New neighborhood hospital in Montgomery County is LVHN’s second being built in the region
It was beams all around Tuesday in Gilbertsville at the new Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Gilbertsville campus in Montgomery County.
Sunbeams and beaming Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) colleagues were on hand as the signed ceremonial last beam was placed on the Health Center at Gilbertsville, which will occupy the site along with LVH–Gilbertsville. Both facilities are set to open by fall 2024.
LVHN President and CEO Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, told the gathering that patients will receive high-quality, compassionate care and an exceptional patient experience – hallmarks of LVHN.
“Whether an emergency at the hospital or a routine medical visit at the health center, all of us are committed to making your experience exceptional,” Dr. Nester said. “We deliver on that promise, and you should expect no less.”
The new hospital is a type of facility known in the health care industry as a neighborhood hospital, with a full-service ER and limited number of inpatient beds. The footprint, at about 22,000 square feet, is smaller than other LVHN hospitals in the region such as LVH–Cedar Crest near Allentown or LVH–Muhlenberg in Bethlehem.
However, LVHN neighborhood hospitals are fully licensed hospitals offering accredited acute care – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – in a state-of-the-art facility. Patients requiring surgery or higher levels of care will be stabilized and transferred to other, higher-equipped LVHN hospitals as needed.
The new hospital will have extensive lab, imaging and pharmacy services. All the lab and imaging services, including X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI, will also be available for any patient requiring these services as an outpatient.
The Health Center at Gilbertsville, at about 57,000 square feet, will house a variety of medical services, including Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) primary care and pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, rheumatology, physiatry, cardiology, cardiac and nuclear testing, breast health services, adult and pediatric rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. HNL Lab Medicine also will be on-site.
The new hospital is near the intersection of Route 100 and Grosser Road in Gilbertsville, Douglass Township.
Joshua Stouch, township board of supervisors chairman, welcomed LVHN to the community. He said the process of getting plans approved and construction underway saw “very few speed bumps” because of the great collaboration between LVHN and the township.
“Very few public officials get to participate in the planning of a hospital in their community, and even fewer get to watch it be built from the ground up,” Stouch said. “I couldn’t be more proud and honored to stand here and welcome Lehigh Valley Health Network to Douglass Township. We thank you for choosing this region and thank you for all the amazing teamwork that made this a reality.”
The hospital and health center are LVHN’s second and third facilities in Montgomery County. The Health Center at Pennsburg opened in March 2022. Construction continues for LVHN’s first neighborhood hospital in Macungie, Lehigh County. LVHN broke ground for that project in December. LVH–Macungie is slated to open by July 2024. The companion medical office building, the Health Center at Macungie, could open as early as this winter.
