St. Luke's: Joins community shared services

St. Luke's University Health Network's health information exchange (HIE) organization, eVantageHealth, has elected to partner with the PA eHealth Partnership Authority as a pilot in the authority's network of community shared services. Such partnerships are designed to connect HIEs such as eVantageHealth, healthcare providers and organizations statewide.

According to Brandon Neiswender, senior Director of Health Information Exchange, "eVantageHealth is a Health Information Exchange whose primary objectives are increasing patient engagement, improving access to clinical data and enabling new communications tools that enhance the quality of care."

LV Health Network: Byerly heads board

Ronald W. Swinfard, M.D., Lehigh Valley Health Network's president and chief executive officer, told an audience of about 200 Dec. 3 that the health network's investment in community benefit was the highest ever in fiscal year 2013, which ended June 30. The community annual meeting, "The Future Begins with You," was held at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Salisbury Township.

The LVHN Board of Trustees elected Alison R. Byerly, PhD, president, Lafayette College, to a three-year term beginning in January. The trustees also re-elected Stephen R. Follett, president and CEO, Follett Corporation, to a three-year term effective in January. LVHN includes three hospital facilities – two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem.; nine health centers in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; specialty care, pharmacy, imaging, home health services and lab services; preferred provider services through Valley Preferred and Children's Hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

LV Health Network: Joins ALS Center

The ALS Association, along with its Greater Philadelphia Chapter, has added Lehigh Valley Health Network to the nonprofit organization's Certified Center Program, establishing the hospital's Neuromuscular and ALS Center for Comprehensive Care as meeting established national standards of care in the management of the disease. ALS, often called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease, which causes patients to eventually lose control of all voluntary muscles of the body.

"The care that people receive at Lehigh Valley Health Network is a model for other parts of the country and we are proud to recognize the hospital for its outstanding multidisciplinary approach to treating people with this devastating disease," said Jim Pinciotti, executive director of The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter.

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