at the lvh-muhlenberg level ii trauma center.lvh-cedar crest received another grant this past fy for $2.5 million dollars for a total of almost $5 million dollars since 2021 from the pennsylvania commission on crime and delinquency to collaborate with the promise neighborhood of the lehigh valley to stop the cycle of violence within our communities. This grant expanded services to our northern tier hospitals to victims and the families of violence while hospitalized as well as when they return to the communities served by lvhn. These positions play an important role in the overall care of the trauma patient. These grants will be active until december 2025.our burn fellowship program was successful and continues for a second year with a new fellow. Our goal remains to expand burn knowledge and expertise to support high quality burn care around the country.our burn center was re-verified by the american burn association as an adult and pediatric designated burn center. Verification is the aba's mark of distinction for burn centers around the world. We have maintained this status since 2005. We have hired a teleburn outreach liaison who is helping to expand and provide face to face support for our teleburn program. Women's services - lvh offers wide-ranging women's health programs and services designed to provide complete, evidence-based care for women in the lehigh valley and the surrounding region. Obstetrics - deliveries at lvh-cedar crest totaled 3,186 during the fiscal year ending june 30, 2024, an increase of 2% over prior year. In the same time frame, deliveries at lvh-muhlenberg totaled 1,434. At lvh-cedar crest, team-based obstetrical care is provided by coverage with certified nurse midwives, obstetric hospitalists, and general obstetricians with maternal-fetal medicine specialists available for high-risk consultation. Paired with our level 4 nicu and other specialty services including critical care, this campus serves as a tertiary care regional referral hospital for high-risk maternity and newborn care both within and outside our network. The care at lvh-muhlenberg is offered by general ob/gyn physicians with some midwifery support, and is supported by a level 2 nicu.births that occur at lvh-cedar crest and lvh-muhlenberg are primarily to patients who received prenatal care at our many lehigh valley physician group (lvpg) obstetrics and gynecology practices across five counties. A lesser number are patients who receive prenatal care at the center for women's medicine (cwm), part of valley health partners, located in allentown. To supplement the prenatal care, ultrasound services in the office are accredited by the american institute of ultrasound in medicine (aium). Lvpg ob/gyn office practices also offer on-site behavioral health services provided by four licensed professional counselors in conjunction with the department of psychiatry. They also continue to offer the connections program which provides specialized care for women with substance use disorders in pregnancy. A new program, women adjusting to various emotional states or waves, was introduced in fy2024. The program is designed for women who are dealing with the emotions of pregnancy and motherhood. Lvpg-midwifery was established as the area's first ever facility exclusively dedicated to providing outpatient midwifery services. Families across the region now have the option to choose a certified nurse midwife (cnm) for prenatal and routine pregnancy care, post-partum care, family planning and routine gynecological care. Offering the area's first centering pregnancy program, an evidence-based group prenatal care model, lvpg-midwifery goes beyond traditional prenatal care to provide a welcoming group learning environment. Birthing persons now have both traditional and novel prenatal care options, including a virtual option. Maternal fetal medicine (mfm) specialists are available for consultation and for receiving of transports from other lvhn campuses as well as other hospitals outside lvhn. In addition, the mfm practice has office locations locally in lehigh and northampton counties, and they provide services on-site and virtually to our three other regional delivering hospitals. Mfm physicians' services include highest level ultrasonography (and telehealth services), fetal echocardiography, genetic counseling, amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, complex delivery services and unique well-established multi-disciplinary programs for patients with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, neurological disease, and disorders of the placenta. The group established the region's first mfm fellowship program in fy2024. Lvh-cedar crest and lvh-muhlenberg are designated as baby friendly facilities, supporting the world health organization's 10 steps to successful breastfeeding. At present, only 514 facilities in the us have been awarded this title. This designation reflects network commitment to breastfeeding. It also represents a third-party verification that holds the facilities accountable for both quality and safety. Lvh was also honored to receive capital blue cross/highmark blue distinction, us news and world report top performing maternity hospital. In addition, both lvh-cedar crest and lvh-muhlenberg received bronze awards from the pa perinatal quality collaborative designations program for demonstrating commitment to quality improvement and safety for birthing people and babies in the spring of fy2024. Gynecology - ambulatory women's health is provided in the same lvpg and cwm practices noted above. Well-woman care is offered through a comprehensive pathway including all the elements recommended by the national women's preventive services initiative. Numerous women's health specialty programs now exist to support the unique needs for our patients. These programs include chronic pelvic pain, sexual health, pediatric and adolescent care, advanced gynecologic ultrasound, and obesity medicine, with several others in development. Comprehensive and state-of-the-art surgical services include mis (minimally invasive surgery) interventions with robotically assisted, laparoscopic, and vaginal surgery approaches. In the fiscal year ending june 30, 2024, over 2,800 surgical cases were performed by general ob/gyn in the lvh-licensed facilities, and over 700 were performed by female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeons.