Ground Broken for Lehigh Valley Hospital–Coopersburg

Ground has officially been broken for Jefferson Health’s fifth neighborhood hospital.

Jefferson Health and community leaders gathered Oct. 27 for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Coopersburg, expected to open in late 2027.

The hospital is planned for a new healthcare campus spanning Coopersburg Borough and Upper Saucon Township. It will be about nine miles from LVH–Cedar Crest, creating a needed healthcare hub in southeastern Lehigh County.

Jefferson Health’s Lehigh Valley Region’s three existing neighborhood hospitals — LVH–Macungie, LVH–Gilbertsville, and LVH–Pocono Creek — are thriving and similar results are expected for LVH–Coopersburg, to be located near Route 309 and Passer Road. Health Center at Coopersburg will be built on the same site as the neighborhood hospital and offer services including adult rehabilitation, rheumatology, primary care, and more.

Another neighborhood hospital, LVH–Hellertown, located just off Interstate 78, is set to open in 2027.

Neighborhood hospitals are licensed and accredited acute care facilities, with a full-service Emergency Department. They are open 24 hours a day, year-round. LVH–Coopersburg, like its counterparts, will feature 11 emergency room beds and 10 inpatient beds for those requiring overnight stays or additional monitoring and testing.

“Breaking ground on our fifth neighborhood hospital is an exciting milestone for Jefferson and the communities we serve. This investment will bring leading-edge care closer to home and create new opportunities for individuals and families across Lehigh County and the surrounding region to access exceptional healthcare in a convenient, community-based setting,” said Baligh Yehia, MD, President, Jefferson Health. “LVH–Coopersburg represents our ongoing effort to anticipate and respond to the evolving healthcare needs of our communities.”

Holly Badali, Chief Operating Officer, Neighborhood Hospitals, says Jefferson’s neighborhood hospitals have filled a real need in the region — a place close to home for emergency care. 

“These neighborhood hospitals also provide peace of mind, giving moms, dads, retirees, and everyone in between the comfort of knowing help is just down the road. And not just any help, but the care, expertise, and compassion that define Jefferson,” she said.

Anyone requiring more acute care can be stabilized at a neighborhood hospital and taken to a larger Jefferson hospital with increased capability.

“When minutes matter, neighborhood hospitals save lives,” said Eric Bean, DO, System Director for Neighborhood Hospitals. “We’ve seen it firsthand. Patients experiencing heart attacks, strokes, and other emergencies receive critical care faster and have better outcomes because help is right down the road.”