When Commitment Calls: Holly Turinski, RN, Patient Care Coordinator, Emergency Department, LVH–Dickson City

Holly Turinski, patient care coordinator in the emergency department at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Dickson City, part of Jefferson Health, went into work early on Feb. 4, 2026. The waiting room was full, and the staff needed extra help. She remembers something told her to go straight in from the parking lot, without taking her typical 10 minutes in the car to unwind. Had she waited, she wouldn’t have been able to help the way she did. Because minutes later, a major fire was ripping through Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute right next to the hospital.

I was walking down a hallway near the trauma bay in the hospital, and a clinician told me someone had seen smoke. I went out the emergency services doors and saw the smoke. But when I turned to my left, my heart sank. I saw the biggest flames I’ve ever seen.

I couldn’t believe what was happening. I ran back inside, and as I was running toward security, I told the nurses and clinicians to start getting ready to evacuate. There was no way the staff and patients could stay there. I texted my administrator, Amy Reuther, and told her the situation. She called me immediately, confirmed to continue to evacuate and said she was on her way. That’s when the gravity of the situation hit me, and I thought, “We have to get 130 people out of this building!”

I got on a quick conference call with hospital leaders, Ian Heck and Amy, and they said, “You are boots on the ground. Your job is to remain calm and to get everyone out safely. You can do this!” That helped me as EMS, fire and the state police arrived and assisted the evacuation started by the staff.

Some patients had hip and knee replacements and couldn’t walk. I orchestrated as teams took them down the stairs on flexible stretchers. The emergency responders got 30 patients out in nine minutes. Patients on the upper floors took a bit longer because they had to be physically transferred from beds to stretchers, then down the stairs. The nurses were so amazing. They kept it together and did what they needed to do.

Once everyone was out, staff members went back inside to grab blankets and vital machinery. They got all the patients tucked away in a leased building two doors down. When Amy arrived, she helped arrange to get patients to different hospitals. Others came to help, including doctors, higher leadership and nurses who assisted with triaging, relocating and keeping everyone safe and stable.

When I looked out the window, I saw lines of EMS crews, state police and fire trucks. Doctors, nurses and colleagues – including leadership and administrators from Philadelphia and Allentown – were there to make sure we were OK. I don’t know of any other organization that would have that kind of presence. Everybody showed up for us.

Professionally, it gave me confidence knowing I was able to help that many people. But it humbled me at the same time. That night could have gone so wrong, but everything fell together. There wasn’t one injury; not one skipped step. It was perfectly orchestrated. Personally, I am grateful to God. And I hug my loved ones a little tighter now.

It really helped me appreciate my colleagues and leaders across the entire network. It welded us together forever. All leadership showed up and were ready to go. They were right there with us. When you go through something like that together, you’re unbreakable. You can get through anything.