Amanda Heffernan and Valerie Lewis, MD

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Amanda Heffernan of Northampton (left) receives an examination from adolescent medicine doctor Valerie Lewis, MD, at Pediatric Specialists of the Lehigh Valley in Allentown.

A year ago today, Lehigh Valley Health Network president and chief executive officer Ron Swinfard, MD, introduced the Children’s Hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital by crediting community members for their input and inspiration.

“Over the years, I received hundreds of requests from the parents of a sick or injured child,” Swinfard said. “Some of them asked us to provide more specialized health care services for children close to home. Others asked us to establish a children’s hospital. We listened to every comment, took action, and carefully, strategically and comprehensively expanded our children’s care services.”

Let’s celebrate this milestone birthday with a look at some of the dedicated caregivers who help make Children’s Hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital a special place for children and their families.

University of Colorado Hospital ER doctor Comilla Sasson, MD, meets MedEvac mascot, Epi, during her visit Monday to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

Comilla Sasson, MD, is on a mission. As one of two doctors working in the University of Colorado Hospital ER the night of July 20, 2012, Sasson was the first line of treatment for victims of a mass movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.

She now tours the country, sharing her experiences with emergency medical professionals to help them understand how they can best respond to similar situations. Her latest stop was the opening day festivities for Lehigh Valley Health Network’s National EMS Week Celebration. Sasson spoke Monday evening to a captive audience of EMS workers at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

The first shooting victims arrived at her facility shortly after 1 a.m., some in critical condition, she said. Most were rushed to the hospital in the back of police cars, not ambulances. As a result, the ER staff lacked details EMS personnel normally provide about a patient’s condition, which would have helped them prepare for the victims.

Sasson stressed that people should carry ID with them at all times to help responders with rapid assessment during a crisis. Read More »