Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is expanding its reach into the Lehigh Valley with the acquisition of a pediatric cardiology practice in South Whitehall Township.
Children’s Heart Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania was renamed the CHOP Cardiac Center @ Allentown after it was acquired last September.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The center, which had been a private practice in Allentown, moved to new offices in the ROMA building, 1605 N. Cedar Crest Blvd.
The center’s three cardiologists will remain with the practice.
“By joining CHOP, we are able to work closely with the providers from CHOP’s main campus to give our patients easier access to the latest breakthroughs in comprehensive cardiac care,” Dr. Louis Hansrote said in a statement.
Mark E. Schwartz, director of the cardiac center service line at CHOP, said the hospital does not have plans to acquire other practices in the Lehigh Valley, but may expand the center’s office over time.
The practice also provides services at the former Pocono Medical Center in Monroe County.
Schwartz said the acquisition will mean patients and physicians will have easier access to all of CHOP’s specialty services through direct linkages to its referral and access centers and enhanced technology at the practice for diagnostic testing.
“Potential future expansion of cardiac services in specialty areas will also be evaluated,” he said.
Dr. Joseph Rossano, chief of cardiology at CHOP, said the hospital has a strong history of working with the local center’s team and many of its patients.
