Lehigh Valley Health Network Announces Gift to Name The Spence Family Women’s Heart and Pregnancy Program

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) recently announced a gift to name The Spence Family Women’s Heart and Pregnancy Program during a private event at Saucon Valley Country Club.

Bill and Denise Spence made a generous gift to the Women’s Heart and Pregnancy Program, part of Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, the first in the region and one of only a few in the country. The program gives women access to a specialized team that manages high-risk pregnancy and heart disease or a heart-related condition before, during and after pregnancy.

Ronald Freudenberger, MD, Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, and Deborah Sundlof, DO, Director of the Women’s Heart and Vascular Program, spoke during the event about the unique aspects of the program and why collaboration is critical for comprehensive care.

“It makes sense to have a clinic where maternal fetal medicine doctors and a cardiologist can work together, see the patient together and give patients a comprehensive view of the situation from an obstetrics and a cardiology perspective,” said Dr. Freudenberger. “We’re able to help women who otherwise may be too high risk to go through pregnancy or who are high risk and pregnant.” Preconception counseling is also provided through the program.

The clinical team implements a treatment plan that helps guide women through a successful pregnancy. “We pride ourselves on being a group of physicians and clinicians who collaborate across our areas of specialty to give women the quality care they expect and deserve,” Dr. Sundlof said.

“This was something near and dear to our hearts,” said Denise Spence. The Spences’ gift is inspired by their deep affinity for LVHN and their daughter’s diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia during her own pregnancy, which put her and her baby at risk. Rachel Spence took many obstetric and cardiac appointments separately in her home state of California to manage her conditions. Now, with a healthy daughter and grandchild, Bill and Denise share concern for women who are experiencing what their daughter did.

Their generosity not only funds multidisciplinary collaboration, but will also support a coordinator/educator to assist in program facilitation and development of educational initiatives for doctors and clinical staff. “The Spences’ gift will go a very long way in helping the women in our community live better and live longer,” Dr. Sundlof said.

Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jefferson, and President, LVHN, was also in attendance. He shared that the Heart and Pregnancy Program is part of the Women’s Heart and Vascular Program, one of the largest of its kind nationwide, which is staffed by 10 female cardiologists and two female vascular surgeons across multiple LVHN sites. The 25-year-old program focuses on the unique cardiac needs, risk factors and symptoms of women, who are often underrepresented in cardiac research. He also noted that LVHN provides the highest caliber of pregnancy care available in the region, with unparalleled expertise. The Heart and Pregnancy Program is complemented by LVHN’s maternal fetal medicine team, midwifery program and the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.