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PLEASE NOTE, THIS ORGANIZATION ALSO DOES BUSINESS (D/B/A) UNDER THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATION NAMES: - ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL - BETHLEHEM CAMPUS - ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL - ALLENTOWN CAMPUS - ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL - SACRED HEART CAMPUS - ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL - LEHIGHTON CAMPUS - ST. LUKE'S ALLENTOWN FAMILY HEALTH CENTER - INNOVATIONS OF ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL - INNOVATIONS FOR SENIORS - St. Luke's Hospital - West End Campus |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
St. Luke's University Health Network's largest hospital organization is St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem Pennsylvania which includes (1) St. Luke's Hospital Bethlehem Campus; (2) St. Luke's Hospital Allentown Campus; (3) St. Luke's Hospital Lehighton Campus; and (4) St. Luke's Hospital Sacred Heart Campus. The organization is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as an Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Pursuant to its charitable purposes, St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem provides medically necessary health care services to all individuals in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of race, color, creed, sex, national origin or ability to pay. Moreover, St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem operates consistently with the following criteria outlined in the IRS Revenue Ruling 69-545: 1) St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem provides medically necessary health care services to all individuals regardless of ability to pay, including charity care, self-pay, Medicare and Medicaid patients; 2) St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem operates an active emergency room for all persons, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year; 3) St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem maintains an open medical staff, with privileges available to all qualified physicians; 4) Control of St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem rests with its Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of St. Luke's Health Network, Inc., d.b.a. St. Luke's University Health Network. All boards comprise a majority of independent civic leaders and other prominent members of the community, as well as physicians on the hospital/network medical staff; and 5) Surplus funds are used to improve the quality of patient care, expand and renovate facilities and advance medical care, programs and activities. The operations of the St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem, as shown through the factors outlined above and other information contained herein, clearly demonstrate that the use and control of St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem is for the benefit of the public and that no part of the income or net earnings of the organization inures to the benefit of any private individual nor is any private interest being served other than incidentally. Mission ======= The mission of the organization is to care for the sick and injured regardless of their ability to pay, improve our communities' overall health and educate our health care professionals. The mission will be accomplished by the following: - Making the patient our highest priority. - Promoting healthy lifestyles and continuously improving care provided to heal the sick and injured. - Coordinating and integrating services into a seamless, easily accessible system of care. - Improving the level of service provided throughout the network. - Ensuring all health care services are relevant to the needs of the community. - Striving to maximize the satisfaction of our patients, employees, medical staff and volunteers and - Training allied health professionals, nursing and medical students and residents and fellows and attracting them to practice within our network's service area. Combined, the campuses of St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem had 37,993 patient admissions and observations, 175,134 emergency department visits and 958,145 outpatient visits in fiscal year 23-24 (FY 24). Volunteers provided 83,646 volunteer hours. ST. LUKE'S BETHLEHEM CAMPUS =========================== St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus is the flagship of the network and contains 929,891 square feet of building space housed on 38.33 acres of land. St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus has 400 acute-care beds. St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus is a joint commission-accredited, not-for-profit, tertiary care, teaching hospital located in Bethlehem, PA, founded in 1872. St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus offers more than 90 medical specialties and has 403 licensed acute care and rehabilitation beds. In FY 24, there were 20,527 admissions and observations, 48,938 emergency department visits and 525,379 outpatient registrations. In FY 24, long-time St. Luke's University Hospital - Bethlehem Campus President Carol Kuplen retired. Wendy Lazo was selected as the new president. Lazo also oversees the Network's Trauma and Internal Agency Staffing programs and oversees the Patient Access Center. Prior to her promotion, Lazo served as president of St. Luke's Miners Campus, where she hired numerous physician specialists to better serve the community and led the expansion of St. Luke's Network Trauma Program to include five Level IV trauma centers and a Level II Center at the Anderson Campus. She also oversaw the establishment of the region's first internal nurse staffing agency to address nurse staffing shortages. Lazo holds a bachelor's degree in business management and a Master of Business Administration in healthcare management. In November, St. Luke's opened the new six-bed Isaacman Family Children's Emergency Room at St. Luke's Children's Hospital in Bethlehem. The kid-friendly space, designed with a welcoming "under the sea" theme, allows children to avoid the added stress of an adult emergency room environment and reduces their anxiety while being treated. In addition to our board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians and specialized pediatric ER nurses, St. Luke's Child Life Specialist uses therapeutic play and education to make ER visits less frightening. As needed, the Isaacman Family St. Luke's Children's ER provides streamlined admissions to St. Luke's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Inpatient Unit. As appropriate, staff members refer patients to any of more than 40 pediatric specialists at St. Luke's University Health Network. Also in FY 24, Physical Therapy at St. Luke's obtained accreditation for its Neurologic Residency and candidacy for its Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency. Neurologic physical therapists rehabilitate individuals with neurologic disorders such as stroke, spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis. Pediatric physical therapists address developmental, neuromuscular and skeletal issues in infants, children and adolescents, fostering improved motor skills and functional independence. The one-year Neurologic Residency Program requires extensive mentoring in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. All core faculty members are board-certified specialists in neurology. The program offers opportunities in program development, leadership development and community engagement. Nationally, there are 73 accredited neurologic physical therapy residencies, including four in Pennsylvania and two in New Jersey. St. Luke's University Health Network has been investing significantly in the growth of pediatric services over the past decade. In June 2023, the Network announced St. Luke's Children's Hospital at the Bethlehem Campus representing the culmination of the expansion in pediatric care. St. Luke's Children's Hospital is home to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Inpatient Pediatric Unit, Pediatric Emergency Department and various pediatric specialty services. St. Luke's Children's Hospital also added a child life program in 2023. St. Luke's Certified Child Life Specialists help children and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of acute and chronic illness, injury, trauma, disability, loss and bereavement. They provide evidence-based developmentally and psychologically appropriate interventions including therapeutic play, preparation for procedures and education to reduce fear, anxiety and pain. Child Life Specialists can support children on the inpatient units, during surgical procedures and in the emergency department. In FY 23, St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus invested approximately $9 million dollars in equipment and facility improvements. The investments included the completion of one of the catheterization laboratories on the campus. Smaller facility improvements included HVAC and heat pump repairs and upgrades, parking deck repairs and improvements, the installation of new secure doors on select floors, upgrade of pneumatic tube stations and a variety of other investments. Work was also initiated on six bays in the Emergency Department (ED) to isolate pediatric patients, as we move toward constructing a segregated pediatric ED. Beyond these facility updates to the campus, investments were made in and upgrades tied to critical care beds, med surg beds and emergency room (ER) stretchers. The campus acquired operating room equipment including but not limited to spine tables, laparoscopic towers and camera heads, laryngoscope equipment, defibrillators and ENT (ears, nose and throat) equipment. The campus invested in anesthesia, er and medical intensive care patient monitors, as well as various adult and pediatric scopes, portable ventilators, ultrasounds and various other equipment to support the nursing units and other numerous departments that support the Bethlehem Campus. |
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St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, for the tenth time in a row and the twelfth time overall (among the 15 Best Major Teaching Hospitals category. No other hospital in the Major Teaching category this year has been named to the list more times than St. Luke's). Fortune/PINC, formerly IBM Watson Health, is a multinational health care company that delivers unbiased information, analytic tools, benchmarks, research and services to the health care industry. In addition, St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem was named a Leapfrog Top Hospital. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, accidents, and other harms. Only 132 hospitals in the U.S. and nine in Pennsylvania were named Leapfrog Top Hospitals. In FY 24, St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus volunteers provided 52,798 volunteer hours. ST. LUKE'S ALLENTOWN CAMPUS =========================== Located in the west end of the city of Allentown, St. Luke's Allentown Campus was founded in 1945 as the Allentown Osteopathic Medical Center. In 1997, the not-for-profit medical center entered into a merger with St. Luke's University Health Network. St. Luke's Allentown Campus has 163 licensed beds and is accredited by the Joint Commission. In FY 24, there were 12,724 admissions and observations, 53,613 emergency department visits and 329,383 outpatient registrations. St. Luke's Allentown Campus has invested more than $220 million in technologic and facility improvements since it joined the network. Among the major accomplishments in FY 24, was the opening of St. Luke's University Health Network's specialty hospital for orthopedic surgery, where expert teams perform same-day surgeries of the knee, hip, spine, hand and shoulder and treat a myriad of sports-related fractures and other injuries. Built with American steel, St. Luke's Orthopedic Hospital is a two-story, 52,000-square-foot facility located at the St. Luke's West End Campus, 501 Cetronia Road, Allentown, in western Lehigh County. St. Luke's Orthopedic Hospital's first floor houses eight operating rooms and 24 rooms for pre- and post-surgery care of patients, along with support, auxiliary space and comfortable family waiting rooms. The VELYS robot-assisted orthopedic surgery system and other advanced technology will be used to maximize safety, accuracy and quality operative outcomes. The second floor will contain patient overnight rooms, staff and supplies space and shelled-in rooms for future use. In February 2024, St. Luke's Allentown opened its new Women & Babies Pavilion. This expanded facility will increase the community's access to high-quality birthing, post-partum and newborn services, including neonatal intensive care. The five-story, 85,000 square-foot tower, built onto the east side of the hospital, will meet the growing patient needs for these services at this hospital campus. Babies will be delivered here starting February 14. St. Luke's Allentown Campus capital expenditures for equipment and infrastructure needs in FY 24 totaled $1.5 million. In FY 23, the Campus prepared for its new Women and Babies Pavilion, scheduled to open in February 2024. This new expansion will include a Level 3 NICU with 10 NICU beds, nine Labor & Delivery rooms and 13 post-partum rooms. Funding of the project through FY 23 was $34M. When completed the total project cost will be $56 million. Major upgrades to medical equipment in FY 23 included various upgrades to the operating room equipment ($900,000). In addition, the West End Medical Center received a new MRI ($1.8 million) in FY 23. FY 22, improvements included a $9.6 million investment that included a parking deck, new lobby and operating room. Over the years, St. Luke's University Health Network's investment in St. Luke's Allentown Campus' outpatient services have included the St. Luke's West End Medical Center, a 107,000-square-foot outpatient center and an outpatient cancer center at the Integrated Health Campus in South Whitehall Township and many other outpatient facilities near St. Luke's Allentown Campus. In FY 24, St. Luke's Allentown Campus volunteers provided more than 13,404 volunteer hours. ST. LUKE'S SACRED HEART CAMPUS ============================== St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus is a 175-bed community and teaching hospital in center city Allentown, Pennsylvania. In March 2018, St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus continued to care for Lehigh Valley residents by joining St. Luke's University Health Network and became St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus. Since joining the network, St. Luke's has made a significant financial investment in the facility and equipment at Sacred Heart. In FY 24, St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus patient care included 4,708 observations and admissions, 29,363 emergency department visits and 101,842 outpatient visits. St. Luke's Sacred Heart provides compassionate care to a diverse population. A robust 63-bed adult and 46-bed geriatric behavioral health program provides care to adults in one of five behavioral health inpatient units and includes the region's only 16-bed Level 4 Medical Detox Program, opened in 2021. St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus also has 22 licensed beds for a skilled nursing facility and offers family practice and dental residency programs that educate providers in a clinical setting. Two adjacent medical office buildings house a retail pharmacy, breast imaging center, cardiovascular center and specialty physician offices. St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus ranked among the safest hospitals in the United States having received an "A" grade from the Leapfrog Group in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. It was and continues to be nationally recognized in case management and is a recipient of the American Stroke Association's Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The Joint Commission recognized the hospital as a top performer in