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St. Luke’s University Health Network’s invests $30 million in latest technology; first to region

St. Luke’s University Health Network’s $30 million CT technology investment will make it the first in the country to offer the GE HealthCare scanners.

St. Luke’s said the technology will extend the life of the devices and help ensure a more consistent experience for patients.

The first of the new scanners from GE HealthCare will be installed at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus, St. Luke’s said.

The scanners will have a comprehensive suite of clinical applications, as well as the latest in Artificial Intelligence (AI), in a platform that seamlessly connects and integrates with the existing St. Luke’s network, St. Luke’s said.

What is does

This new technology allows for a quicker, more informed and more accurate diagnosis, with less inconvenience to patients, said Dr. David Furman, medical director of Computed Tomography, St. Luke’s University Health Network. From an administrative perspective, the new GE HealthCare equipment provides a CT that evolves and has consistent capabilities across all sites within the St. Luke’s network, with a single set of capabilities to learn, operate and read.

The technology provides for faster scans and sharper images (when compared to previous CT systems), a potential reduction in radiation dose from advancements in technology, the capacity to better detect lesions or tissue abnormalities and to map vascular structures, and the ability to capture fine detail in the head and neck, which is critical in stroke diagnosis, he said.

The scanners are also expected to be helpful within St. Luke’s pediatric patient population, trauma cases, and especially in advanced cardiac exams by using GE HealthCare’s SnapShot Freeze technology.

That technology, combined with fast rotation speed and wide coverage provided by the GE HealthCare scanners, provides the ability to image the heart with any heart rate in just one beat, decreasing the likelihood for additional scanning, according to St. Luke’s.

When it started

The process of bringing this cutting-edge technology to St. Luke’s began about 18 months ago, according to Furman, who also serves as the Chief of Radiology at the St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus.

In addition to a market need for CT cardiac imaging, the new St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus had the building infrastructure already in place to physically support the new equipment, Furman said. The full deployment of the fleet of advanced CT scanners across the network is expected to be fully complete within four years.

The investment is strengthened by the inclusion of GE HealthCare’s Smart Subscription, which will provide updates in software and Artificial Intelligence technology advances as they are available, helping to extend the life of the CT scanners, according to GE HealthCare’s Tina Checchia, the St. Luke’s-based expert in multiple GE CT systems and software.

The St. Luke’s investment in this CT fleet “will only get better and better with this subscription package,” Checchia said. “From the outset, this fleet of premiere CT scanners really can’t compare with any other hospitals in the county. What St. Luke’s will be able to offer patients with this new technology is incredible.”

Dr. Robert Fournier, vice chair of Radiology and Medical Director of Nuclear Medicine for St. Luke’s University Health Network, said that there is “a great deal of enthusiasm about what this technology can bring to our patients. It’s a true network initiative that brings us up to global speed. And with this big leap in technology, St. Luke’s is making sure that we continue to evolve and stay at the forefront of medical innovation and patient care.”

Teaching opportunity

In addition to the “huge opportunity this technology presents for us as a system,” Fournier said, “it also provides a tremendous educational opportunity for our residency students. They’ll have exposure to AI technology not commonly used today, which places them at the forefront of the technology as it evolves. There is a good deal of academic research being done in this area so there is that opportunity for them as well. They’ll have first-hand experience in seeing how this technology improves patient care and outcomes.”

Significant step

The investment represents not only the most expansive for the St. Luke’s network, but also for GE HealthCare.

“This is a massive project for both St. Luke’s and GE HealthCare – one of the largest GE HealthCare ever embarked on with CT scanners in both the U.S. and Canada,” said J Anders, vice president for Computed Tomography at GE HealthCare. “Many others have made significant investments, but this type of holistic approach is extraordinary.”

Traditionally, Anders said, the bulk of innovation came in the form of hardware, or the actual CT scan machines, which had to be replaced roughly every seven years.

“Now that innovation is in the software, which moves much more quickly with this modality,” he said. “And St. Luke’s will have access to these capabilities as they evolve and further develop. Best of all, these capabilities will be available to St. Luke’s patients — no matter what facility or hospital they go to — across the network. It really is a game-changer.”

Furman added. “I feel really fortunate to be part of a network that is so committed to improving patient care through an investment like this. This represents an incredible advance in our technological capabilities. It’s a very exciting development.”

