It dates back to a time when construction wasn’t yet complete for what would later become Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg. Today the 49th annual Muhlenberg Summer Festival remains a beloved local tradition. The free admission, music, amusement rides, tasty foods and arts and crafts exhibits create excellent family entertainment. More than 300 volunteers from the community and the health network make it happen each year. Grace Ritter, past president of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg Auxiliary, is one of those volunteers. This year she staffed the duck pond. She’s volunteered for the festival for the last 18 years. “I love to see the excitement in the children’s faces when they learn they get a prize regardless of whether they win,” she says.
Festival is Fun For All
Winning Pork Illustrated Cover
For 9-year-old Gianna Garcia of Center Valley, happiness is playing baseball and watching her favorite team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Her happiness was recently featured on the cover of the baseball team’s program book, Pork Illustrated. Gianna won a contest sponsored by our health network where pediatric patients were invited to draw what makes them happy. Gianna was diagnosed earlier this year with a rare untreatable kidney disease. During her diagnosis, she spent time at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where she sketched the winning cover design.
‘If Van Can, I Can!’
Close to 50 pediatric cancer patients and family members who attended this year’s Chemo Circus had a chance to meet a very special cancer survivor, Van. A seven-year-old Siberian husky, Van was rescued from the streets of Philadelphia by MaPaw Siberian Husky Rescue. Soon after his rescue, Van was diagnosed with a type of cancer called perianal gland adenocarcinoma which spread to his back. After surgery to remove the tumors, he then endured 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Now, 18 months later, Van is a cancer free dog! At the Chemo Circus, Van did his best to cheer on and encourage other cancer survivors like 13-year-old Lauren from Forks Township.
Most Wired/Wireless Hospital
Lehigh Valley Health Network was recently named a “100 Most Wired” and “25 Most Wireless” hospital by Hospitals and Health Networks (H&HN) magazine, a publication of the American Hospital Association. H&HN magazine conducts the Most Wired/Wireless survey each year to determine which hospitals are utilizing the latest technology to deliver the highest quality patient care and efficiency. More than 1,200 hospitals were surveyed for the list. Some of the key areas the survey focuses on are electronic medical records, computer physician order entry, medication safety barcoding and systems to promote efficiency and transparency.
Seeing Triple
The Parentis expected to have twins 56 years ago, but on a hot July day they received a surprise—triplets! Jean, Jane and Joan all work for Lehigh Valley Health Network. Jean works at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, where she’s a supply distribution specialist. Both Joan and Jane work at Lehigh Valley Hospital-17th Street, where Joan is a medical assistant in the Center for Women’s Medicine, and Jane is a medical records technician. While they are not identical, they look enough alike that people occasionally confuse them. Besides working for the health network, all three sisters share another common bond—NASCAR racing. But they don’t all cheer on the same driver. “Jean is a Tony Stewart fan,” Joan says. “Jane and I are fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr.”
Making the Move to Mack
Lehigh Valley Health Network administrative staff have begun to move their offices to the former Mack Trucks World Headquarters building on Mack Boulevard in Allentown. A tour of the building was held for members of the media prior to the first health network tenants setting up shop. Reporters had a chance to see the remodeling that’s in progress in the main lobby, cafeteria, auditorium and one of the upper floors of the six-story Allentown landmark. The health network is relocating up to 1,000 employees in the building as it consolidates operations currently housed in nine buildings at six locations to become more efficient and cost-effective.
Send in the Clowns
If there’s one event that most kids love, it’s the circus. Recently pediatric cancer patients and their family members had the chance to enjoy their very own “Chemo Circus,” sponsored by the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. Face painting, arts and crafts and tasty treats were all part of the day’s fun, held at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. Even clowns, pet therapy dogs and Elmo made appearances to bring smiles to all.
