Lehigh Valley Health Network

Network acquires Coordinated Health

In a formal closing completed Dec. 19, Lehigh Valley Health Network has acquired the assets of Coordinated Health, which is now part of L.V.H.N. The two groups had, in September, signed a binding Letter of Intent pending reviews by the Federal Trade Commission and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

Patients will continue to see the same Coordinated Health physicians and care teams in the same locations. For more information, visit www.LVHN.org,

Speedy Bear Brigade distributes toys

Pocono Raceway staff members, in celebration of NASCAR Foundation’s third annual ‘Speedy Bear Brigade,’ distributed teddy bears to children at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital on Dec. 12.

‘The Speedy Bear Brigade’ program included 30 such hospital visits across the country on Giving Tuesday, bringing much-needed smiles to the faces of children who are spending the holiday season in the hospital. Approximately 1,000 bears are being distributed this year.

Pocono Raceway and Lehigh Valley Health Network are long-time partners in community-based programs such as the Raceway’s Kids Club, the annual Kids Day and Kids Zone. The Raceway and their fans have donated more than $100,000 to Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital from their annual 50/50 raffles, held during major NASCAR events at the track.

St. Luke’s University Health Network

SLUHN is top teaching hospital

For the second year in a row, St. Luke’s University Hospital has been named one of the nation’s top hospitals in the Teaching Hospital category by Leapfrog Group.

The independent nonprofit hospital watchdog organization recognized SLUHN as one of only six hospitals in Pennsylvania to have qualified for the honor.

In 2019, only 118 hospitals nationally were awarded across: Top Teaching, Top General, Top Rural and Top Children’s hospitals categories.

Good Food, Healthy Hospitals pledge

St. Luke’s University Health Network is the first health system outside of the Philadelphia area to sign the Good Food, Healthy Hospitals pledge.

SLUHN signed the pledge after the initiative secured a five-year national grant to expand the program statewide.

The hospital’s team will work closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Department of Public Health and The Common Market Mid-Atlantic for technical assistance.

Skilled Nursing units get high rating

St. Luke’s Miners and St. Luke’s Sacred Heart campuses’ Skilled Nursing facilities have been named by U.S. News and World Report as the“Best Nursing Homes” for high performing short-term rehabilitation care to patients staying at the facility for less than 100 days. St. Luke’s 48-bed Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Miners Campus, Coaldale, received a four out of five rating. Sacred Heart’s 22-bed Hospital Transitional Care Facility, Allentown, received a five out of five.

U.S. News’ Best Nursing Homes ratings draw on data from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services by evaluating more than 15,000 homes nationwide in every state and nearly 100 major metropolitan areas. This year, a total of 2,969 nursing homes earned the designation of a U.S. News “Best Nursing Home” for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.