High-quality specialty care

Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute

• New specialists – Ben Jackson, MD, is the institute’s new Chief of Vascular Surgery. He specializes in treating patients with aortic aneurysms, and those with blockages in the carotid arteries going to the brain and in arteries going to the legs. Interventional cardiologist Eric Elgin, MD, is the institute’s new Chief of Cardiology. He received the Bronze Star for his service as an Army battalion surgeon during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Equitable care – People of Hispanic descent have disproportionately high rates of certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease. To enhance access for Spanish-speaking people, we established a Hispanic Heart Program, Centro del Corazon.
• Leading-edge research – We are one of only 16 sites participating in a trial to determine how well gene therapy helps people who have continuing chest pain after all treatment options have been exhausted. Gene therapy looks to prompt the formation of new blood vessels in the heart that would bypass diseased vessels and increase blood flow.

Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute

• Enhancing access – Opening in spring 2023, the Cancer Center at LVH–Hazleton will include a state-of-the-art linear accelerator that delivers precision radiation therapy to treat cancer. It also will contain a hematology oncology practice, infusion suite, radiation oncology services and telemedicine capabilities.
• Care from a team – Launched in 2015 by cardiologist Deborah Sundlof, DO, and hematologist/oncologist Ranju Gupta, MD, the cardio-oncology program helps minimize or prevent heart-related problems for people undergoing cancer treatments. The program is one of only 31 in the world recognized as a global center of excellence by the International Cardio-Oncology Society.
• New physician, new therapies – The Cancer Institute will launch a stem cell transplant and cellular therapy program when hematologist-oncologist Amir Toor, MD, joins LVHN. Toor specializes in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. A first of its kind in the region, the program will allow eligible patients to undergo difficult therapies in their own community.
• Physician leader – Cancer Institute Physician in Chief Suresh Nair, MD, was appointed to the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Council as Chair of its Medical Oncology Board. In this role, Nair ensures board-certification requirements are reflective of the ever-evolving nature of the medical oncology field.

Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence

• Unmatched experience – Our surgeons have a depth and breadth of knowledge that’s unmatched in the area. They perform more than 85,000 surgeries every year – 25 percent more than other centers in the region – with expertise in less invasive techniques and robotic technology.
• Surgical milestone – In 2022, LVHN celebrated 25,000 robotic surgeries performed since the inception of the program in 2008. Today, our team comprises more than 100 robotic surgeons in 13 service lines. Six total joint replacement robots were initiated in 2022, bringing our total number of robots to 19. Robotic surgery is available at most LVHN hospitals.
• New surgeons – Sean Parsel, MD, specializes in ear, nose and throat care, as well as head and neck surgery for adults and children. Daniel Bobrowski, MD, and Neil Fisher, DO, two highly regarded general surgeons who have been practicing in Schuylkill County since the early 90s, are now part of the Institute for Surgical Excellence. 

Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute

• New in 2022 – Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute comprises nearly 150 providers with expertise in complete musculoskeletal care, including orthopedics, physiatry, pain management, chiropractic medicine and podiatry.
• OR advancement – LVHN is the first in Pennsylvania to use SeaSpine’s Flash navigation system in the operating room. It quickly takes detailed images of the patient’s spine through an incision and calibrates those images with a low-dose CT scan to enable high precision in the placement of rods and screws.
• Sports medicine specialists – With more than 30 years of experience, our sports medicine program ranges from surgical treatment of major injuries to rehabilitation, strength, agility and conditioning training. We provide sports medicine services to 32 high schools and colleges, including the region’s only Division 1 colleges. We also have sports partnerships with 16 teams, venues and sports clubs, including the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.   
• Community partnership – The LVHN Sports Performance Center opened in the Schuylkill Haven Area School District in 2022. The 30,000-square-foot facility features a large turf playing surface, batting cages, a weight room, running track, and areas for training and exercise classes.
• Impact athletes – Impact Athletes are regional athletes who were molded by their community to become successful collegiate and pro stars. The Orthopedic Institute hosted numerous clinics with Impact Athletes such as track star Talitha Diggs, and PSU alumnus and Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
• Honoring athletes – The Athlete of the Year event is the culminating celebration of the Athlete of the Week program, which gives you an opportunity to vote for six student athletes weekly. Each winner receives a $500 scholarship. Athlete of the Year is the region’s largest scholarship program for student athletes, awarding more than $400,000 in scholarships since it began in 2013.

Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute

• New in 2022 – The creation of the Neuroscience Institute was made possible by a significant gift from the Fleming Foundation, established by late businessman, philanthropist and chairman of LVHN’s Board of Trustees, Richard Fleming. The gift is the largest single endowment in the foundation’s 32-year history.
• Recruiting the best physicians – Greg Davis, MD, specializes in deep brain stimulation surgery, a groundbreaking treatment for movement disorders such as tremors and Parkinson’s disease. Brandon Kujawski, MD, focuses on minimally invasive spine surgery. We also added four neurologists to give people more opportunity to access our world-class care.
• Innovative technology – EksoNR helps people recover from a stroke, brain injury or spinal cord injury. It’s a backpack and harness that extends down the legs. It augments strength to help people relearn to walk. Most people take an average of 400 steps during initial rehab with the device.

Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital

• A decade of excellence – Families came together to celebrate the 10th birthday of our community’s only Children’s Hospital. It was founded in 2012, building on more than 40 years of providing pediatric care. Today, the Children’s Hospital gives you access to more than 30 pediatric specialties, two Children’s ExpressCARE locations and a Children’s ER.
• Meeting our community’s needs – The Children’s ER at LVH–Cedar Crest was expanded because the number of families visiting has steadily increased. When it opened in 2016, about 1,600 children received care at the Children’s ER each month. In October 2022, a record 3,200 children received care.
• New pediatric specialist – David Hong, MD, is the first pediatric neurosurgeon in the Lehigh Valley. He treats a variety of brain, skull, spinal cord and spinal disorders, and uses minimally invasive surgical approaches.
• Improving health – The Michael and Christine Perrucci Center for Children’s Health and Wellbeing comprises a team of public health experts who examine the needs of our region’s children. These experts employ evidence-based practices to improve a wide range of health outcomes, including infant mortality, abuse, school readiness, immunization rates, childhood obesity and more.