Lehigh Valley hospitals earn top grades; pandemic-related infections spike

Thirteen Lehigh Valley hospitals received the top rating from The Leapfrog Group in a report incorporating performance data from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare (LVBCH), said the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit that grades hospital safety, this spring showed the average risk of harmful health care-associated infections spiked to a five-year high during the pandemic.

LVBCH, the regional leader for The Leapfrog Group in Pennsylvania, said Lehigh Valley hospitals that received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade are Geisinger’s Danville, Lewistown, and St. Luke’s campuses; Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Cedar Crest, Hazleton, and Muhlenberg campuses; and St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Allentown, Anderson, Bethlehem, Easton, Monroe, Sacred Heart, and Upper Bucks campuses.

“The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade enables unprecedented transparency, driving improvements and empowering patients,” said Carl Seitz, LVBCH president. “We are proud to represent hospitals in our community who are prioritizing the safety of their patients. Our hospitals should continue to uphold high standards of patient care and safety to protect and save lives.”

Hospitals earn an “A”,“B”, “C”, “D”, or “F” Hospital Safety Grade reflecting how well they protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. These preventable errors kill an estimated 250,000 Americans every year and harm millions more, LVBCH said.

The 2023 Hospital Safety Grades incorporate hospital performance during the height of the pandemic, 2020-2022, and it suggests the average risk of three of the most harmful healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)—including Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)— spiked to a 5-year high in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Pennsylvania, 127 hospitals were graded, and 59 earned an “A,” 33 earned a “B,” 32 earned a “C,” 3 earned a “D,” and none earned an “F.” Overall, Pennsylvania has 46.5% “A” Hospitals and ranks 4th in the nation, improving from 40.9% and 9th in fall 2022, LVBCH said.

“Hospital safety is now more important than ever. With the increase in hospital infections during COVID-19, we know Pennsylvania hospitals are recommitting to patient safety, and we all need to reinforce the critical importance of the work,” said Amanda Greene, director of operations, LVBCH and Leapfrog Regional Leader. “The Hospital Safety Grades are an important tool that patients and families can use to make informed decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones when seeking care.”

Leapfrog President and CEO Leah Binder said, “In light of the alarming findings on the increase in healthcare-associated infections, we need the full commitment of hospital leadership to ensure patient safety is a priority. The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly strained hospitals and their resources, and we now have the data to show the damage it caused.”

Despite the pandemic, Binder said, these 13 hospitals remained steadfast in their commitment to patient safety.

The Leapfrog Group has a more than 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the U.S., based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients.

St. Luke’s Health Center in Jim Thorpe opens April 10

St. Luke’s Health Center in Jim Thorpe will begin seeing patients April 10.

The completion of phase one of the center will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting on April 6.

St. Luke’s University Health Network said the 8,700 square-foot facility at 1122 North St. will provide family medicine by Dr. Daniel Plavin, St. Luke’s Jim Thorpe Primary Care; nephrology care by Dr. Brittany Cataldo, Dr. Cheryl Lipson, Dr. Nicholas Varvarelis, Sarah Livengood, PAC. and Ann Acevedo, CRNP, St. Luke’s Nephrology Associates-Carbon County; and outpatient laboratory services.

The facility is one of over 20 St. Luke’s ambulatory sites in Carbon County with more than 50 family practice providers and over 100 specialty medical and surgical providers. About 200,000 people visited the St. Luke’s outpatient and emergency sites in Carbon County over the past year.

St. Luke’s expansion continues in Monroe County

St. Luke’s Smithfield Gateway Health Center – PHOTO/PROVIDED

St. Luke University Health Network’s (SLUHN) expansion of services to local communities continues with the opening of St. Luke’s Smithfield Gateway Health Center in Monroe County April 3.

A ribbon cutting for the 40,000-square-foot outpatient center at 125 Smithfield Lane, East Stroudsburg, was held Tuesday.

“The Smithfield Gateway Health Center is part of St. Luke’s continued commitment to expand care close to home for the residents of Monroe County,” said Don Seiple, president, St. Luke’s Monroe Campus. “At this state-of-the-art facility, we will provide patients with the high-quality healthcare they deserve and have come to expect from St. Luke’s University Health Network.”

The Smithfield Gateway Health Center will blend new practices and services with several that are relocating to the site, SLUHN said.

