LVHN Appoints Six Endowed Chairs, Bringing Total to 24 Endowed Chairs

On May 14, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) announced the appointments of six endowed chairs in a special ceremony and reception at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem. Two recent philanthropic gifts celebrated that evening brought LVHN to 24 endowed chairs.

Among the evening’s speakers was John Malloy, PhD, Chair of the LVHN Board of Trustees, who established a new endowed chair with his wife, Jane. “Philanthropy in the form of endowed chairs is one of the best ways to ensure LVHN can provide high-quality and accessible care to all members of our community with the best physicians in their fields of expertise,” he said. Malloy shared the motivation to create the John and Jane Malloy Endowed Chair in Cardiology, now held by Eric E. Elgin, MD, Chief, Division of Cardiology. “Our hope is that we will enable LVHN to be at the forefront of new, innovative procedures and treatments so future patients can survive severe health challenges and live normal, healthy lives,” he said.

John Daniel, Executive Committee member of the LVHN Board of Associates, created an endowed chair in behavioral health with his late wife, Carol. “My awareness of behavioral health peaked recalling the professional experiences of family. My father, a Lutheran pastor, and my mother, a public school teacher, often spoke about challenges involving the mental health of the people they served. My late wife, Carol, was a registered nurse and understood that America’s No. 1 problem is undiagnosed, untreated mental health issues,” he said. Edward R. Norris, MD, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, is the inaugural recipient of the Carol Holben Daniel and John Lisy Daniel Endowed Chair in Behavioral Health.

Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer, LVHN, spoke about the important role endowed chairs play at the health network. “Along with recognition, an endowed chair brings additional funding for programs that are of great benefit to patients and the community,” said Dr. Nester, who holds the Leonard Parker Pool Endowed Chair in Health Systems Management. “Endowed chairs are critical to our mission, helping us recruit and retain world-class national talent.”

During the ceremony, each new chairholder received a special white coat and maple chair engraved with LVHN’s seal, signaling their appointment.

Current endowed chairholders and senior leadership joined the ceremony and reception to celebrate LVHN’s most generous donors.

(Front row) Steven Lewis, MD, Physician in Chief, Neuroscience Institute; Suresh Nair, MD, Physician in Chief, Cancer Institute; Annmarie Chavarria, DNP, Jennifer Rovella, DO, Chief, Division of Critical Care Medicine; Linda Lapos, MD, Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery; Michael Pasquale, MD, Physician in Chief, Institute for Surgical Excellence; Benjamin Jackson, MD, Ronald Freudenberger, MD, Physician in Chief, Heart and Vascular Institute; and Michael Rossi, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, LVHN

(Back row) Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, President and CEO, LVHN; Robert X. Murphy, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive, LVHN; Thomas Graham, MD; David Burmeister, DO, Eric Elgin, MD; Timothy Friel, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine; Edward Norris, MD, and Grant Greenberg, MD, Chair, Department of Family Medicine

David B. Burmeister, DO, MBA

The Auxiliary of Lehigh Valley Hospital Endowed Chair in Emergency Medicine
President, Lehigh Valley Physician Group Chair, Department of Emergency and Hospital Medicine

Annmarie Chavarria, DNP, MSN

The Peggy Fleming Endowed Chair in Nursing
Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive, LVHN

Eric E. Elgin, MD

The John and Jane Malloy Endowed Chair in Cardiology
Chief, Division of Cardiology

Thomas J. Graham, MD

The Auxiliary of Lehigh Valley Hospital Endowed Chair in Orthopedics
Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute

Benjamin M. Jackson, MD, MS

The Auxiliary of Lehigh Valley Hospital Endowed Chair in Vascular Surgery

Chief, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

Edward R. Norris, MD, MBA

The Carol Holben Daniel and John Lisy Daniel Endowed Chair in Behavioral Health
Chair, Department of Psychiatry