Lehigh Valley Health Network

Free shots for adults and children in November again will be all drive-thru and also include Dorney Park 

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Nov. 2, 2009) – Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) will administer free seasonal flu vaccinations (not H1N1) for adults and children six (6) months and older during two community sessions in November.  Shots will be all drive-thru at Dorney Park on Saturday, Nov. 7 and at a new venue, Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, on Sunday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Once again this year LVHN is partnering with the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank and the Second Harvest Food Bank to accept donations of non-perishable food items during each of the drive-thru sessions. Food donations are optional and not required to receive a shot.

“We try to offer two different locations to the community each year for our drive-thru flu shots to give as many people as possible an opportunity to get immunized,” said Terry Burger, R.N., LVHN’s director of infection control and prevention. “Dorney Park has been ideal for the drive-thru shots because of its location, ease of access, size and layout.  Coca-Cola Park offers those same advantages. Also, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs organization has been well received by the fans and quite active in the community and we applaud them for joining us in this effort to take better care of our community.”

Burger said 12,000 people received a shot during the two-day campaign last November.

"The IronPigs are certainly excited to offer our facility for this worthy and unique opportunity," said IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. "We have made it our mission to continuously support endeavors that benefit the local community -- whether during baseball season or not -- and we are thrilled Lehigh Valley Health Network sees us as being beneficial to this cause."

Those planning to receive a flu shot during LVHN’s November drive-thru vaccinations are asked to abide by the following requests:

• Access a vaccine information sheet and consent form for each person to be vaccinated at lvhn.org, or request forms by calling 610-402-CARE (2273).

• Complete the consent form and bring it with you when you get vaccinated.

• Please do not arrive earlier than 9 a.m.

• Dress appropriately—loose-fitting clothing for the shot to be administered in the arm of an adult and the leg of children less than two (2) years old.

• Please NO PETS in the vehicle.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; eight health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.   Specialty care includes trauma care at the region’s busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Primary Stroke Center.  Lehigh Valley Health Network has been recognized by US News & World Report for 14 consecutive years as one of America’s Best Hospitals and is a national Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Additional information is available at lvhn.org and by following us on facebook.com/LVHN and twitter.com/LVHNnews.

Only seven nurses in the state receive this honor each year.

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Nov. 6, 2009) – Lehigh Valley Health Network nurse Erin Brazil, L.P.N., has been named a recipient of the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania for 2009. The Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania recognizes and honors exceptional nurses who practice in the Commonwealth. With more than 100 nominations submitted annually, Brazil was one of only seven Pennsylvania nurses to receive the honor this year. 

Brazil, of Allentown, was a recipient of the Nightingale Clinical Practice Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) award. She is part of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Regional Burn Center Team at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. For 31 out of her 33 years in nursing, she has dedicated herself to the specialty of burn care.  She worked with acute patients in the inpatient Burn Center for several years. She now cares for adult and pediatric patients in the outpatient Burn Recovery Center. She is passionate about caring for burn patients and is highly specialized in the field. On top of providing thorough and holistic care to her patients, Brazil is committed to educating the public about burns and how to prevent a burn injury. She volunteers her time at a wide variety of community outreach events and even designed a teaching cart to help people in the community learn about burns. She was thrilled to receive the award.

Lehigh Valley Health Network nurses June Kelly, R.N., of Pottstown, and Megan Snyder, R.N., of Whitehall were also finalists for Nightingale Awards this year. The health network has had at least one Nightingale Award finalist in 18 of the 19 years the program has been in existence. Fifteen Lehigh Valley Health Network nurses have been named Nightingale Award recipients during this period.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; eight health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging, home health services and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.   Specialty care includes trauma care at the region’s busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities. Additional information is available at www.lvhn.org.

Surgery is the most common treatment for brain tumors.  A brain tumor can form for many reasons, and treatment is based on each individual case.  At Lehigh Valley Health Network, physicians, surgeons and staff members all work together to provide each patient individualized care.

Options for brain tumors, include:

• Embolization

• Fractionation

• Gamma Knife

• Intensity-Modulated Radio-Therapy (IMRT)

• Linear Accelerator-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery

• Neuro-Chemotherapy

• Stereotactic Radiosurgery

For more information on brain tumor treatments, you can speak with nurses and other experts at 610-402-CARE and/or visit our Web site lvhn.org

Lehigh Valley Health Network offers quality care, close to home.

Patients at Lehigh Valley Health Network receive care from a team of experts ready to provide the best individualized treatment options, while creating the most comfortable and positive experience for the patient, family and friends.

