Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest First in Pa. to Earn Geriatric Surgery Verification

Almost 17 percent of Pennsylvania’s population is between the ages of 65 and 84. In fact, the national population is older in general, which has caused clinicians and hospital leaders to rethink how they deliver care.

Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest is at the forefront, receiving the Focused Excellence Geriatric Surgery Verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in May 2025, making it an official ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is the first – and at this point, only – hospital in Pennsylvania to earn this distinction.

“LVHN is continually investing in the highest level of surgical care for our patients right here in the Lehigh Valley,” says Michael Pasquale, MD, Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. “This current geriatric surgery verification truly verifies our commitment to an aging population.”

Geriatric surgery, like surgery for any special population, brings into play its own set of considerations. That’s why LVHN has introduced a multidisciplinary approach to geriatric surgeries, involving discussions with a cross section of medical experts who understand the differences.  

“Having a group discussion with all members of the care team – from geriatrics and surgery to nursing and pharmacy – gives us the complete picture so we can decide the best way forward,” says Rovinder Sandhu, MD, President-Elect of LVHN’s Medical Staff and Deputy Physician in Chief, Quality and Patient Safety, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence.  

Patient-centered discussion was one of 30 standards needed for the ACS verification. Christina Holub, certified registered nurse practitioner, LVPG General, Bariatric and Trauma Surgery–1240 Cedar Crest, oversaw the verification process, which renews every three years. “We are also gearing up for a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality initiative that will renew every year,” she says. “CMS is mandatory, but we went above and beyond by getting the voluntary ACS verification.”

Holub says other requirements for verification were certain kinds of research, advance care planning and vulnerability screenings, among others. The team also had to make sure facilities were age friendly, with seating areas for family members, readable clocks, grab bars and nonskid flooring.

“Our effort shows what kind of team we have at LVH–Cedar Crest,” Dr. Pasquale says. “This added accreditation is important for our patients and their quality of life.”

Dr. Sandhu explains that geriatric surgery quality improvements are now embedded across disciplines. “All the departments are doing this because we’re all caring for elderly patients,” he says. “We are making sure we’re approaching care in a safe manner and keeping these age-friendly initiatives at the top of our mind. This helps patients recover better.”

Also boosting patients’ recovery is a “prehab” program. Elderly patients who will be undergoing surgery are prepped with whatever is needed to get them stronger for their procedure and afterward. It could include physical therapy or nutritional support.

“So many patients worry about being too frail for an operation,” Dr. Sandhu says. “Now we can put them through our program, discuss all the issues with our team and understand what surgery will mean for their life. They might decide they don’t want to go through that. Or, that they do want to. They have an informed choice – and that’s rewarding.”