key quality measures and awarded it Primary Stroke Center Certification. St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus capital expenditures for equipment and infrastructure needs in FY 24 totaled $1.5 million. Accreditation ------------- St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus is accredited by the Joint Commission. Unannounced accreditation surveys are performed on a triennial basis. The purpose of these surveys is to evaluate each organization's compliance with nationally established joint commission standards. The survey results are used to determine whether the Campus meets the conditions under which, accreditation should be awarded to the organization. Joint Commission standards deal with organizational quality of care issues and the safety of the environment in which care is provided. Awards and Certifications ------------------------- - CMS 5-star rating. Nationally, 14% of hospitals received 5 stars, 29% received 4 stars and 29% received 3 stars - HAP (Hospital Association of Pennsylvania) Excellence in Patient Safety Recognition 2022 and 2023 - All imaging modalities at St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus and Sacred Heart Imaging Northampton have been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in imaging by the American College of Radiology (ACR). - The laboratory of St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The CAP accreditation process is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients. The U.S. federal government recognizes the CAP laboratory accreditation program as being equal to or more stringent than the government's own inspection program. - St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus has been granted Primary Stroke Center Certification by the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission's certificate recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. Achievement of certification signals that the services St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus provides have the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. Critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. - St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with The Guidelines - Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. This award recognizes the hospital's commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus is part of an elite group of hospitals recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. |
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- Sacred Heart Hospital Transitional Care Facility (TCF) was rated the highest rating of five stars by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services. - St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus's Vascular Laboratory has been accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Labs (ICAVI) since 1996. Parish Nursing -------------- Parish nursing is a specialty practice of registered nurses and professional model of health ministry. Parish nurses provide holistic nursing care to faith community members across the life span and facilitate wellness and the promotion of a healing community. In keeping with the organization's mission, the Parish Nursing Program seeks to strengthen and reinforce the relationship between health and spirituality by working together with faith communities to promote wellness of body, mind and spirit. The program enables St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus to return to its original mission of caring for the spiritual needs of the community and the physical needs of the sick. Parish nursing is a member of the Coalition Board of the Greater Lehigh Valley, an ecumenical group of community members committed to supporting the parish nurse coalition membership in their ministry. This support is manifested through educational networking meetings, spiritual retreats and conferences developed for parish nurses by the parish nurse coordinator and the coalition board council members. The parish nurse coordinator is also available as a resource for community services. The programs and services the Parish Nursing Program offers are developed based on the needs of the people they serve. Additionally, parish nurses are specially trained to work within faith communities. The department includes a community outreach staff members who focuses specifically on women's health issues. Parish Nursing Services include: - Helping people of all ages overcome obstacles to obtain the health services they need and answer questions or concerns about personal health. - Helping people identify their own health challenges and provide referrals to services needed to meet those challenges. - Offering health screenings including blood pressure and health assessments. - Providing health information that may be of special interest or importance to the community, such as information concerning insurances, access to care and bilingual or cultural information. - Scheduling free screening mammograms and pap smears for uninsured and underinsured women. Senior Services --------------- - St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus is committed to serving its senior population by providing a comprehensive continuum of care and is also dedicated to providing programs and resources for caregivers of the elderly. - Comprehensive senior services provide preventive treatment options, treatment for existing conditions, educational programs and senior living services. The focus for Senior Services is to improve the quality of life for each individual. - West Turner Residences offer both personal care and independent living. Short, long, respite, rehabilitation, post-hospital and vacation stays are available. - Personal care enhances the lives of seniors who wish to maintain their independent lifestyle but find they need a helping hand. Independent living maximizes retirement lifestyle with the assurance of 24-hour security, housekeeping services, an inclusive dining package and the close companionship of family and friends. If the level of care or daily requirements changes from independent living to personal care, there is no need to change the suite or apartment. The same services can be provided in the current residence. Also, couples can have diverse levels of care and remain living together. In FY 24, St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus volunteers provided 12,905 volunteer hours. ST. LUKE'S LEHIGHTON CAMPUS =========================== St. Luke's Lehighton Campus, formerly known as, previously part of the Blue Mountain Health Network, became part of St. Luke's University Health Network on January 1, 2018. The Palmerton Hospital, also part of the Blue Mountain Health acquisition closed in June 2019, however, it re-opened as an urgent care facility, with extended hours, to the Carbon community on July 1, 2019. On June 1, 2021, St. Luke's Lehighton Campus fell under the Bethlehem Campus operating license. In FY 24, patient care provided by St. Luke's Lehighton Campus included 1,220 and 54,634 outpatient registrations. St. Luke's Lehighton Campus provides behavioral health inpatient care and outpatient medical and surgical care. As of Nov. 20, 2021, emergency services were relocated to the new hospital at 500 St. Luke's drive off Harrity Road in Franklin Township, Lehighton. With the opening of the new hospital, the focus of St. Luke's Lehighton Campus operations shifted to in-patient behavioral health, outpatient services, the Summit Nursing Facility and the Patient Acute Rehabilitation Center (ARC), along with additional physician offices. The Campus is also home to the 22-bed adult and 20-bed older adult mental health units, St. Luke's Penn Foundation Psychiatric Associates - Lehighton, and the region's first Mental Health Walk-in Center. The Center provides services in a welcoming, comfortable, safe environment for individuals aged 14 and older who need support for non-life-threatening mental health issues such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, grief, thoughts of self-harm, mood swings, anger and school phobia. In FY 2022, the Carbon County Veteran's Affairs Office opened a satellite office at St. Luke's Lehighton Campus. With approximately 5,000 veterans, Carbon County has led the state in veteran suicides, according to center for rural Pennsylvania data. Locating the office in a hospital facilitates and encourages veterans coping with behavioral health issues to seek help available at the Campus. St. Luke's Lehighton Campus operates a 22-bed inpatient acute rehabilitation unit on the third floor of St. Luke's Lehighton hospital. The unit provides inpatient rehabilitation for patients who have experienced stroke, major-multi traumas, complex joint replacements, amputation, severe arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other physical and neurological conditions. The acute rehabilitation team offers specialized rehabilitation care in beautifully appointed rooms and is the most comprehensive unit of its type in the Carbon County area. In FY 24, the services available at St. Luke's Lehighton Campus included: - Adult Behavioral Health - Adult Partial Hospitalization - Cardiac Catheterization - Cardiology - Critical Care - ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) - Emergency Services - Endoscopies - Endocrinology - Gynecology - Infusion Services - Neurology - Older Adult Behavioral Health - Orthopedics, Joint and Muscle Disorders - Pain Management - Radiology (Advanced, Interventional) - Sleep Disorders Center - Physical And Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation - Surgery (General, Specialty and Laparoscopic) - Vascular Services - Pulmonology St. Luke's Lehighton Campus also includes the Summit Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. It features advanced skilled nursing care for patients provided by a team of physical, occupational and speech therapists, as well as knowledgeable and dedicated physicians, nurses and support staff. All patients can take advantage of restorative nursing programs, planned activities and religious services in a comfortable environment. The St. Luke's Lehighton Campus works closely with the St. Luke's Carbon Campus in serving patients in the area. St. Luke's Carbon hospital is a three-story, 52-patient-room, 160,000 square-feet facility. It is the largest Campus of its kind in the history of Carbon County and the first new hospital built in the County in 65 years. It is the centerpiece of the network's new 108-acre technologically advanced, multipurpose, rural medical and wellness complex. It redefines health care access, convenience and quality for the local population and surrounding areas. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
All rooms are private and outfitted with wall-mounted, 55-inch smart TVs to facilitate two-way audio/visual communication between patients and their providers anywhere, as well as patients and their family members worldwide. Real-time, computer system-linked digital whiteboards in patient rooms display the names of the patient's caregivers, day of the week, scheduled activities and other useful safety information. First of its kind Life-Aire Air Purification Systems installed in the air ducts throughout the hospital's treatment areas kill all air pathogens, including COVID-19 and anthrax, making it one of the few hospitals in the nation with this novel technology. FY 24 highlights included significant improvement in the retention of staff at both the St. Luke's Carbon and Lehighton campuses when compared to the prior year performance. The fiscal year to date turnover rate at the Carbon Campus is 8.5% and represents a 15% decrease from the prior year. The year-to-date turnover rate at the Lehighton Campus is 9.9%, a 49% improvement over the prior year. This improvement was achieved through a multipronged strategy including educational initiatives for department managers, expanded clinical rotations of nursing and other students, strengthening of recruitment talent, expanded social media posts to potential candidates and ongoing efforts to build a strong organizational culture at both campuses. Volunteers: in FY 24, St. Luke's Lehighton volunteers provided 4,539 volunteer hours. ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL OF BETHLEHEM, PA AWARDS =========================================== Lown Institute Awards Hospitals for Socially Responsibility and Charitable Giving: In July 2023, St. Luke's University Hospital in Bethlehem was ranked #1 in Pennsylvania for social responsibility on the 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index, utilizing various diverse metrics such as community benefit and racial inclusivity. Nationwide, St. Luke's University Hospital was ranked sixth. St. Luke's University Health Network earned an 'A' in social responsibility, ranking #12 nationally out of nearly 300 health systems, and each of the Network's hospitals also earned an 'A.' St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus was named an Honor Roll Hospital. It earned straight 'A' grades across all categories in the index's top measures: social responsibility, health equity, value of care and patient outcomes. Only 54 hospitals nationwide earned Honor Roll status. In March, Lown Institute identified St. Luke's University Health Network for the third consecutive year as the Pennsylvania's No. 1 health system for charitable giving. St. Luke's is the only health system in the Lehigh Valley with a "fair share" surplus, meaning it spends more on charity and community investment than it receives in tax breaks, according to Lown. No Pennsylvania hospital had a greater surplus than St. Luke's University Hospital, comprising both the Bethlehem Campus in Fountain Hill and the Allentown Campus. U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Top Quality Scores: In August 2023, St. Luke's received the highest possible quality rating - five stars - from the annual quality and safety hospital review conducted by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS). St. Luke's was the only health network in the Lehigh Valley to receive the highest rating. The CMS ratings are based on an examination of the quality of care at more than 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals across the country. The quality measures include safety and value of care, readmission, infection, complication rates, mortality, patient experience, effectiveness and timeliness of care and efficient use of medical imaging. Leapfrog's Top Ranked Nationally for Safety: Leapfrog, an independent nonprofit hospital safety watchdog, named multiple St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) hospitals to the Top Hospital list announced in December 2023. Of the nine hospitals in Pennsylvania to earn the prestigious Top Hospital designation from Leapfrog, more than half are St. Luke's facilities, including St. Luke's University Hospital - Bethlehem Campus and St. Luke's Allentown Campus. Leapfrog's Top Hospital award recognizes the highest-performing hospitals in the United States in the teaching, general, rural and children's categories. It is based on objective data across many areas of hospital care, including infection rates and the hospital's capacity to prevent medication errors. HAP Quality and Safety Awards: In January, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) recognized the Pennsylvania hospitals that have achieved exemplary results preventing infections - and St. Luke's had more hospitals on the list than any other health system in the state. Five of the 22 hospitals honored for patient safety are St. Luke's, including St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem Campus and St. Luke's Allentown Campus. In October 2024, St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus was designated a Premiere Fortune/PINC AI (formerly Fortune/Merative) 100 Top Hospital in 2023, for the 10th time in a row and 12th time overall. St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus was also identified as the #4 Top Teaching Hospital in the country. Fortune/ PINC AIT 100 Top Hospitals - 10th year in a Row Plus Multiple 100 Top Hospital Awards: In April 2024, St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, Allentown and Sacred Heart campuses, for the tenth time in a row and the twelfth time overall among the 15 Best Major Teaching Hospitals category. No other hospital in the Major Teaching category this year has been named to the list more times than St. Luke's. In Pennsylvania, only six hospitals earned a place on the 100 Top Hospitals list, three of which are St. Luke's campuses including St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem, PA, which comprises the Bethlehem, Allentown and Sacred Heart campuses, was recognized among the 15 best Major Teaching Hospitals. No other hospital in the Major Teaching category this year has been named to the list more times than St. Luke's. USDA Honors St. Luke's Community Health with Gold-Level Turnip the Beet Award for Its Summer Meals Program for Schoolchildren: In June 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) awarded St. Luke's University Health Network's Department of Community Health the 2023 Gold-Level Turnip the Beet Award - the highest level possible - for its Summer Meals program, providing nutritious, high-quality meals to children in need in the Allentown and Quakertown school districts during the summer months. St. Luke's was one of only 140 summer programs to receive the Turnip the Beet Award in 2024, one of only two, and the only one in Pennsylvania, to receive the gold award. The St. Luke's Summer Meals program was recognized for demonstrating a commitment to serving fresh produce to families, which is provided by St. Luke's Rodale Institute Organic Farm. In addition to produce from the farm being used in their lunches, families also had the opportunity to take home bags of fresh produce, along with recipes and meal preparation ideas, through the St. Luke's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The St. Luke's Summer Meals program was launched in response to the Network's 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). According to Whitney Szmodis, PhD, St. Luke's Department of Community Health epidemiologist, there has been a 228% increase in meals served to children since the program started. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