When seeking a brain tumor hospital, Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Health Network is equipped with experienced staff and the latest advances in technology for state-of-the-art procedures.  During the brain tumor diagnosis stage, a variety of technologically advanced tests are available, including:

• Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) Analysis

• Cerebral Angiography

• CT (Computerized Tomography) Scans

• MRI Scans

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan

• X-ray

For additional information on why LVHN would be a good choice if you need a brain tumor hospital, call 610-402-CARE or contact LVHN at lvhn.org

Join LVHN today on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for the latest updates and news.

At Lehigh Valley Health Network, you can guarantee you are in the right hands from diagnosis to treatment when seeking a brain tumor hospital for conditions such as glioblastoma multiforme.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common type of brain tumor. It is ultimately what caused the death of Ted Kennedy, who served as a Democratic senator (full story here).  Although there is no specific age when brain tumors occur, typically glioblastoma multiforme brain tumors are diagnosed after the age of 50.  

Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive brain tumor. However,  each patient is treated and cared for with the optimism for long-term survival.

Treatment for brain tumors varies from patient to patient and on the significance of the tumor (tumor growth, size, location, etc.).  Options and recommendations are tailor-made for each patient. 

LVHN Teams Up with Lehigh Valley IronPigs to Add Coca-Cola Park as a New Venue for the Network’s Annual Seasonal Community Flu Shot Campaign

Free shots for adults and children in November again will be all drive-thru and also include Dorney Park

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Nov. 2, 2009) – Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) will administer free seasonal flu vaccinations (not H1N1) for adults and children six (6) months and older during two community sessions in November.  Shots will be all drive-thru at Dorney Park on Saturday, Nov. 7 and at a new venue, Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, on Sunday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Once again this year LVHN is partnering with the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank and the Second Harvest Food Bank to accept donations of non-perishable food items during each of the drive-thru sessions. Food donations are optional and not required to receive a shot.

“We try to offer two different locations to the community each year for our drive-thru flu shots to give as many people as possible an opportunity to get immunized,” said Terry Burger, R.N., LVHN’s director of infection control and prevention. “Dorney Park has been ideal for the drive-thru shots because of its location, ease of access, size and layout.  Coca-Cola Park offers those same advantages. Also, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs organization has been well received by the fans and quite active in the community and we applaud them for joining us in this effort to take better care of our community.”

Burger said 12,000 people received a shot during the two-day campaign last November. 

"The IronPigs are certainly excited to offer our facility for this worthy and unique opportunity," said IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. "We have made it our mission to continuously support endeavors that benefit the local community -- whether during baseball season or not -- and we are thrilled Lehigh Valley Health Network sees us as being beneficial to this cause."

Those planning to receive a flu shot during LVHN’s November drive-thru vaccinations are asked to abide by the following requests:

• Access a vaccine information sheet and consent form for each person to be vaccinated at lvhn.org, or request forms by calling 610-402-CARE (2273).

• Complete the consent form and bring it with you when you get vaccinated.

• Please do not arrive earlier than 9 a.m.

• Dress appropriately—loose-fitting clothing for the shot to be administered in the arm of an adult and the leg of children less than two (2) years old.

• Please NO PETS in the vehicle.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; eight health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.   Specialty care includes trauma care at the region’s busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Primary Stroke Center.  Lehigh Valley Health Network has been recognized by US News & World Report for 14 consecutive years as one of America’s Best Hospitals and is a national Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Additional information is available at lvhn.org and by following us on facebook.com/LVHN and twitter.com/LVHNnews.

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Oct. 26, 2009) -- Due to a community-wide surge in influenza-like (flu-like) illness (ILI) as evident in hospital emergency departments and physicians’ offices, hospitals/health systems in the Lehigh Valley have agreed to a uniform hospital visitation policy as follows until further notice: 

• No visitors 18 years of age and under

• No visitors with any symptoms of flu-like illness

The new restrictions are effective immediately and are designed to protect all of the hospitals’ patients and staff.

All area hospitals, the Allentown and Bethlehem health bureaus and the Lehigh and Northampton county emergency preparedness offices support implementation of the visitation restrictions, which apply to the following:

• Easton Hospital

• Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital

• Lehigh Valley Health Network

• Sacred Heart Hospital

• St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network

All of the above health care providers would greatly appreciate the cooperation of the community as well as physicians, nurses and staff in helping to comply with the new restrictions to limit the spread of flu-like illness and keep the community healthy.

President Obama has declared the outbreak of H1N1 flu to be a national emergency. By declaring a national emergency, the President is making it easier for U.S. medical facilities to handle a surge in flu patients.

The declaration is a preemptive step to free the medical community from any constraints that might hamper the treatment and prevention of the growing epidemic.  

Health authorities report that more than 1,000 people in the U.S., including 100 children, have died from the strain of flu known as H1N1.

