St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Vascular Surgery team has received the prestigious Dr. Larry Kraiss Quality Award from the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), one of the highest honors in the field of vascular care.

The award recognizes health-care providers that have achieved prolonged, consistent excellence by maintaining the VQI’s top three-star rating for at least eight consecutive years. This rare distinction reflects not only clinical precision, but also an enduring commitment to quality improvement, data transparency and superior patient care.

In 2026, St. Luke’s Allentown and Bethlehem campuses were among just 13 recipients in the United States out of 909 participating hospitals, placing the Network among an elite group of institutions that includes nationally-renowned medical centers such as Cleveland Clinic, Emory University Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Yale New Haven Hospital.

St. Luke’s is the only health system in Pennsylvania or New Jersey to earn the distinction, underscoring its position as a regional and national leader in vascular care.

The honor was accepted at the VQI awards ceremony in Boston by Drs. Sharvil Sheth and Calogero DiMaggio, representing the St. Luke’s Vascular Surgery team.

Adding to this achievement, St. Luke’s Monroe Campus also earned a three-star rating, highlighting system-wide dedication to vascular quality improvement and ensuring patients across the region have access to top-tier care close to home.

The recognition further reinforces the strength of St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular program, which continues to distinguish itself through both excellence and innovation.

The program has been at the forefront of advanced treatment options, recently becoming the first in the region to offer cutting-edge procedures such as DETOUR (for patients with severe peripheral artery disease) and LimFlow (for individuals facing chronic limb-threatening ischemia), expanding options for patients who previously had few alternatives.