- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Health Network announced they have reached an affiliation agreement
- The two have worked together before, but an official agreement has been set in place
- The health care providers said it will ensure patients get the care they need closest to home
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Two well-known hospital systems in eastern Pennsylvania will partner to provide their youngest patients with more comprehensive care.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Health Network reached an affiliation agreement, they announced Thursday.
“This affiliation is going to help us go beyond the referral process," said Dr. Nathan Hagstrom, physician in chief at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. "It’s about building relationships and working together to provide our patients with the best care.”
The collaboration between the Philadelphia-based system and the Lehigh Valley-based system means those deciding how to care for area children needing treatment take into consideration the most appropriate clinical team and best location for that child, while keeping them closest to their home and family.
“The CHOP-LVHN affiliation will strengthen the channels of communication, cooperation and learning between two world-class children’s hospitals to ultimately improve the overall care and experience for patients and their families."Dr. Steve Docimo, executive vice president of Business Development and Strategy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
“The CHOP-LVHN affiliation will strengthen the channels of communication, cooperation and learning between two world-class children’s hospitals to ultimately improve the overall care and experience for patients and their families,” said Dr. Steve Docimo, executive vice president of business development and strategy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital President Anne Baum said, “This affiliation gives our patients and families the confidence that their children are in the best hands, receiving high-quality care at the location that best meets their individual needs.”
It's not the first time the two systems have worked together, but the affiliation makes their previous and future partnership more formal.
CHOP and LVHN will have the opportunity to learn and educate each other's teams in order to grow as health care systems, they said. They also will have the opportunity to share and develop new programs and services at each network.