For more information contact:
Christine Biege, Easton Hospital – 610-250-4360
Mac McKeithen, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network – 610-776-3144
Brian Downs, Lehigh Valley Health Network – 610-402-0825
Valerie Downing, Sacred Heart Hospital – 610-776-5906
Denise Rader, St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network – 610-954-4104 or
Susan Schantz, St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network – 610-954-3760

At Lehigh Valley Health Network, one procedure to treat brain tumors is Gamma Knife surgery.  Gamma Knife surgery occurs while the patient is awake and does not involve an actual knife.  

During the Gamma Knife procedure, beams of gamma radiation (electromagnetic energy) are directed at the abnormality within the brain.  Medical advances in technology have allowed Gamma Knife Surgery to enhance the way patients are treated and the options available.  Precise and accurate Gamma Knife surgery reduces the risks for complications.

Advantages of Gamma Knife:

• Quicker recovery (hospital stay)

• Fewer complications

For additional advantages and more information about Gamma Knife, call 610-402-CARE or check out more information on lvhn.org

Embolization is a treatment option for tumors and vascular abnormalities, such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Decreasing the size and blood flow within an AVM or tumor will make surgical removal safer.

For additional information about embolization and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), call 610-402-CARE to speak with a Lehigh Valley Health Network expert or check out lvhn.org

High-risk groups will be a priority for distribution

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2009) – Lehigh Valley Health Network has begun to receive H1N1 flu vaccine.  The vaccine will be distributed in a variety of ways to high risk patients of the Network--including through private practice physicians--and to health care workers who are identified at high risk of contracting H1N1.

The high risk groups include pregnant women, children at high risk, and health care workers according to the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All of the vaccine provided by LVHN will be given in the form of a shot (no nasal spray).

“We want to make sure that those at greatest risk of contracting H1N1 are protected,” said Luther Rhodes, M.D., chief, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s division of infectious diseases.  “By vaccinating those in our community who are most vulnerable to H1N1 based on the history of the virus, we hope to keep them healthy as well as to limit the spread of the flu to others.”

Dr. Rhodes says that is also why it is important to vaccinate health care workers, especially those caring for high risk patients. “Focusing first on health care workers who have frequent contact with patients at greatest risk for H1N1 will help to protect those patients from contracting the flu and further compromising their health.” In addition, Rhodes said, health care workers who themselves are at high risk should be vaccinated.

Dr. Rhodes says the high risk groups also are a priority because supplies of the vaccine currently are limited. He said public health and other health care organizations in the community also are beginning to receive the H1N1 vaccine. He is encouraging those in the high risk categories to contact their health care provider or community health department about vaccination opportunities.

For those who are not included in the high risk groups and unable to receive the H1N1 vaccine at this time, Dr. Rhodes recommends following standard infection control practices to prevent the spread of the disease, including:

• Practicing hand hygiene: Wash hands frequently with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also are effective.

• Practicing cough etiquette: Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, or use a shoulder or crook of the elbow.  Throw away the tissue in the trash after use, and wash hands

• Practicing social distancing if you are ill: If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, stay home from work or school and limit your contact with others, including family members, to keep from infecting them. If you contract a flu-like illness, the CDC recommends that you stay home until 24 hours after symptoms subside.

• Seeking medical attention: If you are ill with flu-like symptoms, contact your family physician. Unless you feel your illness is an emergency, do not go to the Emergency Department so that you can avoid spreading the illness to others.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; eight health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.   Specialty care includes trauma care at the region’s busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Primary Stroke Center.  Lehigh Valley Health Network has been recognized by US News & World Report for 14 consecutive years as one of America’s Best Hospitals and is a national Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Additional information is available at lvhn.org and by following us on facebook.com/LVHN and twitter.com/LVHNnews.

Speech function during brain surgery is monitored through awake craniotomy. This procedure is performed while a patient is awake. The purpose of a brain surgery occurring while a patient is alert is to identify and avoid the parts of the brain that control speech and comprehension.  The patient is required to talk and perform tasks during this process.

The awake craniotomy procedure is commonly performed by Lehigh Valley Health Network surgeons.

For additional information on the brain surgery and awake craniotomy, call Lehigh Valley Health Network at 610-402-CARE or check out lvhn.org

Alyssa Bray, a senior at Nazareth Area High School, received lifesaving brain surgery at Lehigh Valley Health Network after she was diagnosed with a brain condition called arteriovenous malformation.

While recovering from emergency brain surgery she was able to keep up with her studies and attend her junior prom. Although she is not 100 percent recovered, she was glad to start her senior year of high school on time.

See a video and read more about Alyssa Bray's emergency Brain Surgery

Lehigh Valley Health Network has experienced staff to treat the most traumatic injuries and conditions.

Lehigh Valley Health Network has 24-hour neurosurgical coverage, and is equipped with state-of-the art technology. Physicians and staff actively involve patients and families in the process of care.

