LVHN Acquires Venel Medical Education and Research Institute

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has acquired the Venel Institute with plans to use the world-class anatomical research and education facility to expand its teaching excellence in the region.

“As the premier health care provider in a large region in eastern Pennsylvania, we know continuous improvement means continued excellence, and adding the Venel Institute certainly fits with that mindset,” said Robert Barraco, MD, a trauma surgeon and LVHN’s Chief Academic Officer.

LVHN expects Venel will be an excellent complement to its new state-of-the-art Center for Healthcare Education in Center Valley, slated to open in February 2023. Together, they form a new regional and national health care education hub. “This will really allow us to tailor the educational content and method to a group and its needs, whoever that group may be,” said Barraco. “It will allow us to examine the educational need and fill it in the most appropriate way possible.”

Along with the Center for Healthcare Education, Venel could serve as a potential training ground and education facility for LVHN’s institutes, including Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute and Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence.

The Venel Institute also will be part of LVHN’s medical school program – the highest ranked in the region – run in partnership with University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida. Under the SELECT (Scholarly Excellence, Leadership Experiences and Collaborative Training) medical school program, students spend two years at USF and their final two years at LVHN.

“Our partnership with the USF Morsani College of Medicine sets us apart, and the addition of Venel will enrich an already top-notch learning experience for our students,” Barraco said. “The addition of Venel will help make them as ready as they can be for their residencies.”

The Venel Institute acquisition also allows LVHN to consider future expansion of anatomical science programs for high schools in the region, one way the health network encourages science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

Barraco said the potential benefits from Venel, and the new Center for Healthcare Education are exciting and build on an already strong legacy of healthcare training. “The combination puts us in rare air,” he said. “We’re excited for the future of medical education and ready to continue the strong tradition of excellent caregiver training across the health care spectrum.”