Community Outreach ================== During Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24), St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) continued efforts related to top priorities established through the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). These priorities, outlined in the 2022-2025 Implementation Strategy, progress with initiative updates from FY 24 are detailed in the report. Our efforts to implement sustainable initiatives that focus on a wide range of health and quality of life outcomes are a result of data-driven strategies to promote overall health and wellbeing. While there are many issues facing our communities, the results from the 2022 CHNA found the top priorities for the St. Luke's Network to include: Access to Care (Connection to Care, Workforce Development, Transportation and Housing), Chronic Disease Prevention (Food Security, Nutrition Education and Promotion, Physical Activity Promotion), Mental and Behavioral Health (Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Services, Access to Opioid and other Substance Use Disorder Services, Access to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery). The needs outlined in our implementation strategy serve as a guide to support strategic initiatives through the pillars of prevention and wellness, care transformation and research and partnerships. Through collaborations with community and Network partners, we aim to promote a more equitable society with better health outcomes for all, with an emphasis on supporting the diverse needs of our most vulnerable populations. more equitable society with better health outcomes for all, with an emphasis on supporting the diverse needs of our most vulnerable populations. emphasis on supporting the diverse needs of our most vulnerable populations. The needs related to the priority areas outlined in this document served as our guide in creating this Network Implementation Plan to best address the needs of populations within the SLUHN service areas. Results from the 2022 CHNA found access to care as the main barrier facing our community, particularly within the four main priority areas. The updates to the Fiscal Year 2022-2025 implementation strategy include removing the priority area of COVID-19. Given the end of the public health emergency and continued decline of the pandemic, COVID-19 was removed from the implementation strategy as a top priority for the Fiscal Year 2023 update as well as for Fiscal Year 2024. Continued monitoring of COVID-19 ensures that the Network is prepared to pivot and re-prioritize as necessary. St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Through our analysis of primary and secondary data, as well as the CHNA key informant interviews, forums and surveys with community members, we see significant issues facing our communities that impede healthy lifestyles. Our efforts in prevention, care transformation, research and partnerships help support our work to implement sustainable initiatives that focus on a wide range of health and quality of life outcomes. SLUHN supports a Department of Community Health that utilizes CHNA results to inform its strategic plan and catalyze initiatives that address priority needs for underserved communities. The Department's mission is to create pathways for equity toward measurable health outcomes through advocacy, access and navigation of resources for partners and underserved communities. The Department's vision is for everyone in our community to have access to exceptional health care built on a foundation of trust and compassion. Through collaborations with community and Network partners, the Department of Community Health aims to promote a more equitable society with better health outcomes, especially within the Network's most vulnerable populations. Community Health Liaisons and Community Health Workers (CHW) help to build trust to improve access to care, services and resources. Pathways have been established and strengthened to connect families to primary care, social services, food access, financial literacy, career mentoring and workforce development. St. Luke's University Hospital Bethlehem Campus ----------------------------------------------- St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) partners with local schools, civic organizations and provides community resources to improve the health of the residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties and the surrounding area. Community Health liaisons and community health workers (CHW) build trust in the community to improve access to care, services and resources. Established pathways strengthen connections to primary care, social services, food access, financial literacy, career mentoring and workforce development. The overarching top priority that emerged from the results of the 2022 CHNA was access to care. This prioritizes access to primary care, mental health, dental care and other services, with an emphasis on promoting connections to care for underserved communities. Strategies to support vulnerable populations include a comprehensive approach in our urban and rural communities and school-based efforts in high-need schools and school districts. Schools serve as a community hub and provide sustainable access points to connect with students, families and the surrounding community. Based on the identified needs and priorities, each campus develops plans and sustainable initiatives to improve the health of the community. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
St. Luke's Bethlehem supports the CHNA priority areas that are identified within the campus service area by collecting and analyzing data and incorporating community input. Based on the identified needs and priorities, each campus develops plans and programs to improve the health of the community. The St. Luke's Bethlehem Community Forum for the 2025 CHNA was held on May 17, 2024, and engaged 18 external and 12 internal partners. Partner input and feedback was integrated into the strategy and response for implementing evidence-based community health initiatives. Overall assessment results from 2022 highlight three main priority focus areas for our community health initiatives that include improving access to care, preventing chronic disease and improving mental and behavioral health. Improving Access to Care ------------------------ Bethlehem Area School District (BASD): The partnership between Community Health and BASD began more than 25 years ago and continues to connect students and their families to a medical home (i.e., primary care physician), vision, dental, behavioral health and other social services. These efforts have improved access and services to families in need. St. Luke's is part of the BASD Wellness Committee to strategize how best to improve and promote student and staff wellbeing and the BASD Attendance Committee. Community School Model: St. Luke's partners with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, as well as other local partners, to implement the Community School Model. This includes financial and programmatic support of a full-time school-based Community School Coordinator at Marvine Elementary School that works school-wide and a Family Development Specialist (FDS) at Donegan Elementary School that supports and connect students and families in need to services. During FY 24, the Marvine Community School Coordinator worked with more than 700 elementary school families to address barriers to student attendance and improve parent and caregiver engagement. At Donegan Elementary, the FDS supported more than 70 families referred by staff. Literacy promotion through Read Across America was implemented at Marvine and Donegan Elementary Schools. Mobile Youth Health Center (MYHC): During FY 24 the MYHC provided care and services to 334 unique students through 529 encounters at Broughal Middle School, Freedom High School, Liberty High School and Northeast Middle School. These encounters included connections to medical insurance, a medical home, vision and dental services and additional community resources. The MYHC team also provided an additional 4,350 health screenings, vaccines and other services to students. The MYHC care team provided 142 vision vouchers to the district students with a value of $9,645. Star Community Health: Star Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike (FQHC-LA) affiliated with St. Luke's that provides care and wraparound services to uninsured and underinsured individuals and families at little or no out-of-pocket cost. Southside Medical and Family Medicine (Easton Avenue), located in Bethlehem, provided connection to care and services for families, medical and dental service. In Bethlehem, Star Community Health's Dental Van visited 13 schools and provided care to 575 students with a total of 634 sealants and 177 restorations. Temple/St. Luke's Medical Students Community Health Engagement Program (CHEP): Temple/St. Luke's offers the opportunity to participate in a Mentorship Program for students from the Bethlehem Area School District. This program seeks to connect medical students with twelve tier-two high school students who could benefit from additional support. Tier two interventions include increased instruction, supervision, positive reinforcements, academic support and more. The medical students meet with the high school students on a one-on-one basis, twice monthly, for forty-five minutes. Their time together is spent discussing college preparation, studying techniques and any other topics identified by the high school students. Workforce Development and Career Mentoring: St. Luke's supports workforce development initiatives for both adults and school-aged populations including the School-to-Work initiative, Health Career Exploration Program and the new Cultural and Linguistic Workforce Centers. These opportunities promote education, experiential learning and skills-based training to prepare individuals for the workforce and help them gain employment that provides them with a livable wage. Adolescent career mentoring programs target both in school and out-of-school youth between the ages of 15-24 years old who reside in Lehigh and Northampton Counties through a combination of hospital rotations, professional development sessions and work experience. School-to-Work (STW): The STW partnership between SLUHN and BASD has been operating for more than 25 years to help expand learning and career opportunities for local students. Since the program was founded in 1997, it has offered 400 local students an opportunity to sharpen personal communication skills while providing hands-on experience in the health care field. For many of them, it has led directly to successful careers which, in turn, helped to enrich St. Luke's work force. During FY 24 the initiative enrolled 18 ESL students, with 17 completing the program. Health Career Exploration Program (HCEP): HCEP was established more than 15 years ago. Through HCEP, St. Luke's provides experiential learning opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to explore careers in the health care industry to help them gain insight into clinical and non-clinical roles, teach them job-keeping and job-seeking skills, help them understand future employment opportunities and build confidence in their abilities. The students spend approximately 15 hours each week working in their assigned department and receiving group instruction in key life skills including financial literacy, leadership, resume development and interviewing skills. Since the program inception, 98% of students who participated in HCEP have graduated from high school. During FY 24, 29 HCEP students enrolled the program, 15 placed at the Bethlehem Campus and shared a final presentation where they highlighted their experiences and the skills they learned. Cultural and Linguistic Workforce Development Centers: The Centers assist workers at any stage in their career to train for and access employment opportunities that meet the demands of local employers in the Lehigh Valley. During FY 24, the Bethlehem Center engaged 163 individuals of which 73.6% enrolled in ESL classes or skill-based trainings with Northampton Community College and/or received employment services. findhelp: St. Luke's partners with findhelp, a free self-navigating online platform (sluhn.findhelp.com). findhelp is a social care network established to provide a comprehensive platform for people to find social services in their communities and for nonprofit and other community-based organizations to coordinate their service delivery and support services. St. Luke's Information Technology, Quality, Case Management and Community Health work collaboratively, especially with Star Community Health, with more than 1,246 established (i.e., claimed) community-based partners in the communities we serve. findhelp allows community members to search for and connect to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) support such as financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, transportation and more. This platform, as well as United Way's 211, are tools that Community Health liaisons use to assist our community members, patients and staff to connect to vital resources. Community Health continues to onboard priority partners to ensure accurate and up-to-date resources are available to our communities. Network-wide there were 30,227 searches during FY 24 with the top searches including food, housing and utilities. In the Bethlehem service area, there were a total of 9,261 searches during FY 24 in Northampton County, with the top services including food, housing and transportation. In Lehigh County, there were a total of 8,950 searches with the top searches including food, transportation and federal and state assistance programs. HOPE (Health, Outreach, Prevention, Education): HOPE at St. Luke's provides clinical, case management and prevention services to persons living with HIV. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