When deciding on a facility to receive neurosurgical care, choose a Brain Injury Hospital that is prepared to meet all your needs. Choose Lehigh Valley Health Network.

For additional information feel free to call 610-402-CARE and visit lvhn.com

Nine-year-old Little Leaguer from Coopersburg is contest winner

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (August 11, 2009) – Lehigh Valley Health Network has announced that 9-year-old Ryan Yaindl of Coopersburg is the winner of a contest among the health network’s pediatric patients to design the cover of a Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ baseball program, Pork Illustrated.

From mid-May through mid-June children receiving care in the health network’s pediatric inpatient unit, pediatric intensive care unit and the Pediatric Specialty Care Center were asked to draw what makes them happy (patients’ siblings were also eligible to enter). Their artwork is featured on the health network’s Web site, LVHN.org.

Ryan, a Little League pitcher, was diagnosed earlier this year with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after discovering a lump on his neck. It was while receiving his second chemotherapy treatment at the Pediatric Specialty Care Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital—Muhlenberg that he sketched what makes him happy—baseball.

This drawing will be featured on the cover of Pork Illustrated, the official game program of the IronPigs, for the Aug. 10-13 home stand games at Coca-Cola Park, Allentown, Pa. The Yaindls will be special guests at the Aug. 12 IronPigs game, the health network’s bobble head giveaway night. Ryan will throw out a ceremonial first pitch with Elliot Sussman, M.D., the health network’s president and CEO.

The contest is just one of the many ways the health network creates the best hospital experience possible for children and their families. The care includes the area’s only child life program that helps children and their families cope emotionally and relax while the child is receiving treatment in the hospital.

The health network is proud to partner with the IronPigs this year to help educate thousands of community members about good health. This partnership includes:

• A health fair held at Coca-Cola Park on June 30

• ‚ÄúKids Run the Bases‚Äù promotions that allow children to run the bases after every Sunday home game.

• Mile markers around the park‚Äôs concourse that promote healthy behaviors.

• Education days where thousands of area school children learn life lessons through baseball

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; eight health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.   Specialty care includes trauma care at the region’s busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Primary Stroke Center.  Lehigh Valley Health Network has been recognized by US News & World Report for 14 consecutive years as one of America’s Best Hospitals and is a national Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Additional information is available at www.lvhn.org and by accessing www.facebook.com/lvhealthnetwork and www.twitter.com/LVHNnews.

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Aug. 6, 2009) – Joseph G. Felkner has joined Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) as its new chief financial officer (CFO). He replaces Vaughn C. Gower who retired following a 38-year career with the health network.

Felkner was most recently the senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, Fla. Before that he was senior vice president of finance at OhioHealth in Columbus, Ohio, and CFO of Grant/Riverside Methodist Hospitals, a member of OhioHealth.  There, he successfully led the financial turnaround of a hospital near bankruptcy and developed process improvement methods to significantly improve its bottom line.

“At a time when significant changes are taking place within the health care system due to pending health care reform and our nation’s financial instability, Joe Felkner has the experience, knowledge and drive to lead our health network forward,” said Elliot J. Sussman, M.D., LVHN’s president and chief executive officer.

The passion of LVHN employees is what solidified Felkner’s decision to join the health network. “It takes passion to be successful,” he said. Felkner’s passion for health care began as a young, athletic boy in Columbus. While being treated at his local hospital for a sports-related injury, he was fascinated by the way patients and families received care. “It caught my attention and became my lifelong passion,” he said.

The experience inspired Felkner to earn his Bachelor’s degree in accounting and Master’s degree in health administration from The Ohio State University. It also served as motivation to overcome the challenges he faced during his nearly 30-year career in health care finance.

Felkner is excited to join an organization that is a leader in discovering ways to manage costs to provide health care of a higher quality and value. That’s the goal of the health network’s System for Partners in Performance Improvement (SPPI), a long-term initiative that empowers employees to constantly improve the way health care is delivered. “If our employees continue to work together to find creative ways to eliminate waste and improve efficiency, Lehigh Valley Health Network will be even more successful in caring for our community,” Felkner said. “You can travel the nation and not find many health networks as special as this.”

Felkner and his wife, Cinda, have three daughters, all of whom either work in health care or are studying to make it a career.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa.; eight health centers caring for communities in four counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging, home health services and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.   Specialty care includes: trauma care at the region’s busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer care , and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Primary Stroke Center.  Lehigh Valley Health Network is Network Cancer Program accredited, one of only 26 in the nation and the highest available from the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer; has been recognized by US News & World Report for 14 consecutive years as one of America’s Best Hospitals and is a national Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing.  Additional information is available at www.lvh.org and by accessing http://www.facebook.com/lvhealthnetwork and www.twitter.com/LVHNnews.