The practices that are relocating to the center are:

St. Luke’s Medical Associates of Monroe County (will be renamed as St. Luke’s Smithfield Primary Care)
St. Luke’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates
St. Luke’s Pocono Pediatrics
St. Luke’s Dermatology
St. Luke’s Pulmonary Associates of Monroe

St. Luke’s Laboratory Services – Smithfield Gateway

New practices and services that will be located at St. Luke’s Smithfield Gateway Health Center include:

St. Luke’s Center for Diabetes & Endocrinology
St. Luke’s Smithfield Gateway Women’s Imaging Center
St. Luke’s Occupational Medicine
Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s – Smithfield Gateway

St. Luke’s Imaging Services (walk-in X-Ray)
St. Luke’s Care Now – Smithfield Gateway (walk-in care; no appointment needed)

“We extend our sincere appreciation to the community for their enthusiasm toward the opening of the St. Luke’s Smithfield Gateway Health Center, and we look forward to serving our patients and families here,” Seiple said.

St. Luke’s Quakertown Campus $6.4M project expands behavioral health unit

Dennis Pfleiger, President of St. Luke’s Quakertown/Upper Bucks campuses, speaks at the ribbon cutting – Photo courtesy of St. Luke’s University Health Network –

To meet the growing demand for behavioral health services, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) has expanded its Quakertown Campus’s Adult Behavioral Health Unit by 13 beds.

The $6.4 milion project brings the unit’s bed count to 32. SLUHN said the network’s total inpatient adult behavioral health capacity is about 200 licensed beds spanning four campuses.

The expansion, celebrated with a ribbon cutting March 8, meets a growing need for inpatient mental health services in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, said Dennis Pfleiger, president of St. Luke’s Quakertown/Upper Bucks campuses. The unit is set to open March 15.

“The increase of 13 beds will allow for improved access to needed services across the county,” Pfleiger said.

Jody McCloud-Missmer, Network Behavioral Health Service Line administrator, said St. Luke’s has continued to see an increase in patients in its emergency rooms in need of crisis response from St. Luke’s Crisis Intervention Team.

“In addition, our Community Health Needs Assessment demonstrates that mental health is an important health focus for the surrounding area,” McCloud-Missmer said. “The additional bed capacity will help provide treatment to those with the most acute symptoms while remaining closer to home.”

The project included the demolition and renovation of the former medical-surgical and ICU areas located on the second floor of the Quakertown campus.

“The aesthetic design brings in an abundant amount of natural light and serene imaging within the spacious 16,400 square-foot layout,” said Christina Zelko Bennick, vice president, Network Inpatient Behavioral Health Services. “In addition, the new unit will feature state-of-the-art monitoring technology for both patient and staff safety.”

Dr. James James III, chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and the Division of Addiction and Recovery, said, “We recognize the significant mental health needs of the community are not adequately being met with current resources. As we work to improve people’s lives through early intervention and prevention the need for acute care beds remains high. This expansion is aimed at reducing wait times and expediting high quality care so that people can spend less time in the hospital and more time living their lives.”

SLUHN earns recognition for behavioral health care plan

St. Luke’s University Health Network’s (SLUHN) approach to reducing hospital readmissions for behavioral health issues has earned it an Achievement Award from The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).

Under the new approach, a task force created interventions that were implemented by the Behavioral Health Nurse Navigation, Case Management, Therapeutic Programming, Providers and Crisis teams.

SLUHN said the task force was responsible for developing, writing, reviewing and updating care plans for Emergency Department providers and other clinicians. Ultimately, the team reduced 30-day readmissions and improved the quality of care for behavioral health patients.

It was described in St. Luke’s submission to HAP titled “A Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Collaborative Approach to Decrease 30-Day Behavioral Health Readmissions and Enhance Care Quality.”

“We are proud to be the only health care network in the Lehigh Valley to earn the HAP Achievement Award,” said Cindi Reade, network director of Behavioral Health Inpatient Services. “This recognition reflects St. Luke’s commitment to excellence through ongoing innovation and improvement.”

St. Luke’s innovation was one of 12 health care advances recognized by HAP through its 2023 Achievement Awards. Started in 1978, the program recognizes hospitals and health systems that are taking innovative approaches to strengthening the safety and quality of care, enhancing operations and patients’ experience, and partnering with their communities to address public health needs.

