LVHN's first neighborhood hospital opens in Lower Macungie Twp.

MACUNGIE, Pa. — The ribbon has officially been cut on Lehigh Valley Health Network's first neighborhood hospital.

The Macungie location — at 3369 Route 100 in Lower Macungie Township — soon will open to patients for emergency services.

"Today we marked the start of a new chapter in health care partnership between Lehigh Valley Health Network and the communities we serve,” Lehigh Valley Health Network President Brian Nester said at the grand opening event Friday.

Lehigh Valley Macungie is an 11-bed, full-service emergency department that will be open 24 hours a day, year 'round.

"LVHN Macungie is part of our continuing effort to bring world-class care to you and make it more convenient than ever to get the expert help that you need when you and your families need it without having to travel," Nester said.

He said LVHN worked with outside consultants to determine the best collection of factors for placing a neighborhood hospital in the greater Lehigh Valley.

"We didn't pick Macungie right away," Nester said. "But after an exhaustive review of our primary service area in this region, Macungie just popped to the top of the list as a great location, growing location, lots of people that need health care and have to go back roads to get to a big hospital."

'Keep them in their community'

Dr. David Burmeister, chairman of LVHN’s Emergency and Hospital Medicine Department, also spoke at the ribbon-cutting.

"This emergency department will be able to handle anything that a typical emergency department can handle, especially for those treated and released," Burmeister said.

“About 80% of emergency department patients are typically treated and released. Here at Macungie it's most likely will be even more than 80%.

"So it's going to be really important for all of us to make sure that we provide efficient, high-level care for the Macungie community."

Patients requiring surgery or higher levels of care will be stabilized and transferred to larger LVHN hospitals as needed, Burmeister said.

"It's a scary experience for patients to go into big facilities and we have this right here," LVHN Neighborhood Hospitals President Holly Badali said.

Badali said the small-scale hospital is "unintimidating, it's welcoming and it's really to embrace the community.”

“We will offer imaging services, CAT scan, MRI, X-ray within the hospital," she said. "Of course, we will have the ability to do blood work and to be seen by emergency department physicians, whether you will be discharged or potentially admitted to the hospital.

"And we will be able to admit patients to the hospital to keep them in their own community. "

'Plan has been in place for years'

Upper Macungie Township Manager Bob Ibach praised the Lower Macungie hospital's "access being able to get a good quality health care facility that's close, available and open 24/7."

"Health care is a big industry in the Valley right now," Ibach said. "There's a big demand for it. Hospital beds are usually at a premium, so any opportunity to expand access and availability is just great for the community.”

A health center medical office building opened at the Route 100 location in December.

The opening comes nearly three months after LVHN announced plans to merge with Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health.

In regard to the merger and this project, Nester said, "this plan has been in place for years, and we're executing on a strategic plan that's been there already.”

The next neighborhood hospital is expected to open this summer in Gilbertsville, Montgomery County.