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With formal closing completed today, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has acquired the assets of Coordinated Health (CH). This means Coordinated Health is now part of Lehigh Valley Health Network.
LVHN and CH jointly announced in September they had signed a binding Letter of Intent for LVHN to acquire the assets of Coordinated Health, pending reviews by the Federal Trade Commission and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office. Those reviews concluded in November and both organizations worked diligently to reach closing.
“Together, Lehigh Valley Health Network and Coordinated Health have the highest orthopedic success rates in the region and the most fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine specialists, caring for everyone from pee-wee players to Division I and pro athletes with unmatched expertise,” said Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, LVHN’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Nester emphasized that patients will continue to see the same Coordinated Health physicians and care teams in the same locations. “We want to assure patients they will continue to receive care with their Coordinated Health doctors just like they do today,” he said. “Current Coordinated Health offices and hospitals will continue normal operations with no immediate changes to the great service and access patients are accustomed to receiving at Coordinated Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network.”
Nester said Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest is the community’s only nationally ranked hospital in orthopedics on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” list and has been recognized for having the lowest complication rates in the state for knee and hip replacements by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).
For 30 years, CH has been a regional leader in orthopedics, sports medicine and workplace injury care in the Lehigh Valley and consistently ranks in the top 5 percent nationally for joint replacements and spinal fusion by Healthgrades. Coordinated Health established the first sports medicine program in the region and CH sports medicine physicians dedicate more than 1,000 hours annually to “on-field” coverage, providing injured athletes the fastest access to the best care.
“While it will take time to complete a comprehensive integration plan, our focus remains on providing innovative orthopedic care, superior access, and great service to the community.”
Nester said the first visible signs of the integration will be new signage and marketing materials that communicate Coordinated Health is now part of Lehigh Valley Health Network. In the future, we will streamline care and communication with one electronic medical record through Epic.
Nester announced Amy Nyberg will lead CH, serving as President. Since 2013, Nyberg has been leading CH’s innovation and growth strategy, first as Chief Integration Officer and most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer. “The union of our organizations affirms our commitment to provide world-class orthopedic, sports medicine and specialty care to our patients and community, and we are very excited to have our talented team at Coordinated Health join the region’s most trusted and awarded health network,” Nyberg said.
Emil DiIorio, MD, founder of Coordinated Health, is leaving CH. He thanks patients and members of the Coordinated Health team for their trust and numerous contributions in making a difference in the lives of so many.
When the Letter of Intent for the acquisition was announced in September, Nester and DiIorio said the two organizations shared a common vision focused on population health and demonstrated a strong passion for delivering high-value healthcare. They stressed that combining them was an opportunity to expand on their proven integrated healthcare models.
Coordinated Health is a hospital and health network with 22 locations throughout the Lehigh Valley, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and western New Jersey. CH employs more than 1,200 highly skilled personnel working in outpatient offices, two hospitals, and two Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Nester said in addition to their caregivers and locations remaining the same, Coordinated Health patients will have the support of the strength and breadth of Lehigh Valley Health Network, including:
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The community’s only children’s hospital at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, which offers more than 30 pediatric specialties and the only Children’s ER at LVH-Cedar Crest and Children’s ExpressCARE at the Health Center at Palmer Township
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The Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, which has one of the nation’s best heart attack survival rates
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The Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance which offers access to breakthrough clinical trials and collaboration on leading-edge care
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The Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, which performs the most complex surgeries close to home and gets you back to health faster
Patients can continue their relationship with a CH provider or make a new appointment by calling Coordinated Health at 610-861-8080. They can continue to reach LVHN by calling 888-402-LVHN (5846) or LVHN.org.