St. Luke’s competed against organizations of a similar size for the Excellence in Care Award, which celebrates hospitals’ and health systems’ innovative approaches to improving the quality of care. In total, there were 82 entries for this year’s Achievement Awards.

“Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems are dedicated to not just treating illnesses and injuries but being partners in improving the health of their patients and communities,” HAP President and CEO Andy Carter said. “These award-winning projects exemplify the extraordinary work of Pennsylvania’s hospital community to enhance Pennsylvanians’ health; advance health equity; and improve the quality, delivery, and safety of care.”

SLUHN’s Upper Bucks Campus addition opens March 1

St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Upper Bucks Campus three-story addition opens Wednesday.

The addition doubles the size of the Milford Township hospital, located at the intersection of Route 663 and Portzer Road, that opened in 2019.

The $79 million project adds more than 117,275 square feet of space to the Cancer Center and the Women & Babies Pavilion. It also provides space for future expansion, SLUHN said.

Dennis Pfleiger, president of the Upper Bucks and Quakertown campuses, said the expansion allows St. Luke’s to continue to meet the growing demand for diverse health care needs of residents of the greater Upper Bucks Community close to where they live.

“We are excited to enhance close-to-home access and bring our nationally recognized quality care to the growing population of this region and especially to the aging and child-bearing age segments,” Pfleiger said. “The demand is only expected to rise as the region continues to grow.”

The first-floor of the new wing expands St. Luke’s comprehensive cancer care and palliative services. The infusion suite has expanded from 10 to 16 chairs and the first floor will also be home to a suite of oncology practices (medical, surgical, radiation, and gynecological.)

“The expanded infusion center has lots of natural light making patients’ infusion experience much more comfortable,” said Mary-Kate Cellmer, administrator of St. Luke’s Cancer Center.

The addition includes a True Beam linear accelerator giving patients access to highly advanced radiation therapy services at this campus.

“Patients can now receive high quality comprehensive cancer services in the Upper Bucks community,” Cellmer said.

The second-floor addition has five labor and delivery rooms, 12 post-partum rooms, four triage rooms, six NICU beds, and two C-section suites.

“The addition of the Women & Babies Pavilion allows patients who choose St. Luke’s as their OB/GYN to deliver in their community at a state-of-the-art facility with private, spacious rooms, and, if needed a Level II NICU,” said Nicole Nye, administrator at St. Luke’s OB/GYN. “The opening of the Women & Babies Pavilion allows us to expand OB/GYN services to Bucks and Montgomery Counties and surrounding areas that will enhance their quality of care. It clearly shows St. Luke’s commitment to ‘delivering’ even more for the community.”

The third floor is shelled space to accommodate future growth of the campus based on the needs of the community. It is designed to accommodate 36 medical/surgical beds.

New medical services offered in Lehigh Valley

Chiropractic care, new ambulance service and an improved discharge system are new to Lehigh Valley health care offerings.

St. Luke’s University Health Network has added chiropractic care to its back and spine program.

The network also transitioned to ePrescribing medical equipment and supplies on Parachute Platform.

And Tower Health’s TowerDIRECT, the system’s non-profit ambulance company, will provide emergency 911 response in the Borough of Birdsboro.

SLUHN

Dr. Aldo Carmona, St. Luke’s senior vice president for clinical integration said the chiropractic practice will added to the spine center that offers treatment for back pain.

“This will be a part of that, providing another modality to complement current therapies, within evidence-based guidelines,” Carmona said.

Lower back pain is one of the most common conditions for which patients seek care in the network, said Carmona, who also serves as chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care.

“Each year, there are tens of thousands of patient visits for lower back pain, through either a primary care physician, physical therapy, emergency rooms or urgent care centers, or through other clinicians,” he said. “Our new doctors of chiropractic will be joining our doctors of physical therapy in offering timely, effective care of musculoskeletal conditions.”

Opening this month is the new office, at 3101 Emrick Blvd. in Bethlehem, of Paul Duffy. He has more than 30 years of experience in private practice and through affiliation with local health systems.

A second chiropractic location will be led by Sam Staula and Kristen Staula in April after they relocate to the Lehigh Valley from Beth Israel Deaconess in Plymouth, Mass. Their office will be located at 701 Ostrum Street in Bethlehem.

For hospitalized patients, SLUHN has modernized its discharge system for patients needing durable medical supplies (DME).