At the end of FY 24, 368 active (unduplicated) patients were receiving medical care at the Bethlehem and Easton locations and there has been an increase in patients with complex needs (e.g., medically compromised, homeless, uninsured, undocumented). There were 489 active patients that received Medical Case Management services in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Tannersville. In collaboration with AIDSNET and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, HOPE opened an office at St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus in 2022, expanding HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS) services to Lehigh County. HOPE hired five Housing Coordinators and two additional Case Managers to meet the growing needs of those served. During FY 24, 127 patients received housing assistance through ongoing rental assistance, connection to public housing, or by actively working with a Housing Coordinator to identify housing opportunities and additional housing services were provided. Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley (HCLV): St. Luke's has established collaborative processes with community partners, such HCLV, to meet individuals where they are and promote connections and access to care and services, including a community food pantry that served 742 households, with 2,256 visits and a total of 7,556 encounters in FY 24. St. Luke's continues to support the infrastructure and capacity building at HCLV. Transportation -------------- St. Luke's transportation services, in collaboration with Lyft and Uber rideshares, ensures access to care by supporting rides to and from appointments. Transportation initiatives supported by SLUHN align with the primary goal of improving access to primary care for homeless and near homeless populations. By providing complimentary Lyft rides to and from appointments with primary care doctors and other specialists, this initiative allows patients to receive routine care in a timely manner, with the added goal of reducing the frequency and overuse of Emergency Department resources. More than $900,000 in Lyft and Uber rides were provided for services Network-wide. Housing ------- Stable housing greatly impacts an individual's ability to access and maintain regular medical care. St. Luke's partners with local organizations to address the housing shortage through community partnerships at the campus-level to build capacity within the community. St. Luke's is also working with the City of Bethlehem on a Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant. Maternal and Child Health: Since 1919, St. Luke's Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) has been serving the Lehigh Valley and surrounding communities. It is a not-for-profit agency that provides a full range of services including home health and hospice services; and mother/baby care to residents of the communities served. The VNA operates three programs under the Maternal Child Health department that support children and families. The first is a prevention model Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) which supports and fosters positive parenting in our community making the Lehigh Valley a better place for families and children. St. Luke's NFP program was established in 2001 and serves low-income families in Lehigh and Northampton counties and its goals are to improve pregnancy outcomes, improve child health and development and enhance the economic self-sufficiency of the family. Each NFP family is partnered with a Registered Nurse (RN) early in the mother's pregnancy and receives ongoing nurse home visits throughout the pregnancy and after birth through the child's second birthday. During FY 24, NFP had 1,038 referrals, 440 families served, and 4,839 visits completed. There were 84% of babies in the program born at term and 85% of those babies born at a healthy weight. There were 97% of children vaccinated at two years of age and 66% of mothers working at the time they graduated from the NFP program. Additionally, 87% of mothers who completed the program delayed their next pregnancy beyond two years. The second is a new model brought to the VNA this fiscal year in collaboration with St. Luke's Behavioral Health Integrations team, Moving Beyond Depression, is in the pilot phase to help support mothers enrolled in NFP with a diagnosis of major depression. Initial results indicate a 93% client satisfaction score, with 83% of clients reporting improved quality of life and 83% more likely to seek mental health care in the future. The third program is an intervention program, the Visiting Nurse Advocate for the County (VNAC). This intensively focused program provides services to families that are referred by the Offices of Children, Youth and Family Services (OCYS) in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. The program works to promote positive growth in the families and serves to create safety nets for the children involved. Families are partnered with a RN, who provide family support, parenting education and guidance, life skills and case management services. The services are provided using a holistic nursing approach, centered on family preservation. The goals of this program are that the parent/caregiver will provide a safe environment for the child, to increase parenting knowledge and skills and that the parent/caregiver will mee the child's health and medical needs. During FY 24, there were 99 families served, with 82% showing improved safety in the living environment, 73% improved parenting knowledge and skills and 85% improved child's health and medical needs being met. Preventing Chronic Disease -------------------------- Food access is a critical component of maintaining health and preventing chronic disease. Issues related to food access include access to healthy foods. SLUHN partners with local organizations through our schools and community partners to decrease food insecurity and promote healthy lifestyles. Marvine Food Pantry: Through partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank, Marvine Elementary School provides a food pantry for students and families facing food insecurity. During FY 24, more than 1,100 households (duplicated) were supported through Marvine's food initiatives. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): St. Luke's Bethlehem CSA donated 121 shares to local community organizations including the cancer support community and local churches. A total of $86,520 was invested back into the community in revenue for local farmers. Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley (HCLV): The food pantry at HCLV provided access to food for families in need through their pantry in Southside Bethlehem. During FY 24, the food pantry assisted 742 households, with 2,256 visits and a total of 7,556 encounters. New Bethany Inc: St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus works closely with New Bethany Inc to help address food insecurity. To date, they have provided over $3,592.56 of food donations to New Bethany Inc. Physical Activity: Get Your Tail on the Trail is a free program created in 2013 by SLUHN and Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. The program aims to help people of all ages and abilities to meet their personal fitness goals. Since program inception, there have been a total of 5,757,196 miles recorded. Network-wide, there were 2,382 active users that logged 712,995 miles during FY 24. Diabetes Education and Prevention --------------------------------- Diabetes Self-Management, Education and Support (DSMES) is provided for patients In Allentown, Bethlehem and Coaldale through the Department of Community Health. This program is executed through our partnership with the Association of Diabetes Care and Execution Specialists for our Diabetes Education Accreditation Program (DEAP). Additionally, St. Luke's Center for Diabetes & Endocrinology serves additional sites throughout the network. The Department of Community Health established a quality improvement initiative, Diabetes CARES (Clinical Assessment, Resources, Education and Support), for patients at Star Community Health (Allentown and Bethlehem). This program, in collaboration with our residencies, provides DSMES and a focused team approach to reduce the percentage of patients with poorly controlled diabetes (HgbA1c > 9.0). This initiative included clinical diabetes visits, diabetes education with a bilingual Community Health Worker, physical activity opportunities, diabetes self-management, support and access to healthy food. The project's goal was to decrease the clinic's overall Diabetes Poor Control from 34% to 30%; Star Community Health Southside Bethlehem achieved 30%. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
Smoking Cessation: SLUHN's smoking cessation program provides services with certified tobacco treatment specialists, physicians and/or advanced practitioners for individuals currently using tobacco and interested in quitting. During FY 24, 324 SLUHN patients received treatment for nicotine/tobacco, a 17% increase from FY23. St. Luke's received a Comprehensive Center of Excellence accreditation from the Smoking Treatment Accreditation & Recognition (STAR) team, a program funded by the PA Department of Health and managed by the Health Promotion Council. STAR's mission is to facilitate the integration of tobacco dependence treatment into existing health care workflows and to recognize organizations whose smoking cessation services exceed exceptional standards. Employee Wellness: St. Luke's University Health Network recognizes that the health of its workforce is important and vital to the success of our organization. To support our employees and their spouses, the St. Luke's Employee Wellness Team provides evidence-based programming and health education to empower individuals to positively impact their health and reduce their risk of chronic health conditions through making healthy lifestyle choices. In alignment with the Network CHNA top priorities (i.e., Access to Care, Chronic Disease Prevention, Mental and Behavioral Health), Employee Wellness provides opportunities for employees and their spouses to focus on their physical, mental and social well-being, to help foster a high quality of life while managing the demands of their roles at work and home. During FY 24, the following programs and resources were provided to support employee wellness: Caring Starts with You Core (annual biometric and health risk assessment program), Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA), health coaching, Plant Based Eating Class, Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), tobacco cessation, Employee Fitness Incentive Program, massage therapy, Silver Cloud, Employee Assistance Program and Therapy Anywhere. The CSA program provided the opportunity to improve access to fresh, local produce. Through this initiative, 121 shares were donated in the Bethlehem service area to a local food pantries and non-profit organizations. Improving Mental and Behavioral Health -------------------------------------- St. Luke's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Response Warm Hand Off (WHO): WHO is an initiative to support the continuum of care for patients in need of multiple services and providers. It is a transfer of care between providers with the patient (and potentially family) present to ensure clear communication, transparency and helps to build relationships between patients and providers. St. Luke's collaborates with local community-based organizations and local county to support WHO efforts. In the Bethlehem University Hospital, a total of 144 WHO were conducted for alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioids and other stimulants during FY 24. Northampton County Task Forces: Community Health worked with the Northampton County Opioid Task Force to connect patients to SUD treatment and recovery services as well as the Northampton County Suicide Task Force to provide mental health trainings, including Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention. School-based Programs: Your Emotional Strength Supported (YESS!) school-based mental health counseling is designed to support students with mental health needs at school. A total of 4,408 student encounters for the YESS! Program occurred during FY 24 in nine Bethlehem elementary schools and Northeast Middle School. Your Emotional Strength Supported (YESS!) established school-based mental health counseling in Bethlehem Area School District. Mindfulness rooms were created at Marvine Elementary School for staff, Donegan Elementary School for students and Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem for adults and children to support mental health and self-care. St. Luke's Penn Foundation Education: St. Luke's Penn Foundation Mental Health provides educational lectures series, videos and podcasts during the year on topics such as Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Anxiety and Depression and Interventions that Parents Can Use. St. Luke's "Just STARt the Conversation: a dialogue on mental health" podcast is available throughout the community to discuss timely topics in mental health. Over 30 episodes discuss topics ranging from Dealing with A Loved One's Addiction as a Family to Youth Sports and Mental Health. St. Luke's Wellness 101 show is fun and educational and the short video series is designed to help students 12 + and adults thrive (with over 100 episodes). Wellness 101 Junior is for children ages 6-12 with 30 episodes to choose from that range in topics from sleep to how to ask for help. Partnerships and Collaborations: ------------------------------- - Boys and Girls Club Bethlehem - Bethlehem Health Bureau - Community Action Lehigh Valley (CALV) - Bethlehem Library - Northampton Community College - Coalition for Appropriate Transportation - Bethlehem Police Department - SHARE Housing - Pinebrook Family Services - Moravian University - Star Community Health - Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley - Just Born - Lehigh University - New Bethany Ministries - Northampton County SUD Response - Northampton County Suicide Task Force and Question, Persuade, Refer trainings - Second Harvest Lehigh Valley - United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley - Volunteer Center Lehigh Valley - Cay Galgon - CITY OF BETHLEHEM - Bethlehem Emergency Shelter St. Luke's Allentown and Sacred Heart Campuses ---------------------------------------------- St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Through our analysis of primary and secondary data, including the CHNA key informant interviews, forums and surveys with community members, we see significant issues related to social determinants of health (SDOH) facing our communities. Our efforts in prevention, care transformation, research and partnerships help support our work to implement sustainable initiatives that focus on a wide range of health and quality of life outcomes. Through collaborations with community and Network partners, the Department of Community Health (Community Health) aims to promote a more equitable society with improved health outcomes, especially within the Network's most vulnerable populations. Community Health's mission is to create pathways for equity toward measurable health outcomes through advocacy, access and navigation of resources for partners and underserved communities. The Department envisions a community where everyone has access to exceptional health care built on a foundation of trust and compassion. SLUHN partners with local schools, civic organizations and community-based organizations to provide community resources to improve the health of the residents of Lehigh County and the surrounding area. Community health liaisons and community health workers (CHW) build trust in the community to improve access to care, services and resources. Established pathways strengthen connections to primary care, social services, food access, financial literacy, career mentoring and workforce development. The overarching top priority that emerged from the results of the 2022 CHNA was access to care. This prioritizes access to primary care, mental health, dental care and other services, with an emphasis on promoting connections to care for underserved communities. Strategies to support vulnerable populations include a comprehensive approach in our urban and rural communities and school-based efforts in high-need schools and school districts. Schools serve as a community hub and provide sustainable access points to connect with students, families and the surrounding community. Based on the identified needs and priorities, each campus develops plans and sustainable initiatives to improve the health of the community. St. Luke's Allentown and Sacred Heart Campuses support the CHNA priority areas that are identified within the campus service area through monitoring and evaluating current initiatives and incorporating community input. The St. Luke's Allentown and Sacred Heart Community Forum for the 2025 CHNA was held on May 31, 2024, and engaged 28 external and 17 internal partners. Partner input and feedback was integrated into the strategy and response for implementing evidence-based community health initiatives. Overall assessment results from 2022 highlight three main priority focus areas for our Community Health initiatives that include improving access to care, preventing chronic disease and improving mental and behavioral health. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
