New Hospital Opening in Macungie

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) wants to ensure its patients can experience the convenience of remaining close to home when seeking emergency hospital care and additional specialty services. The opening of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Macungie in spring 2024 demonstrates this commitment. In addition, Health Center at Macungie opened in December 2023 at the same campus on State Route 100.

“Right now, our network is really committed to partnering with our patients in the communities where they live,” says Eric Bean, DO, emergency physician and System Director, Neighborhood Hospitals, LVHN.

LVH–Macungie will include an 11-bay emergency room staffed 24/7 with access to full services that include X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound and lab. If people require admittance or overnight attention, the hospital has 10 inpatient beds for additional care, observation and testing.

“With emergency medicine nationwide struggling with crowding issues and long wait times, this model is designed to address ‘how can we care for patients in their own communities quickly and efficiently while maintaining a nice personal touch, without them having to leave to travel to a large emergency department?’” Dr. Bean explains.

Next door, Health Center at Macungie already offers Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) practices in cardiology, family medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics and sports medicine, as well as outpatient adult rehabilitation and cardiac and vascular diagnostic testing.

“The separate building on the same property allows for the doctors working in those offices, plus other doctors in the area, to really collaborate with this neighborhood hospital,” Dr. Bean says. “It will be important to have that continuation of care so that, when needed, if they have issues or needs in the offices, the doctors can send patients over to us, and we’ll be happy to get them cared for, treated or stabilized.”

LVH–Macungie is currently working with community partners, emergency medical services departments, and local doctors and clinicians to ensure facilitation and coordination of care upon opening in the spring.

“We’re going to continue to work with LVPG and other aligned doctors in the area. We’ll make sure we’re communicating with them. That makes both patients feel better and doctors feel better knowing that everyone is working together,” says Dr. Bean, noting that LVHN is building on its many experiences and relationships in opening emergency departments.

“We understand that emergency care can be stressful. This new model – executed in the neighborhoods that people live in with concierge-level, individualized care – will help ease some of the stress,” Dr. Bean says. “We’ll provide high-quality care right in people’s own neighborhoods.”

“We recognize that Macungie has grown,” he adds. “We are excited to grow with this community and provide this care as another option to get people feeling better faster.”