In 2021, SLUHN completed electronic health record (EHR) integration of Parachute Health’s ePrescribing platform for DME and supplies. The integration across multiple EHRs covered 184 locations and 12 acute care hospitals in 3 months, including clinician training.

Now, SLUHN reports significant improvements in discharge workflows on the Parachute Platform, which replaced time-consuming and error-prone order faxing.

“Sometimes patients were discharged with equipment without insurance verification, so SLUHN had to absorb costs,” according to Broc Pollinger, manager of Patient Support Services at St. Luke’s. “There are no missed signatures now and insurance is confirmed before DME goes out. The case management team doesn’t have to think a day ahead!”

Tower Health

Tower Health was awarded a three-year contract to provide the emergency services in Birdsboro. It will provide one ALS ambulance stationed at 318 W. Main St. To answer an anticipated 500 calls annually.

As part of the contract the Birdsboro Borough will provide “Ambulance Membership” for all residents. This means Borough residents will not incur out-of-pocket expenses for emergency services, consistent with the details of their insurance coverage. Borough residents will also receive discounted transportation for using TowerDIRECT for non-emergency patient transports.

Tower Health entered a similar contract with Phoenixville Borough, effective January 1, 2023.

P. Sue Perrotty, Tower Health president and CEO said, “Having access to high-quality EMS care is an essential piece of healthcare. I am so pleased the TowerDIRECT team will be able to provide this level of service to the Birdsboro community. Over the last month in Phoenixville, we’ve seen firsthand the difference our team members make for their patients and their families, and I know TowerDIRECT will make the same impact to our friends and neighbors in Birdsboro.”

TowerDIRECT will be dispatched by the Berks County 911 Communications Center. In addition to responding to 911 calls the TowerDIRECT team will also provide medical care at community events such as parades, football games, and other large public gatherings.

SLUHN centers test physician surgical skills

St. Luke’s Bethlehem campus PHOTO/PROVIDED –

The Surgical Skills Lab at St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus is now one of two centers accredited to test physician surgical skills.

The Joel C. Rosenfeld, MD, Surgical Skills Lab at St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus received Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) accreditation in January, making it and the Surgical Skills Lab at Easton Campus the only testing centers in the region for laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical skills as well as the safe use of surgical energy.

St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) said the accreditation were given by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), which sponsors educational courses in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) and FUSE.

More than 200 doctors and surgeons come to St. Luke’s annually from hospitals throughout the Northeast to complete exams, SLUHN said.

“These designated Surgical Skills Labs at St. Luke’s fill an essential role in the teaching, training and testing of the future surgeons in the Northeast United States who will treat patients in the Lehigh Valley and far beyond using the most advanced surgical technology and operative skills,” said Dr. Marian McDonald, medical director of Surgical Simulation at SLUHN.

The programs teach physician residents, fellows and practicing physicians the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery, gastrointestinal endoscopy and the safe use of surgical energy-based devices. Surgical energy-based devices are used by physicians to cut tissue, stop bleeding and seal blood vessels.

“Practice and simulation improve patient safety and surgical outcomes by allowing the physicians to learn and improve their skills on a simulated model prior to applying them in the supervised operating room setting,” McDonald said.

The Joel C. Rosenfeld, MD Surgical Skills Lab is named to honor St. Luke’s retired, long-time chief academic officer, who made a generous donation to the Network to fund the facility in 2021. Rosenfeld oversaw The Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill.

The next closest testing facilities are in hospitals in Philadelphia, Hershey, Delaware and New York.

SLUHN opens six Pediatric Specialty Labs

7-year-old Brooklyn Lambertis, daughter of phlebotomist Natoshia Shannon, checks out the newly remodeled kid-friendly pediatric lab on Lanark Road in Center Valley that features black-light-activated wall art designed to lower stress – PHOTO/PROVIDED

St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) has opened six Pediatric Specialty Labs for bloodwork.

The Pediatric Specialty Labs, which SLUHN said are the first in the region, opened inside existing draw sites with specially trained phlebotomists at the beginning of February.

“Our pediatric specialty lab locations have been designed to give our younger patients something distracting to look at during their lab work and have some fun after,” said Elizabeth Taylor, network director of Outpatient Lab Services.

“Our phlebotomists at these sites also have new resources to use to help make this a ‘wow,’ not ‘ow’ experience including distraction tools, Buzzy or Lady Buzzy gadgets that have ‘special’ powers, and reward items. All of this is intended to help make our younger patients and their families feel even more comfortable with getting their lab work done,” Taylor said.