Improving Access to Care ------------------------ Allentown School District (ASD) Partnership Committees: Community Health and ASD have a longstanding collaboration that connects students and their families to a medical home (i.e., primary care physician), vision, dental, behavioral health and other social services. These efforts have improved access to care and services to families in need. St. Luke's participates in the ASD health partner monthly meetings to address emerging medical issues facing children and their families, as well as the ASD Homelessness Task Force which brings together key community partners to help address issues for students experiencing homelessness. Raub Middle School: St. Luke's partners with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, as well as other local partners, to implement the Community School Model. This includes financial and programmatic support of the school-based Community School Coordinator (CSC) who is cross-trained as a Community Health Worker (CHW). An After School Coordinator (ASC) is also employed to provide enrichment opportunities and to support and connect students and families to services. The Raub CSC and ASC organized 20 diverse programs and initiatives resulting in more than 700 encounters (duplicated), as well as school-wide events available to all students. The Allentown Nurse Excellence Committee supports priority needs at Raub through fundraising efforts, contributing more than $4,500 dollars to assist students with identified barriers. A financial literacy program called the Money Club, in collaboration with First Commonwealth Credit Union, was implemented in September 2023. The program ran for 12 consecutive weeks and was led by two representatives from the bank. The goal was to give students and parents the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting and investing. From September 2023-May 2024 there were 20 families in the adult classes and 32 students in the after-school program. The Raub food pantry served only Raub families during the second half of FY 24, when the community mobile market transitioned to a school-based pantry. From January-May 2024, the school-based pantry served 388 families (1,858 individuals) and a total of 12,626 pounds of food valued at $53,855. Mobile Youth Health Centers (MYHC): The MYHC provided care and services at Newcomer Academy, Raub Middle School and William Allen High School to 370 unique students in the Allentown School District through 1,066 encounters and connected them to medical insurance, a medical home, vision services, dental services and community resources. The Allentown MYHC care team completed referrals resulting in 58 completed visits with a primary care physician. A total of 88 vision vouchers were provided to ASD district students with a monetary value of $15,851. Additional health screenings, vaccines and other services were provided to 580 students. School partnerships and activities were also provided at Harrison Morton Middle School, Hays Elementary School and Union Terrace Elementary School. Star Community Health: Star Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike (FQHCLA) affiliated with St. Luke's that provides care and wraparound services to uninsured and underinsured individuals and families at little or no out-of-pocket cost. Sigal Center, located in Allentown, provided connection to care and services including Primary Care, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Women's Health, Same-Day Care and Dental. Star Community Health's Dental Van visited 10 ASD schools, they served 658 patients and a total of 733 sealants and 218 restorations were provided. Family Medicine Resident Community Education: St. Luke's Sacred Heart Family Medicine first-year medical residents participated in the evidence-based model "See the City You Serve" to provide an opportunity to meet with key partners that help promote overall health and wellbeing. Family Medicine Residents also rotate through the Department of Community Health annually to work with Allentown based community initiatives. Workforce Development and Career Mentoring: St. Luke's supports workforce development initiatives for both school-aged populations and adults including CareerLinking Academy, Health Career Exploration Program and the new Cultural and Linguistic Workforce Development Centers. CareerLinking Academy: CareerLinking Academy combines observational learning experiences and professional development sessions focusing on exposure to health care careers with job readiness skills training. During the 2023-24 academic year, the program partnered with Lincoln Leadership Academy to serve 8 high school students. Health Career Exploration Program (HCEP): Established more than 15 years ago, HCEP offers experiential learning opportunities for high school students from diverse backgrounds explore careers in the health care industry. The program assists students to gain insight into clinical and non-clinical roles, learn employability skills, understand future employment opportunities and build confidence in their abilities. The students spend a maximum of 20 hours per week working in their assigned department and receiving group instruction on a variety of topics to increase their knowledge on employability skills, (e.g., resume development, interviewing skills, leadership, communication in the workplace). Since program inception, 98% of participating students have graduated from high school. During FY 24, 14 students from the Allentown School District enrolled in the program, with all students successfully completing the program. Cultural and Linguistic Workforce Development Centers (CLWDC): The Centers assist workers at any stage in their career to train for and access employment opportunities that meet the demands of local employers in the Lehigh Valley. During FY 24, the Allentown Center engaged a total of 269 individuals. Of these clients, 68% enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in partnership with The Literacy Center, skill-based trainings with Lehigh Carbon Community College and/or received employment services. Community Health Navigation: Community Health Navigation had 1,591 encounters (e.g., calls, appointments, follow ups) with 408 unique individuals. These encounters resulted in 235 referrals and 178 established and completed visits. Of those referrals, 155 patients completed a visit with a primary care physician. Various resources such as clothing, hygiene and bus passes were provided to patients in need. This includes homeless or near homeless, adults, families and others facing hardships. Bridging the Gap funds were distributed to patients to support their basic needs totaling $7,460.57. Community Health Navigation also partners with local community-based organizations such as Ripple Community Inc. and Daybreak to coordinate care and connection to services, as well as the student-Led Interdisciplinary Care Center (SLICC) led by Temple/St. Luke's medical students. findhelp: St. Luke's partners with findhelp, a free self-navigating online platform (sluhn.findhelp.com). findhelp is a social care network established to provide a comprehensive platform for people to find social services in their communities and for nonprofit and other community-based organizations to coordinate their service delivery and support services. St. Luke's Information Technology, Quality, Case Management and Community Health teams work collaboratively, especially with Star Community Health, to 1,246 established (i.e., claimed) community-based partners in the communities we serve. findhelp allows community members to search for and connect to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) support such as financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, transportation and more. This platform, as well as United Way's 211, are tools that Community Health Liaisons use to assist our community members, patients and staff to connect to vital resources. Community Health continues to onboard priority partners to ensure accurate and up-to-date resources are available to our communities. Network-wide there were 30,227 searches during FY 24 with the top searches including food, housing and utilities. In Lehigh County, there were a total of 8,950 searches during FY 24, with the top searches including food, transportation and federal and state assistance programs. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
SLICC (Student-led Interdisciplinary Care Center): SLICC is a student-run center in collaboration with Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine. The goal of the center is to meet community needs, especially in, or near, the housing insecure populations in the community. Students work with medical faculty mentors to establish a bridge between those with limited access to care and the greater health system by promoting cooperation and trust between the health care system and the community. SLICC not only provides clinical services with the goal of connecting patients to a medical home, but they also address SDOH by providing basic needs during clinic hours (e.g., food, clothing, hygiene products). During FY 24, SLICC provided clinical services to 68 unique individuals with 129 encounters and more than 500 SDOH resources (e.g., clothing, food, hygiene products) to individuals and families in need. Transportation -------------- St. Luke's transportation services, in collaboration with Lyft and Uber rideshares, ensures access to care by supporting rides to and from appointments. Transportation initiatives supported by SLUHN align with the primary goal of improving access to primary care for homeless and near homeless populations. By providing complimentary Lyft and Uber rides to and from appointments with primary care doctors and other specialists, this initiative allows patients to receive routine care in a timely manner, with the added goal of reducing the frequency and overuse of Emergency Department resources. More than $900,000 in Lyft and Uber rides were provided for services Network-wide. Housing ------- Blueprint Community Program: The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank) selected ten new communities to become a Blueprint Community Program, including Allentown's 1st, 6th and Jordan Heights areas. The program invests in the revitalization of communities and neighborhoods in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. St. Luke's, the only health care network to join this community team, will participate for the next 18 months in a comprehensive training to plan for a revitalization effort in Allentown. The effort was spearheaded by Embassy Bank of the Lehigh Valley and includes the following organizations: Casa Guadalupe, Allentown Economic Development Corp, Lehigh County Housing Authority, Allentown Housing Authority, City of Allentown and Community Action of the Lehigh Valley. The team will develop strategies for revitalization that improve quality of life for residents and focus on building community assets, engagement, housing improvements and increased employment and economic engagement. Past participating communities have leveraged the Blueprint Communities efforts into millions of public/private investments for their communities. Housing Action Committee: Habitat for Humanity Lehigh Valley, Community Action Lehigh Valley, City of Allentown and additional partners provided home repairs and lead abatement services in Allentown. St. Luke's continues to be part of the monthly meeting to discuss current work orders and collaborations on work projects, as well as providing support and resources to community members. HOPE (Health, Outreach, Prevention, Education): HOPE at St. Luke's provides clinical, case management and prevention services to persons living with HIV. At the end of FY 24, 368 active (unduplicated) patients were receiving medical care at the Bethlehem and Easton locations. There has been an increase in patients with complex needs (e.g., medically compromised, homeless, uninsured, undocumented). There were 489 active patients that received Medical Case Management services in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Tannersville. In collaboration with AIDSNET and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, HOPE opened an office at St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus in 2022, expanding HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS) services to Lehigh County. HOPE hired five Housing Coordinators and two additional Case Managers to meet the growing needs of those served. During FY 24, 127 patients received housing assistance through ongoing rental assistance, connection to public housing, or by actively working with a Housing Coordinator to identify housing opportunities for 182 housing services. Maternal and Child Health ------------------------- Since 1919, St. Luke's Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) has been serving the Lehigh Valley and surrounding communities. It is a not-for-profit agency that provides a full range of services including home health and hospice services; and mother/baby care to residents of the communities served. The VNA operates three programs under the Maternal Child Health department that support children and families. The first is a prevention model Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) which supports and fosters positive parenting in our community making the Lehigh Valley a better place for families and children. St. Luke's NFP program was established in 2001 and serves low-income families in Lehigh and Northampton counties and its goals are to improve pregnancy outcomes, improve child health and development and enhance the economic self-sufficiency of the family. Each NFP family is partnered with a Registered Nurse (RN) early in the mother's pregnancy and receives ongoing nurse home visits throughout the pregnancy and after birth through the child's second birthday. During FY 24, NFP had 1,038 referrals, 440 families served, and 4,839 visits completed. There were 84% of babies in the program born at term and 85% of those babies born at a healthy weight. There were 97% of children vaccinated at two years of age and 66% of mothers working at the time they graduated from the NFP program. Additionally, 87% of mothers who completed the program delayed their next pregnancy beyond two years. The second is a new model brought to the VNA this fiscal year in collaboration with St. Luke's Behavioral Health Integrations team, Moving Beyond Depression, is in the pilot phase to help support mothers enrolled in NFP with a diagnosis of major depression. Initial results indicate a 93% client satisfaction score, with 83% of clients reporting improved quality of life and 83% more likely to seek