Memory Center dedicated

Lehigh Valley Health Network dedicated the Fleming Memory Center, 1627 W. Chew St,, on Oct. 1. The 5,300 square-foot facility will centralize clinical, educational and support services for those in the region affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The center, which will open to new patients in November, features six exam rooms, geriatric and dementia experts, and space for consults, meetings, education and caregivers.

The center was funded by Richard (Dick) Fleming, of Zionsville, whose late wife Peggy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and died six years later. A former Air Products executive, the L.V.H.N. trustee donated start-up funding for program development at the center.

Free sleep information sessions

Lehigh Valley Health Network will have free sleep information sessions for adults and children with a certified respiratory therapist from mid-September through mid-December. Adult sessions will be one hour and include topics such as sleep disorders and the senior adult, women and sleep, understanding sleep disorders and what to do if diagnosed with sleep apnea.

There will be Bethlehem location programs at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the ECC Room A, Muhlenberg Campus, 2545 Schoenersville Road; and a health center tour at 6 p.m. and a light dinner and lecture at 6:30 p.m., both Nov. 9, 2101 Emrick Blvd., Suite 200, Bethlehem Township and Marriott Courtyard respectively.

Health screenings and more also will be provided at both the adult and child sessions. For schedules and to register, call 610-402-CARE, ext. 2273. Additional information is available at lvhn.org, facebook.com/LVHealthNetwork and twitter.com/LVHN.

Clinical trial event held

There was an event to discuss LVHN breast cancer clinical trials currently available and being planned for the future, to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, on Oct. 21. at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg.

Hematologist oncologist Ranju Gupta, M.D., and patient Caroline Latt of Nazareth, discussed Latt’s stage 3 breast cancer care and Latt’s current participation in a clinical trial testing an anti-cancer drug in conjunction with standard endocrine (hormone) therapy.

Suresh Nair, M.D., director of clinical trials for LVHN’s oncology program, reported on new basic research advances. The first is the addition of a non-chemo pill (PI3 kinase inhibitor) to anti-estrogens for women with stage 4 breast cancer. The second is the recognition of an important pathway in triple negative breast cancers.

Based on research done at Memorial Sloan Kettering, the two advances are being rapidly translated to local clinical trial opportunities in 2016, when LVHN partners with the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center in the MSK Cancer Alliance.

St. Luke’s Health Network

Mamogram screenings covered

Governor Thomas Wolf announced a new statewide policy on Oct. 5 requiring Pennsylvania insurers to cover all screening mammograms, including 3D, at no out-of-pocket cost to consumers. Insurance companies have until the end of the calendar year to put this into effect.

St. Luke’s is waiving any additional fees charged for 3D mammograms, effective immediately.

St. Luke’s installed a low-dose 3D tomosynthesis mammography unit with sensory suite at St. Luke’s West End Medical Center, 501 Cetronia Road, Suite 130, Allentown, earlier this year.

Nurses recognized

The March of Dimes recently recognized neonatologist Kimberly Costello, DO, FAAP, director of neonatology, St. Luke’s University Health Network, as “Physician of the Year. ” St. Luke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse Karen Metzger, LPN, was named “Nurse of the Year.”

Dr. Costello earned her degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in neonatal-perinatal medicine and general pediatrics. Metzger has been a NICU nurse at SLUH-Bethlehem for more than 30 years.

OABHU

new director named

St. Luke’s University Health Network has appointed Farhad Sholevar, M.D., as the medical director of its Older Adult Behavioral Health Unit.

Certified both in psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry, and chairman of the SLUHN’s Department of Psychiatry, has extensive experience in treating older adults for a variety of behavioral health conditions including depression, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and sleep disorders. He earned his medical degree at Tehran University Medical School, Iran, and completed his internship and residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia.

SLUHN has nine psychiatrists and two physician extenders. The unit accepts patients aged 60 and older, enhancing safety and tranquility. Younger patients are accepted on a case-to-case basis.

SLUHN partners with athletics

St. Luke’s Sports Medicine has been named as the official presenting sponsor of the athletic association of Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties.

Care for the athletes of HWSAA’s 20 schools will be available in the newly expanded and renovated Fitness & Sports Performance Center, St. Luke’s Hillcrest Plaza, 755 Memorial Parkway, Phillipsburg, N.J. There will be specific training and testing areas for athletes who are recovering from injuries as well as those who simply wish to improve their skills in specific sports.

SLUHN will provide physician coverage of select championship events.

SLUH NICU

The March of Dimes announced recently that the Pennsylvania Chapter’s St. Luke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU Family Support Program, established in 2009, at St. Luke’s University Health Network-Bethlehem, was named the national site of the year winner.

The award recognizes outstanding achievements, by a NICU Family Support program, in five areas: high quality and innovative services to families, strong collaboration with the hospital partner, local and national promotion of the program, integration of families and volunteers throughout the program, and demonstrating program impact.

The NICU Family Support program at St. Luke’s University Health Network demonstrates how March of Dimes services in the NICU have a time-proven, positive impact, according to the March of Dimes.