Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hecktown Oaks

Innovative State-of-the-Art Facility to Open July 1

Listening to the Northampton County community was a key step in developing plans for Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)-Hecktown Oaks, a brand-new Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) campus scheduled to open July 1, 2021. LVH–Hecktown Oaks will offer the community access to a number of specialties closer to home, including emergency medicine, cancer care, cardiac care, orthopedics, surgical care, family medicine, and more.

High-quality care in the neighborhood

“We wanted a hospital in the region that would bring LVHN’s high-quality care right into neighborhoods closer to home,” says Bob Begliomini, PharmD, MBA, President, LVH–Hecktown Oaks.

The new hospital site along Hecktown Road off Route 33 in Lower Nazareth Township provides a more central location in Northampton County for an expansive range of LVHN health and wellness services.

“But from the outset, our goal was to construct a partnering community hospital that not only cares for residents but also cares about what matters to them,” says Pat Toselli, DO, Chief Medical Officer, LVH–Hecktown Oaks. “We took extraordinary care to address what they thought was important.”

Insights came both from a consumer survey and input from providers throughout the community. The fruits of those conversations are evident in LVH–Hecktown Oaks services, functional design, aesthetics, and atmosphere. 

“The entire facility is built with patients and families in mind,” says Jim Miller, CRNA, Vice President, LVH–Hecktown Oaks. “From the minute you walk through the door, the layout is efficient, welcoming, and focused on both health care and wellness.”

Cancer care

Lehigh Valley Cancer Institute provides care in a 35,000-square-foot cancer center. It offers extensive breast health services; screening and diagnostic services including prevention-focused 3D mammography; hematology oncology and surgical oncology; radiation oncology, including a leading-edge linear accelerator that targets deep-seated tumors with minimal effects on healthy tissue; a variety of support services including genetic counseling; and a 14-bay infusion center–“one of the largest and nicest in the Valley,” says Keith Weinhold, MHA, FACHE, Senior Vice President, Lehigh Valley Cancer Institute. The Cancer Institute’s participation in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance provides access to clinical trials and the latest therapies.

Heart, orthopedic, surgical services 

The Health Center at Hecktown Oaks provides comprehensive heart care and advanced cardiodiagnostic services through Lehigh Valley Heart Institute, including echocardiograms, exercise stress testing, nuclear and perfusion stress testing, and vascular ultrasound.

The Health Center houses a Joint and Back Pain Center as well, providing services in orthopedics and sports medicine, pain management, rheumatology, physiatry, and chiropractic medicine. Also, located in the Health Center will be musculoskeletal, cardiac and cancer rehabilitation services, including a pool for aquatic therapy along with physical and occupational therapy.

Four state-of-the-art surgical suites facilitate care from Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, where orthopedic, ear-nose-and-throat, urologic, breast, plastic, venous, general and minimally invasive robotic procedures can be performed.

“Many LVH–Hecktown Oaks services focus on outpatient care that doesn’t require a hospital stay, but we also have a state-of-the-art, front-line inpatient tower providing highest-level care in a community-friendly setting,” Begliomini says. A second phase of construction opening toward the end of 2021 will add 30 inpatient beds to the 20 beds available at the July opening. All 50 total beds will be in private rooms. Hospital care is augmented by advanced imaging capabilities including a highly accurate robotic X-ray system, Multitom Rax, and Northampton County’s first positron emission tomography/computed tomography unit (PET/CT), along with full-service ultrasound, fluoroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services.

The adjoining 24/7 emergency department features dedicated spaces and separate entrances for adults and children, with 16 bays for adults and four for children, along with four observation bays. A helipad provides MedEvac capabilities.

“What also makes LVH–Hecktown Oaks special are its amenities and conveniences,” Miller says. One key innovation is a Healing Garden providing a natural environment clearly visible from windows in both the inpatient tower and infusion center. Beyond restful, attractive landscaping, the garden offers walking paths incorporating therapy-specific features such as inclines, steps, grades, and textured surfaces that will help recovering patients prepare for discharge. “It’s a first step toward home,” Miller says. 

Infection control

High among community priorities were protections against infectious agents, including SARS-CoV-2. Air throughout the facility passes through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that help curb the spread of pathogens. Near-ultraviolet lighting bathes operating rooms and medical-surgical areas with a germicidal wavelength that’s visible and safe for humans but kills bacteria linked to health care-acquired infections. Much of the facility’s flooring is made from bacteria-resistant material. Hand-washing stations abound, and reception areas feature plexiglass dividers.

“Even elevator cabs are equipped with advanced air purification systems,” Miller says. “We’re extremely focused on keeping patients safe and feeling comfortable.”

Other amenities include telemedicine capabilities in all emergency room and patient care units, an interactive television system for patients and even charging stations for electric vehicles. “We’re trying to think of what the community needs today as well as in the future,” Toselli says. “We aim to provide a well thought-out, comprehensive hospital campus strategically designed to expand based on what the community requires.” 

To make an appointment, call 888-402-LVHN or visit LVHN.org/hecktownoaks.  

Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hecktown Oaks
Route 33 & Hecktown RD
3780 Hecktown Rd, Easton