mental health care in the future. The third program is an intervention program, the Visiting Nurse Advocate for the County (VNAC). This intensively focused program provides services to families that are referred by the Offices of Children, Youth and Family Services (OCYS) in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. The program works to promote positive growth in the families and serves to create safety nets for the children involved. Families are partnered with a RN, who provide family support, parenting education and guidance, life skills and case management services. The services are provided using a holistic nursing approach, centered on family preservation. The goals of this program are that the parent/caregiver will provide a safe environment for the child, to increase parenting knowledge and skills and that the parent/ caregiver will mee the child's health and medical needs. During FY 24, there were 99 families served, with 82% showing improved safety in the living environment, 73% improved parenting knowledge and skills and 85% improved child's health and medical needs being met. Preventing Chronic Disease -------------------------- Raub Food Pantry: Through a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, St. Luke's school-based staff implemented a monthly mobile food pantry at Raub Middle School for students, families and the school community. The pantry was open to the community until November 2023 and was serving approximately 350 households each month, providing approximately $91,000 of food. Beginning in November 2023, the pantry shifted to become an internal school-based pantry to provide more frequent access to food for students and their families. From January-May 2024, the school-based pantry served 388 families (1,858 individuals) and a total of 12,626 pounds of food valued at $53,855. Summer Meals Food Access: St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus, in partnership with Catholic Charities and other local organizations, provided daily meals (Monday-Friday) for food insecure children from the ages of 0-18 during the summer months. There were 1,366 meals served to children and 592 meals to adults at the Sacred Heart site between June-August 2024. Through grant funds, families were provided fresh vegetables every week with shares from local farmers along with weekend bags of nonperishable items. These bags also included recipes, community resources and education. Financial support for the program was provided by Westside Hammer Electric, a division of Hatzel and Buehler. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
Employee Wellness: St. Luke's University Health Network recognizes that the health of its workforce is important and vital to the success of our organization. In order to support our employees and their spouses, the St. Luke's Employee Wellness Team provides evidence-based programming and health education to empower individuals to positively impact their health and reduce their risk of chronic health conditions through making healthy lifestyle choices. In alignment with the Network CHNA top priorities (i.e., Access to Care, Chronic Disease Prevention, Mental and Behavioral Health), Employee Wellness provides opportunities for employees and their spouses to focus on their physical, mental and social well-being, to help foster a high quality of life while managing the demands of their roles at work and home. During FY 24, the following programs and resources were provided to support employee wellness: Caring Starts with You Core (annual biometric and health risk assessment program), Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program, health coaching, Plant Based Eating Class, Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), tobacco cessation, Employee Fitness Incentive Program, massage therapy, Silver Cloud, Employee Assistance Program and Therapy Anywhere. The CSA program provided the opportunity to improve access to fresh, local produce. In the Allentown and Sacred Heart service area, a total of $52,560 was invested in our local farms during the 2023 CSA season. Additionally, through this initiative, 284 shares were donated in the Allentown and Sacred Heart service area to a local food pantries and non-profit organizations. Diabetes Education and Prevention: Diabetes Self-Management, Education and Support (DSMES) is provided for patients In Allentown, Bethlehem and Coaldale through the Department of Community Health. This program is executed through our partnership with the Association of Diabetes Care and Execution Specialists for our Diabetes Education Accreditation Program (DEAP). Additionally, St. Luke's Center for Diabetes & Endocrinology serves additional sites throughout the network. The Department of Community Health established a quality improvement initiative, Diabetes CARES (Clinical Assessment, Resources, Education and Support), for patients at Star Community Health (Allentown and Bethlehem). This program, in collaboration with our residencies, provides DSMES and a focused team approach to reduce the percentage of patients with poorly controlled diabetes (HgbA1c > 9.0). This initiative included clinical diabetes visits, diabetes education with a bilingual Community Health Worker, physical activity opportunities, diabetes self-management, support and access to healthy food. The project's goal was to decrease the clinic's overall Diabetes Poor Control from 34% to 30%; Star Community Health Sigal Center achieved 30%. Smoking Cessation: SLUHN's smoking cessation program provides services with certified tobacco treatment specialists, physicians and/or advanced practitioners for individuals currently using tobacco and interested in quitting. During FY 24, 324 SLUHN patients received treatment for nicotine/tobacco, a 17% increase from FY 23. St. Luke's received a Comprehensive Center of Excellence accreditation from the Smoking Treatment Accreditation & Recognition (STAR) team, a program funded by the PA Department of Health and managed by the Health Promotion Council. STAR's mission is to facilitate the integration of tobacco dependence treatment into existing health care workflows and to recognize organizations whose smoking cessation services exceed exceptional standards. Physical Activity: Get Your Tail on the Trail is a free program created in 2013 by SLUHN and Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. The program aims to help people of all ages and abilities to meet their personal fitness goals. Since program inception, there have been a total of 5,757,196 miles recorded. Network-wide, there were 2,382 active users that logged 712,995 miles during FY 24. Improving Mental and Behavioral Health -------------------------------------- St. Luke's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Response Warm Hand Off (WHO): WHO is an initiative to support the continuum of care for patients in need of multiple services and providers. It is a transfer of care between providers with the patient (and potentially family) present to ensure clear communication and transparency, while helping to build relationships between patients and providers. St. Luke's collaborates with local community-based organizations and local county to support WHO efforts. Additionally, a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) is employed in both the Allentown and Sacred Heart emergency departments to support WHO. In the Allentown and Sacred Heart Hospitals, a total of 793 WHO were conducted for alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioids and other stimulants during FY 24. Narcan Education and Distribution: This service is provided to the community and in the Emergency Department, including a Certified Recovery Specialist, for individuals that present with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and/or overdose. St. Luke's SUD Services: St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus' Medical Detox Unit and SUD services (e.g., Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), SHARE clinic, behavioral health services) continue to provide vital SUD services. Recovery Center Support: Partnership between St. Luke's and Treatment Trends Inc. provides an opportunity for Temple/St. Luke's medical students to implement the student-Led Interdisciplinary Care Center (SLICC) which engages with underserved populations, provide connections to care and other SDOH services. Through our Community School partnership, positive mental health messaging and support was provided to Raub Middle School students, teachers and staff. Suicide Prevention Coalition of the Lehigh County: St. Luke's supports the Lehigh County Suicide Task Force's steering committee as well as their action teams (Prevention and Intervention and Awareness and Engagement). St. Luke's, along with other partners, collaborate to support social service organizations concerned about the rising number of deaths by suicide. This is funded by Lehigh County Mental Health and a community project grant from SAMHSA. St. Luke's Penn Foundation Education: St. Luke's Penn Foundation Mental Health provides educational lectures series, videos and podcasts during the year on topics such as Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Anxiety and Depression and Interventions that Parents Can Use. St. Luke's "Just STARt the Conversation: a dialogue on mental health" podcast is available throughout the community to discuss timely topics in mental health. Over 30 episodes discuss topics ranging from Dealing with A Loved One's Addiction as a Family to Youth Sports and Mental Health. St. Luke's Wellness 101 show is a fun, educational and the short video series is designed to help students 12+ and adults thrive (with over 100 episodes). Wellness 101 Junior is for children ages 6-12 with 30 episodes to choose from that range in topics from sleep to how to ask for help. Partnership Collaborations -------------------------- - Allentown Police Department - Allentown Health Bureau - Allentown Public Library - Allentown Economic Development Corporation - Allentown School District - Allentown Housing Authority - Bloom - Allentown Economic Development Corp. - CareerLink (Sacred Heart Campus) - Bradberry Sullivan LGBT Community Center - Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley - Casa Guadalupe - Catholic Charities - Cedar Crest College - Century Promise - Community Service for Children - City of Allentown - Cohesion - Community Action of the Lehigh Valley - Daybreak (Lehigh Conference of Churches) - DeSales University - Embassy Bank - First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union - Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley - LANTA - Laundry on Linden - Lehigh Carbon Community College - Lehigh Valley Planning Commission - Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute - Lehigh Valley Economic Development Cooperation - Coalition for Transportation Lehigh Valley - Lehigh Conference of Churches - Lehigh County Suicide Task Force - Muhlenberg College - Penn College - Pennsylvania Downtown Center - Promise Neighborhoods - Pinebrook Family Answers - Ripple Community, Inc. - Sacred Heart Church - Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania - Star Community Health - Treatment Trends, Inc. - The Center (Treatment Trends, Inc.) - United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley - YMCA |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
St. Luke's Lehighton Campus --------------------------- St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Through our analysis of primary and secondary data, including the CHNA key informant interviews, forums and surveys with community members, we see significant issues related to social determinants of health (SDOH) facing our communities. Our efforts in prevention, care transformation, research and partnerships help support our work to implement sustainable initiatives that focus on a wide range of health and quality of life outcomes. Through collaborations with community and Network partners, the Department of Community Health (Community Health) aims to promote a more equitable society with improved health outcomes, especially within the Network's most vulnerable populations. Community Health's mission is to create pathways for equity toward measurable health outcomes through advocacy, access and navigation of resources for partners and underserved communities. The Department envisions a community where everyone has access to exceptional health care built on a foundation of trust and compassion. SLUHN partners with local schools, civic organizations and provides community resources to improve the health of the residents of Carbon and Schuylkill counties and the surrounding area. Community health liaisons and community health workers (CHW) build trust in the community to improve access to care, services and resources. Established pathways strengthen connections to primary care, social services, food access, financial literacy, career mentoring and workforce development. The overarching top priority that emerged from the results of the 2022 CHNA was access to care. This prioritizes access to primary care, mental health, dental care and other services, with an emphasis on promoting connections to care for underserved communities. Strategies to support vulnerable populations include a comprehensive approach in our urban and rural communities and school-based efforts in high-need schools and school districts. Schools serve as a community hub and provide sustainable access points to connect with students, families and the surrounding community. Based on the identified needs and priorities, each campus develops plans and sustainable initiatives to improve the health of the community. St. Luke's Carbon and Lehighton Campuses supports the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) priority areas that are identified within the campus service area by collecting and analyzing data and community input. The St. Luke's Carbon and Lehighton 2025 CHNA Community Forum was held on April 26, 2024 and engaged 17 external and 13 internal partners. Partner input and feedback was integrated into the strategy and response for implementing evidence-based community health initiatives in the communities we serve. Overall, 2022 assessment results highlight three main priority focus areas for our community health initiatives that include improving access to care, preventing chronic disease and improving mental and behavioral health. Improving Access to Care ------------------------ Head Start: Head Start is a federally funded program designed to promote school readiness for children from low-income families. It serves children from birth to age five and supports their cognitive, social and emotional development. Community Health staff, cross trained as CHWs, provide connection to care services to students and families at PathStone Head Start. findhelp: St. Luke's partners with findhelp, a free self-navigating online platform (sluhn.findhelp.com). findhelp is a social care network established to provide a comprehensive platform for people to find social services in their communities and for nonprofit and other community-based organizations to coordinate their service delivery and support services. St. Luke's Information Technology, Quality, Case Management and Community Health work collaboratively, especially with Star Community Health, with more than 1,246 established (i.e., claimed) community-based partners in the communities we serve. findhelp allows community members to search for and connect to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) support such as financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, transportation and more. This platform, as well as United Way's 211, are tools that Community Health liaisons use to assist our community members, patients and staff to connect to vital resources. Community Health continues to onboard priority partners to ensure accurate and up-to-date resources are available to our communities. Network-wide there were 30,227 searches during FY 24 with the top searches including food, housing and utilities. In the Carbon and Lehighton service area, there were a total of 1,951 searches during FY 24 (Carbon County), with the top services including food, housing and health (e.g., dental care, disability benefits). Literacy: St. Luke's promotes literacy in Carbon County through the evidence-based Reach Out and Read (ROR) program in partnership with Carbon County Community Foundation. ROR is integrated into our Carbon County pediatric and family medicine practices to engage families during each well patient visit. In addition, Brush, Book, Bed (BBB), an American Academy of Pediatrics initiative to engage families on the importance of a regular bedtime routine, is integrated to promote oral health, literacy and healthy lifestyles and behaviors. