LVHN Expands Hand Surgery Services in Northwest Region

Upper extremity specialist Jon Hernandez, MD, PhD, joined Lehigh Valley Health Network’s northwest region in October 2022 as an orthopedic hand surgeon. At LVPG Orthopedics and Sports Medicine–Station Circle in Hazleton and LVPG Orthopedics and Sports Medicine–Carbon in Lehighton, Dr. Hernandez treats an array of hand, wrist and elbow conditions to achieve restoration of function.

With expertise in handling everything from the humerus downward, he brings the advanced training and unique skill set required to perform intricate orthopedic surgeries

Dr. Hernandez, who has been operating in the Lehigh Valley area since 2004, was trained in orthopedic surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and under Peter Stern, MD, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine for hand surgery fellowship. He treats individuals who have undergone a range of upper extremity – excluding shoulder – injuries or traumas, including fractures, open wounds, tendon ruptures and near amputations of fingers, often reconstructively. He also addresses common orthopedic injuries, such as elbow, hand and basal joint arthritis; lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow; carpal tunnel syndrome; trigger finger; De Quervain’s tenosynovitis; and other types of tendinopathies. He specializes in vascular and nerve repair.

Availability and convenience of services are huge drivers of care volume for LVPG Orthopedics and Sports Medicine physicians, who often see individuals with an urgent orthopedic need the same day. While people formerly had to travel to larger cities or surrounding areas to receive top-notch surgical and specialty care, Dr. Hernandez’s practices can meet the needs of patients conveniently, close to home.

At Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Carbon, Dr. Hernandez explains, people seen in office can simply walk down the hall of the same building for surgery, if required. On-site surgical availability also benefits people who are seriously ill and receiving treatment in the recently expanded intensive care unit. In Hazleton, the surgery center and LVH–Hazleton are just a short drive from the main office. Both LVPG Orthopedics and Sports Medicine locations in Carbon and Hazleton have on-site rehabilitation services.

“Patients are going to get the best treatment here with respect to hand surgery. For primary care providers who are trying to decide where to send their patients, it’s a huge win to keep them in the area with someone experienced and highly specialized – all in a one-stop shop so they don’t have to leave the area,” Dr. Hernandez says.