Teaching Kids to Overcome Adversity
On a sweltering hot day in July, Camp Red Jacket, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s free, three-day camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes, celebrated its 10th year with a talk from Andrew “Iron Andy” Holder. The camp teaches children with Type 1 diabetes how to better manage their disease through exercise and nutrition in a fun, camp-based setting. Holder, a six-time Ironman triathlete with Type 1 diabetes spoke to the campers about living healthy, active lives and how he’s living proof that they too can overcome diabetes and do great things. The health network’s Helwig Health and Diabetes Center runs the camp in partnership with the Loretti Fund.
Capturing the Sun
Lehigh Valley Hospital—Cedar Crest and Lehigh Valley Hospital—Muhlenberg now feature photovoltaic solar panels. Made available through state and federal grants, the new panels harness 248 kilowatt hours of sunshine every day, producing usable electricity and reducing the health network’s carbon footprint. In a single month, we produce enough power to meet the energy needs of more than seven homes during that same time.
Nod of Approval From Computerworld
If one of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s computer hard drives decides to take a permanent vacation, or if someone loses an important document, colleagues turn to the Information Services (IS) team for help. These unsung heroes of the health network add the know-how for network initiatives such as the telehealth program. Recently, the IS department was ranked No. 36 in Computerworld’s “100 Best Places to Work in IT” (information technology) in 2010. The IS department also was recognized for their community service initiatives like staffing the local soup kitchens or donating trees during the holidays.
Ranked No. 2 in USA TODAY
Lehigh Valley Hospital has the second best heart attack survival rate in the nation according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid “Hospital Compare” data reported by USA TODAY. That means patients suffering a heart attack are more likely to survive if they come here for care because of our specialists and programs like MI Alert for Heart Attacks. It consistently saves the lives of patients having a heart attack by opening blocked arteries in less than 90 minutes, the heart attack care “gold standard.”
Walking Contest at Musikfest
As part of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s mission to heal, comfort and care for the community, the organization will sponsor Musikfest this year. The 2010 event marks the health network’s sixth consecutive year they are putting their passion in action as the festival’s official health care provider. To celebrate, the health network is hosting a walking contest, complete with pedometers to log steps. Simply stop by one of our health tents (not including RiverPlace) to get a pedometer and return it once you’re finished “festing” for the day. If you walk a lot, you may win a prize! Pedometers will be available every day of the festival starting Aug. 7. The contest will begin at 1:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. for the daytime crowd, and run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for the evening crowd. The pedometers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
A U.S. News Hospital for 15 Straight Years
Lehigh Valley Hospital is among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for 2010-11. It’s the 15th consecutive year the health network has made the list, with a total of 31 specialty category listings in the past seven years alone. This year the health network ranked for geriatrics for the seventh time. In the past the health network has attained recognition in heart care and heart surgery, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, gynecology, orthopedics and respiratory disorders. “I am extremely proud of our clinicians, educators, researchers and staff for their dedication and commitment,” says president and chief executive officer Elliot Sussman, M.D. “They provide our community with the outstanding care they expect and deserve, which in turn is recognized nationally by others like U.S. News.” The health network’s Center for Healthy Aging staff, part of the geriatrics program, was honored with a Friends of Nursing award this year too.
Feeling Good About Going Back to School
Most people go back to school to further their career or learn a new skill. People in the Latino Diabetes Education program went back to school to learn how to live better, healthier lives. When they graduated from the 12-month program, it was cause for celebration at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. “We see a lot of people in our clinics with diabetes,” says Edgardo Maldonado, M.D., medical director of internal medicine community practices and patient programs pictured here with volunteers Irma Sanchez (left) and Awilda Martinez. “There just isn’t enough time during clinic hours to properly teach them about managing the disease, so we started this program to teach them what they need to know.”
MS Center Designated
The National MS Society recently designated Lehigh Neurology MS Center of the Lehigh Valley—a practice of Lehigh Valley Physician Group—and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network as a Comprehensive Care Center for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. This collaborative partnership is the only certified comprehensive care center in the Lehigh Valley and one of only 35 in the nation. Good Shepherd and Lehigh Neurology received the designation because together they provide a full continuum of care for people with MS. This is the first collaboration in the nation that created a Comprehensive Center without walls.