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library initiative, also funded by the Carbon County Community Foundation, further supports literacy and provides age-appropriate books for all Carbon County children enrolled. During FY 24, participating St. Luke's Physician Group pediatrics and family medicine practices completed 1,711 well visits for children ages 0-5 years in which trained providers and staff engaged families with messaging and resources vital for growth and development. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library initiative provides Carbon County children with an age-appropriate new book each month. At the end of FY 24, there were 1,281 active children in the program and since 2021, 649 have "graduated", meaning they aged-out of the program (i.e., reached age six). Additionally, literacy promotion through Read Across America was implemented at local schools along with the Veterans Literacy Initiative at the St. Luke's Lehighton Campus as well as Little Free Libraries. Carbon Collaborative: St. Luke's Community Health partners with the Carbon County Interagency Collaborative to provide consistent communications and support. More than 100 Carbon County social service organizations and nonprofit partners are represented, with over 35 regularly contributing to collaborative meetings. The committee identifies gaps, barriers and opportunities and prioritizes how to best align existing services and strengthen connections to care, education and resources. Additionally, several subcommittees and initiatives are established to build capacity for key community needs (e.g., transportation, literacy, early childhood education, prevention efforts, homeless task force). Transportation: St. Luke's transportation services, in collaboration with Lyft and Uber rideshare, ensures access to care by supporting rides to and from appointments. Transportation initiatives supported by SLUHN align with the primary goal of improving access to primary care for homeless and near homeless populations. By providing complimentary Lyft and Uber rides to and from appointments with primary care doctors and other specialists, this initiative allows patients to receive routine care in a timely manner, with the added goal of reducing the frequency and overuse of Emergency Department resources. More than $900,000 in Lyft and Uber rides were provided for services Network-wide. |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
Carbon County School Districts: St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) school-based staff provide services to students and families in the Panther Valley School District (PVSD) and our Community Health Workers (CHW) help support programs and initiatives at Carbon County School Districts. St. Luke's staff also help to implement a food pantry for PVSD families facing food insecurity. In collaboration with the St. Luke's Rural Health Centers and with support from CHWs, connections to care were established to improve access to school physicals, vaccinations, education and resources. The Star Community Health Dental Van partnered with 11 local schools during FY 24 providing services to 555 patients, including 452 sealants and 119 restorations. The Carbon County schools the dental van visits are Panther Valley Elementary, Intermediate and High School, SS Palmer Elementary School, Weatherly Elementary School, Behavioral Health Associates (BHA), as well as visits to PathStone Lehighton Head Start. Priorities in Panther Valley School District (PVSD) aligned with the Community School Model to connect students and their families to a medical home, vision, dental, behavioral health services and other social services. During FY 24, through the Mobile Youth Health Centers, 73 unique students were provided care and services through 73 encounters and consistent connection to care with school-based coordinators. Preventing Chronic Disease -------------------------- Community Supported Agriculture: St. Luke's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) donated 22 shares of fresh fruits and vegetables from the St. Luke's Anderson Rodale Organic Farm to PathStone Head Start families. The Panther Valley Community Food Pantry was held monthly at Panther Valley Elementary and parent outreach services were provided at the pantry. The CSA invested a total of $12,440 as revenue for local farmers. Older Adult Meal Program: The Carbon Campus Older Adult Meals Program is designed to provide subsidized meals to adults 65 and older at the Carbon Campus cafeteria, which served 6,101 meals during FY 24. This initiative addresses food security and loneliness among older adults. Food Security: The Rural Health Center food access partnership was implemented to improve patient intake of fresh produce to help support healthy eating habits. The VALOR Foundation Stand Down Lansford for veterans provided quarterly food access support services. Physical Activity: Get Your Tail on the Trail is a free program created in 2013 by SLUHN and Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. The program aims to help people of all ages and abilities to meet their personal fitness goals. Since program inception, there have been a total of 5,757,196 miles recorded. Network-wide, there were 2,382 active users that logged 712,995 miles during FY 24. Employee Wellness: St. Luke's University Health Network recognizes that the health of its workforce is important and vital to the success of our organization. In order to support our employees and their spouses, the St. Luke's Employee Wellness Team provides evidence-based programming and health education to empower individuals to positively impact their health and reduce their risk of chronic health conditions through making healthy lifestyle choices. In alignment with the Network CHNA top priorities (i.e., Access to Care, Chronic Disease Prevention, Mental and Behavioral Health), Employee Wellness provides opportunities for employees and their spouses to focus on their physical, mental and social well-being, to help foster a high quality of life while managing the demands of their roles at work and home. During FY 24, the following programs and resources were provided to support employee wellness: Caring Starts with You Core (annual biometric and health risk assessment program), Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA), health coaching, Plant Based Eating Class, Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), tobacco cessation, Employee Fitness Incentive Program, massage therapy, Silver Cloud, Employee Assistance Program and Therapy Anywhere. The CSA program provided the opportunity to improve access to fresh, local produce. Through this initiative, 22 shares were donated in the Carbon and Lehighton service area to a local food pantries and non-profit organizations. Smoking Cessation: SLUHN's smoking cessation program provides services with certified tobacco treatment specialists, physicians and/or advanced practitioners for individuals currently using tobacco and interested in quitting. During FY 24, 324 SLUHN patients received treatment for nicotine/tobacco, a 17% increase from FY 23. St. Luke's received a Comprehensive Center of Excellence accreditation from the Smoking Treatment Accreditation & Recognition (STAR) team, a program funded by the PA Department of Health and managed by the Health Promotion Council. STAR's mission is to facilitate the integration of tobacco dependence treatment into existing health care workflows and to recognize organizations whose smoking cessation services exceed exceptional standards. Improving Mental and Behavioral Health -------------------------------------- St. Luke's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Response Warm Hand Off (WHO): WHO is an initiative to support the continuum of care for patients in need of multiple services and providers. It is a transfer of care between providers with the patient (and potentially family) present to ensure clear communication, transparency and helps to build relationships between patients and providers. St. Luke's collaborates with local community-based organizations and local county to support WHO efforts. In the Carbon Hospital (Lehighton does not have an emergency department), a total of 63 WHO were conducted for alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioids and other stimulants during FY 24. Stigma Presentations: The Department of Community Health worked with partners to deliver a Community Stigma Presentation for Carbon and Schuylkill Counties. Narcan Education and Distribution: Narcan education and distribution was provided during FY 24 to community members in Carbon and Schuylkill Counties through eleven events and providing 141 boxes of Narcan to the community. Safe Medication Disposal: Safe medication disposal boxes continued to provide a space to dispose of unwanted medicines at the St. Luke's Carbon Campus. During FY 24, 297.7 pounds of unused medication were safely disposed. Behavioral Health Walk-in Center: St. Luke's Psychiatric Associates' behavioral health walk-in center is located at the Lehighton Campus, offers a welcoming and comfortable, nonresidential environment for those dealing with a variety of mental health issues. Those seeking services or support for a non-life-threatening mental health circumstance will be greeted by a medical receptionist and will be assessed by a professional crisis intervention specialist in a relaxed, non-clinical environment. Individuals will be evaluated and provided with the resources and/or referrals needed to deal with the immediate situation. This may include psychotherapy sessions or connections other community resources (e.g., Veterans Affairs) and specialists. A case manager may be assigned to provide ongoing support. St. Luke's Penn Foundation Education: St. Luke's Penn Foundation Mental Health provides educational lectures series, videos and podcasts during the year on topics such as Recognizing Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Anxiety and Depression and Interventions that Parents Can Use. St. Luke's "Just STARt the Conversation: a dialogue on mental health" podcast is available throughout the community to discuss timely topics in mental health. Over 30 episodes discuss topics ranging from Dealing with A Loved One's Addiction as a Family to Youth Sports and Mental Health. St. Luke's Wellness 101 show is fun and educational and the short video series is designed to help students 12 + and adults thrive (with over 100 episodes). Wellness 101 Junior is for children ages 6-12 with 30 episodes to choose from that range in topics from sleep to how to ask for help. Partnerships and Collaborations ------------------------------- - Area Health Education Center (AHEC) - Blue Mountain Ski Resort Community partnership - Carbon County Area Agency on Aging - Carbon County Transit - Carbon County KidZone - Carbon County Interagency Collaborative Council - Carbon County Mental Health - Carbon County Technical Institute - College and Carbon County CareerLink Career Mentoring - Carbon County Veteran Affairs - Houser Newman - Panther Valley School District - Waverly School District - Lehighton School District - Palmerton School District - Jim Thorpe School District - Weatherly School District - PathStone Head Start - Pennsylvania State Police |
| CORE FORM, PART III, STATEMENT OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
SPONSORSHIP =========== In FY 24, the campuses of St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem Pennsylvania provided community sponsorships to the following organizations serving our mutual community populations in need: St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus --------------------------- - Athlife Foundation, Inc. - Bethlehem Area School District - Bethlehem Chamber 0f Commerce - Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) - Bethlehem Golf Club - Bloom for Women, Inc. - Friends of the Bethlehem Mounted Police - Greater Lehigh Valley Athletics Inc - Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce - Healing Through the Arts - Hispanic Center of The Lehigh Valley - Historic Bethlehem Museum and Sites - Latino Medical Student Association Northeast - Lehigh Valley Charter High School - Lehigh Valley Softball Academy - Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame - Lehigh Sports Association - Lehigh Valley Academy Regional - Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club - Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League - Lehigh University - Lehigh Valley Charter School for The Arts - Lehigh Valley Senior All-Star - Liberty High School Football - Liberty High School Football - Moravian Academy - Moravian University - New Bethany Ministries - Northampton Community College - Salem Christian School - Salisbury Township School District - Saucon Valley School District - South Bethlehem Historical Society - Southside Arts District - Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Inc. - The Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District - Upper Saucon Chamber of Commerce - Via of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. - Volunteer Center of The Lehigh Valley - Yasso Rothrock Christmas City Classic St. Luke's Allentown Campus and St. Luke's Sacred Heart Campus -------------------------------------------------------------- - 911 Heroes Run - Allentown Area Corvette Club - Allentown Athletic Association - Allentown Fair - Allentown Rescue Mission - Allentown School District - Allentown St. Patrick's Parade - Andre Reed Foundation - Athlife Foundation, Inc. - Baum School of Art - Boys And Girls Club of Allentown - Cedar Beach Basketball Showcase - Cedar Crest College - Community Music School - Dieruff Athletic Booster Club - Dieruff Girls Basketball - East Penn Raiders LLC - EC/BCLS Training Center - Good Shepherd - Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce - Ironpigs Charities - Jewish Federation - Justin Sheftel Memorial Fund - Lehigh Carbon Community College - Lehigh Career and Technical Institute Health Occupation Students of America) - Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League - Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Baseball Team) - Lehigh Valley Phantoms - Lower Macungie Township - Metro Decorators, Inc. - Northampton Area Konkrete Kids - Northampton Area School - Northampton Kids Swim Club - Northeast Bethlehem Raiders - North Catasauqua Police Dept - North Parkland Athletic Association - Pa Latino Convention - Parkland Area School District - Parkland Field Hockey Booster Club - Salem Christian School - Salisbury Township School District - Second Harvest Food Bank - Southern Lehigh School District - St Thomas More Soccer Club - Suicide Prevention Coalition of The Lehigh Valley - Western Lehigh United Soccer Club - Whitehall Sports Turf - Whitehall-Coplay School District - YWCA Allentown St. Luke's Lehighton Campus --------------------------- - Blue Mountain Athletics - Blue Mountain Resort - Blue Mountain School District - Bo Thach Foundation - Carbon County Community Foundation - Bowmanstown Area Residents Connected (BARC) - Boyertown Area School District - Carbon County Community Foundation - City of Hazleton Parks & Rec - Dream Come True, Blue Ridge Chapter - Hippie 5K - Lehigh Carbon Community College - Lehighton Area School District - North Schuylkill School District - Northern Lehigh Area School District - Palmerton Area School District - Schuylkill Haven School District - Schuylkill League, Inc. - Tamaqua's Safer Streets for Little Feet - Valley Royale Foundation |
