Connecting You to “Better Medicine”

We’re making quality health care more accessible and identifiable to you

When Jennifer Hannon learned she had a high-risk pregnancy, the northeastern Pennsylvania woman needed care close to home. Thanks to new technology and partnerships with Lehigh Valley Health Network, she received the care she needed.

She received her frequent checkups and ultrasounds near her home and had them read in real-time by a high-risk pregnancy (maternal-fetal medicine) specialist 70 miles away in Allentown. Thanks to this “telemedicine,” Hannon’s gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Ellie.

“These connections, which better serve both patients and physicians, can only happen when an organization is committed to teamwork and innovation,” says Elliot J. Sussman, M.D., the health network’s president and CEO. By linking our hospitals, health centers, physicians’ offices, imaging and diagnostic centers and other medical services, our health network is making it easier for you to connect with our high-quality health care services.

With health care reform in the national spotlight, we’re showing, “how a transformational medical system can actually work,” says Sussman, who also is chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges. In that role, Sussman leads an organization of medical colleges and major teaching hospitals dedicated to improving health care nationwide.

We're recognized nationwide as a leader in teamwork and quality:

• We made front-page news in USA TODAY for having the best heart attack survival rate in the country.
• We are one of 33 hospitals from among 1,220 applicants to receive The Leapfrog Group’s “Top Hospitals” designation for quality care and patient safety.
• For 14 straight years, we’ve been included in U.S. News & World Report’s list of “America’s Best Hospitals.”
• We earned Magnet status, the nation’s highest seal of approval for nursing care from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Even with these achievements, we know we can achieve a higher level of excellence. That’s why we’re one of the first health systems in the country to adopt a “continuous improvement” initiative inspired by Toyota. Ultimately, it will benefit you and the way you receive care at our health network.

One area that needed improvement was communication. When we talked with people like you throughout the community, we learned that you understand and support the idea of a complete health network in our region. However, you also told us you need more and clearer information about the services we offer and how you can access them.

With you input, we streamlined our identity. Today, we are Lehigh Valley Health Network, and all of our 9,500 employees are committed to a Passion for Better Medicine.

Our new logo reflects our energy and teamwork, and represents the three things that drive our work: patient care, education and research. We’re putting our new name and logo on signs, buildings and patient materials to make it clear to you that our network is accessible, whether you need a flu shot, mammogram, trauma care for your child or complicated brain surgery.