The Pediatric Specialty Labs are located in:

St. Luke’s West End Medical Center – 501 Cetronia Road, Allentown
St. Luke’s Monroe Campus – 100 St. Luke’s Lane, Stroudsburg
St. Luke’s Health Center-Palmerton – 614 Delaware Avenue, Palmerton
St. Luke’s North Medical Center – 153 Brodhead Road, Bethlehem
St. Luke’s Center Valley Health Center – 5445 Lanark Road., Center Valley

St. Luke’s Anderson Campus Specialty Pavilion – 2200 St. Luke’s Boulevard, Easton

“These newly designed spaces help to bring down the level of anxiety and to create a more pleasant experience for both the child and the parents. St. Luke’s is continuing to show the community our commitment to providing the best possible pediatric care in the region,” said Jessika Haynos, Pediatric Service Line administrator

SLUHN’s obstetrics & gynecology and pediatric practices will distribute information to parents about how to prepare their child for the bloodwork and what to expect during their visit to the lab.

“This can help the child and parent have peace of mind about their tests or lab process,” Taylor said.

The opening of St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Labs follows the opening the newly renovated Pediatric Inpatient Unit and St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Center, the region’s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to caring for kids, SLUHN said.

HAP lauds 10 local hospitals for patient safety

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) recognized 21 Pennsylvania hospitals, including 10 locally, for their stellar performance ensuring patients’ safety.

The Excellence in Patient Safety Recognition program honors Pennsylvania’s top-performing hospitals that have demonstrated low rates of health care-associated infections. The 2022 honorees were selected based on their performance during 2021.

“HAP is proud to recognize the hospital teams and leaders who demonstrated extraordinary work to protect patient safety—even as they were strained by the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic health care workforce crisis,” HAP President and CEO Andy Carter said. “These talented teams exemplify the commitment that all health care professionals make to ensuring patients receive safe and high-quality care.”

The local 2022 Excellence in Patient Safety Recognition recipients are:

Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital
Lehigh Valley Hospital – Pocono
St Luke’s Hospital – Lehighton Campus
St. Luke’s Hospital – Allentown Campus

St. Luke’s Hospital – Easton Hospital
St. Luke’s Hospital – Monroe Campus
St. Luke’s Hospital – Sacred Heart Campus
St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem Campus
St. Luke’s Hospital – Anderson Campus

WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital

HAP identifies top-performing hospitals using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network. To be recognized, hospitals must perform better than the mean standardized infection ratio in three key measures: central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and Clostridioides difficile infections. The program is open to all hospitals across the commonwealth.

St. Luke’s partnering with Rutgers Cancer Institute

St. Luke’s University Health Network of Bethlehem said it will expand its participation in clinical trials for cancer research though a partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in New Jersey, together with RWJBarnabas Health.

“This unique partnership is great for St. Luke’s cancer patients, and it’s great for cancer research. It will allow St. Luke’s to provide patients with greater access to a larger portfolio of cancer clinical trials beyond those offered within our own institution,” said Dr. Israel Zighelboim, St. Luke’s chair of Oncology. “It also opens the door to collaborate on various other cutting edge cancer research activities being conducted at Rutgers Cancer Institute. This is a major competitive advantage for St. Luke’s patients.”

As an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute is known for its cancer research, prevention and care, including clinical trials.

“There are a lot of benefits of partnering with a program that has this designation,” said Zighelboim, who also serves as St. Luke’s chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “The designation not only provides access to clinical trials not available at other hospitals, clinics, or doctor’s offices, but it also provides access to some of the most advanced, targeted treatments and medicines available.”

Rutgers Cancer Institute physician-scientists are major contributors in the development and execution of clinical trials from the National Cancer Institute and international cooperative groups.

Their more than 230 faculty members collaborate with industry and other academic centers to conduct basic, clinical and population research for both adult and pediatric cancer patients.

Areas of investigation include cellular therapy, precision medicine, immunotherapy, epidemiology, chemical carcinogens, tumor virology and immunology, drug development and resistance, and cancer genomics.

St. Luke’s signed a collaborative agreement with RWJBarnabas Health n 2019.

The arrangement with Rutgers Cancer Institute is the latest benefit from the positive relationship between RWJBarnabas Health and St. Luke’s, the health network said.

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