| CORE FORM, PART V; QUESTIONS 1A & 1B AND CORE FORM, PART VII |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. THIS ORGANIZATION PAYS ALL OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTS PAYABLE INVOICES ON BEHALF OF MOST OTHER AFFILIATES WITHIN THE ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS SERVICE, THIS ORGANIZATION ALSO PREPARES AND ISSUES FORMS 1099 TO THESE VENDORS RECEIVING PAYMENTS WHERE APPLICABLE AND FILES THESE FORMS 1099 WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. THIS ORGANIZATION ALLOCATES THESE PAYMENTS TO THE APPROPRIATE AFFILIATES WITHIN THE NETWORK VIA AN INTERCOMPANY ACCOUNT. IN ADDITION, THIS ORGANIZATION ISSUES FORMS W-2 TO INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDE SERVICES AT VARIOUS AFFILIATES WITHIN THE NETWORK. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS SERVICE, THIS ORGANIZATION FILES THE APPLICABLE FORMS WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. THIS ORGANIZATION ALLOCATES PERSONNEL COSTS AND ALL ASSOCIATED BENEFITS TO THE APPROPRIATE AFFILIATES WITHIN THE ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL & HEALTH NETWORK VIA AN INTERCOMPANY ACCOUNT. |
| CORE FORM, PART V; QUESTION 15 |
DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2024, RICHARD A. ANDERSON, CAROL A. KUPLEN, RN, MSN, JOEL D. FAGERSTROM, ROBERT E. MARTIN, ROBERT L. WAX, ESQ. AND SCOTT R. WOLFE SERVED AS OFFICERS AND WERE INVOLVED IN THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF St. Luke's Health Network, Inc. ON A FULL TIME BASIS. ALTHOUGH THESE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVE A FEDERAL FORM W-2 FROM ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL OF BETHLEHEM PENNSYLVANIA (EIN: 23-1352213), THEIR COMMON LAW EMPLOYER/EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP IS WITH ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. ACCORDINGLY, St. Luke's Health Network, Inc. FILED A 2023 FEDERAL FORM 4720 WHICH INCLUDED A REMITTANCE OF EXCISE TAX RELATED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S COMPENSATION IN EXCESS OF $1M. JEFFREY A. JAHRE, M.D. SERVES AS THE SVP MEDICAL & ACADEMIC AFFAIRS FOR ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. HE IS EMPLOYED BY AND RECEIVES A FEDERAL FORM W-2 FROM THIS ORGANIZATION. ACCORDINGLY, HIS COMMON LAW EMPLOYER/EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP IS WITH ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK INC. DID NOT FILE A 2023 FEDERAL FORM 4720 FOR ANY REMITTANCE OF EXCISE TAX RELATED TO HIS COMPENSATION IN EXCESS OF $1M BECAUSE HIS 2023 W-2 BOX 1 AMOUNT DID NOT EXCEED THE $1M THRESHOLD AND THUS EXEMPT FROM EXCISE TAX AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 4960. |
| CORE FORM, PART VI, SECTION A; QUESTION 3 |
The organization is an affiliate within St. Luke's University Health Network ("Network"); a tax-exempt integrated healthcare delivery network. St. Luke's Health Network, Inc. serves as the parent organization of the Network. As the parent organization St. Luke's Health Network, Inc. provides various corporate related services for the benefit of various Network entities. These corporate services, include, but are not limited to, executive, legal and risk management, compliance and governance, human resources and finance (accounting, payroll, accounts payable). The costs associated with these services are paid for by St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania allocates a portion of the costs for these corporate services to various Network entities subject to approval by St. Luke's Health Network. In addition, St. Luke's Health Network, Inc. senior management personnel reported on this Form 990 are issued Forms W-2 from St. Luke's Hospital of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. |
| CORE FORM, PART VI, SECTION A; QUESTIONS 6 & 7 |
ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. IS THE SOLE MEMBER OF THIS ORGANIZATION. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. HAS THE RIGHT TO ELECT THE MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND HAS CERTAIN RESERVED POWERS AS DEFINED IN THIS ORGANIZATION'S BYLAWS. |
| CORE FORM, PART VI, SECTION B; QUESTION 11B |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. IS THE TAX-EXEMPT PARENT ENTITY OF THE NETWORK. THE ORGANIZATION'S FEDERAL FORM 990 WAS PROVIDED TO EACH VOTING MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING BODY (ITS BOARD OF TRUSTEES) PRIOR TO THE FILING WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE ("IRS"). IN ADDITION, THE ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS UPDATED AS TO THIS ORGANIZATION'S CURRENT YEAR FORM 990 PRIOR TO FILING. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS DELEGATED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO OVERSEE AND COORDINATE THE FEDERAL FORM 990 PREPARATION AND FILING PROCESS FOR THE TAX-EXEMPT AFFILIATES OF THE NETWORK. AS PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FEDERAL FORM 990 TAX RETURN PREPARATION PROCESS THE ORGANIZATION HIRED A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING ("CPA") FIRM WITH EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE IN BOTH HEALTHCARE AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT TAX RETURN PREPARATION TO PREPARE THE FEDERAL FORM 990. THE CPA FIRM'S TAX PROFESSIONALS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE NETWORK'S FINANCE PERSONNEL, INCLUDING ITS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE, DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING AND VARIOUS OTHER NETWORK INDIVIDUALS ("INTERNAL WORKING GROUP") TO OBTAIN THE INFORMATION NEEDED IN ORDER TO PREPARE A COMPLETE AND ACCURATE TAX RETURN. THE CPA FIRM PREPARED A DRAFT FEDERAL FORM 990 AND FURNISHED IT TO THE NETWORK'S INTERNAL WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR REVIEW. THE NETWORK'S INTERNAL WORKING GROUP REVIEWED THE DRAFT FEDERAL FORM 990 AND DISCUSSED QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS WITH THE CPA FIRM. REVISIONS WERE MADE TO THE DRAFT FEDERAL FORM 990 WHERE NECESSARY AND A FINAL DRAFT WAS FURNISHED BY THE CPA FIRM TO THE NETWORK'S INTERNAL WORKING GROUP FOR FINAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRIOR TO PRESENTATION OF THE FEDERAL FORM 990 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. FINANCE COMMITTEE. THEREAFTER, THE FINAL FEDERAL FORM 990 WAS PROVIDED TO EACH VOTING MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING BODY PRIOR TO FILING WITH THE IRS. |
| CORE FORM, PART VI, SECTION B; QUESTION 12 |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. IS THE TAX-EXEMPT PARENT ENTITY OF THE NETWORK. THE NETWORK HAS A WRITTEN CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY AND REGULARLY MONITORS AND ENFORCES COMPLIANCE WITH THAT POLICY. THE POLICY REQUIRES THAT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM CONSISTENT WITH BEST GOVERNANCE PRACTICES AND INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE GUIDELINES BE CIRCULATED TO OFFICERS, TRUSTEES, BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANNUALLY. THE NETWORK'S COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING ITS CORPORATE COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL COUNSEL, ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONNAIRES AND ENFORCEMENT WITH THE POLICY. IF A TRUSTEE DISCLOSES AN INTEREST THAT COULD GIVE RISE TO A CONFLICT, THE TRUSTEE'S POTENTIAL CONFLICT MAY BE DISCLOSED TO THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING BODY, WHICH EVALUATES THE CONFLICT AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE TRUSTEE'S PARTICIPATION ON THE BOARD. AFTER CONSULTATION AND DISCUSSION THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY TAKE ACTION, IF APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY, TO ADDRESS ANY SUCH CONFLICT IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE NETWORK'S CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY. |
| CORE FORM, PART VI, SECTION B; QUESTION 15 |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. IS THE TAX-EXEMPT PARENT ENTITY OF THE NETWORK. COMPENSATION REVIEW EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION FOR THE NETWORK CONSISTS OF FIXED SALARY, AT-RISK COMPENSATION AND OTHER DEFERRED COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS. TOTAL COMPENSATION FOR NETWORK EXECUTIVES IS APPROVED ANNUALLY BY THE NETWORK'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THE RECOMMENDED COMPENSATION IS ESTABLISHED THROUGH A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH INCLUDING USE OF AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT ENGAGED ON AN ONGOING BASIS BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND WHO WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD. ALSO INCLUDED IS THE REVIEW OF FORMS 990 AND COMPENSATION SURVEYS OF OTHER COMPARABLE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS. |
| CORE FORM, PART VI, SECTION C; QUESTION 19 |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. IS THE TAX-EXEMPT PARENT ENTITY OF THE NETWORK. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. HAS ISSUED TAX-EXEMPT BONDS TO FINANCE VARIOUS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, RENOVATIONS AND EQUIPMENT. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ISSUANCE OF THESE TAX-EXEMPT BONDS, THE ORGANIZATION'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WERE INCLUDED WITH THE TAX-EXEMPT BOND PROSPECTUS WHICH WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR REVIEW. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION'S FILED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND ANY AMENDMENTS CAN BE OBTAINED AND REVIEWED THROUGH THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA. |
| CORE FORM, PART VII AND SCHEDULE J |
CORE FORM, PART VII AND SCHEDULE J REFLECT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AND OFFICERS RECEIVING COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FROM A RELATED ORGANIZATION. PLEASE NOTE THIS REMUNERATION WAS FOR SERVICES RENDERED AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OF THIS ORGANIZATION OR A RELATED ORGANIZATION AND NOT FOR SERVICES RENDERED AS A VOTING MEMBER OR OFFICER OF THIS ORGANIZATION'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES. |
| CORE FORM, PART VII AND SCHEDULE J |
RICHARD A. ANDERSON AND MICHAEL P. SABOL, D.O. SERVE AS VOTING MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AN UNCOMPENSATED POSITION. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT COMPENSATED FOR SERVING AS VOTING MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING BODY. SCOTT R. WOLFE IS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE NETWORK. MR. WOLFE IS INCLUDED ON THIS FORM 990 BECAUSE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2024 HE SERVED AS THE TOP FINANCIAL OFFICIAL OF ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK. CAROL A. KUPLEN RN, MSN SERVED AS THE CHIEF NURSING OFFICER AND PRESIDENT OF ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL BETHLEHEM CAMPUS THROUGH DECEMBER 9, 2023. EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 10, 2023, WENDY N. LAZO BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL BETHLEHEM CAMPUS AND EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 24, 2023, WILLIAM MOYER IS THE PRESIDENT OF ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL ALLENTOWN, SACRED HEART, AND WEST END CAMPUSES, THE 'WEST REGION'. FRANK FORD SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF ST. LUKE'S SACRED HEART CAMPUS THROUGH JANUARY 1, 2024. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE ALL OFFICERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION BUT ALSO SERVE IN A NETWORK ROLE FOR ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK. JOEL D. FAGERSTROM, ROBERT E. MARTIN, ROBERT L. WAX, ESQ., JEFFREY A, JAHRE, M.D. AND CHAD T. BRISENDINE ARE REPORTED AS THE TOP FIVE HIGHEST COMPENSATED EMPLOYEES ON THIS ORGANIZATION'S FORM 990. THESE INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY SERVE IN NETWORK ROLES FOR ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK. MR. ANDERSON, MR. WOLFE, MS. KUPLEN, MS. LAZO, MR. MOYER, MR. FORD, MR. FAGERSTROM, MR. MARTIN, MR. WAX, DR. JAHRE AND MR. BRISENDINE ALL RECEIVE A FEDERAL FORM W-2 FROM ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL OF BETHLEHEM PENNSYLVANIA. ADDITIONALLY, THESE INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY SERVE IN A NETWORK ROLE FOR ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK. THEIR COMMON LAW EMPLOYER/EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS ARE WITH ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK. ACCORDINGLY, THEIR RESPECTIVE REPORTABLE COMPENSATION, RETIREMENT/OTHER DEFERRED COMPENSATION AND NON-TAXABLE BENEFITS ARE REPORTED WITHIN CORE FORM, PART VII AND SCHEDULE J OF THE ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. (EIN: 23-2384282) FEDERAL FORM 990. PLEASE REFER TO THE ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. FORM 990 FOR THIS INFORMATION. DR. SABOL IS AN EMPLOYED PHYSICIAN THAT RECEIVES A FEDERAL FORM W-2 FROM ST. LUKE'S PHYSICIAN GROUP, INC.; A RELATED INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 501(C)(3) TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATION. HIS REPORTABLE COMPENSATION, RETIREMENT/OTHER DEFERRED COMPENSATION AND NON-TAXABLE BENEFITS ARE REPORTED WITHIN CORE FORM, PART VII AND SCHEDULE J OF THE ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. (EIN: 23-2384282) FEDERAL FORM 990. PLEASE REFER TO THE ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. FEDERAL FORM 990 FOR THIS INFORMATION. |
| CORE FORM, PART VII, SECTION A, COLUMN B |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. CERTAIN BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBERS AND OFFICERS LISTED ON CORE FORM, PART VII AND SCHEDULE J OF THIS FORM 990 MAY HOLD SIMILAR POSITIONS WITH BOTH THIS ORGANIZATION AND OTHER AFFILIATES WITHIN THE NETWORK. THE HOURS SHOWN ON THIS FORM 990 FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES RENDERED IN A NON-BOARD CAPACITY, REPRESENTS THE ESTIMATED HOURS DEVOTED PER WEEK FOR THIS ORGANIZATION. TO THE EXTENT THESE INDIVIDUALS SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF OTHER RELATED ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE NETWORK, THEIR RESPECTIVE HOURS PER WEEK PER ORGANIZATION ARE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AS REFLECTED ON CORE FORM, PART VII OF THIS FORM 990. THE HOURS REFLECTED ON CORE FORM, PART VII OF THIS FORM 990, FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES RENDERED IN A NON-BOARD CAPACITY, PAID OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES, REFLECT TOTAL HOURS WORKED PER WEEK ON BEHALF OF THE NETWORK; NOT SOLELY THIS ORGANIZATION. |
| CORE FORM, PART XI; QUESTION 9 |
OTHER CHANGES IN NET ASSETS OR FUND BALANCES INCLUDE: - RESTRUCTURING COSTS - ($522,537); - PRE-ACQUISITION/MERGER COSTS - ($643,576); - PENSION ANNUITY SETTLEMENT COST - ($7,489,144); - NET ASSETS RELEASED FROM RESTRICTIONS USED FOR PURCHASE - PPE - $2,002,076; - CHANGE IN PENSION ACCUMULATED BENEFIT OBLIGATION - ($7,031,864); - OTHER CHANGES IN NET ASSETS WITHOUT DONOR RESTRICTIONS - ($23); - NEW PLEDGES - $10,752,694; - PLEDGES RECEIVED - ($10,735,784); - NET ASSETS RELEASED FROM RESTRICTIONS - PPE - ($2,903,252); - NET ASSETS RELEASED FROM RESTRICTIONS - OPERATIONS - ($2,611,436); - ALLOWANCE FOR PLEDGES WRITTEN OFF AND ACTUAL WRITE-OFFS - ($87,062); - INCOME TRANSFER FROM ENDOWMENT - $1,092,232; - ENDOWMENT SPENDING POLICY TRANSFER - ($300,819); - INCOME RELEASED AND TRANSFERRED TO GENERAL FUND FOR OPERATIONS - ($543,338); - INCOME TRANSFER TO TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED - ($1,092,867); - CHANGE IN FMV OF TOTAL RETURN SWAPS - $6,695,398; - GAIN (LOSS) on Refinancing - ($540,475); - GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT - ($5,055,584); AND - OTHER CHANGES IN NET ASSETS - $3,068,233. |
| CORE FORM, PART XII; QUESTION 2 |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. ST. LUKE'S HEALTH NETWORK, INC. IS THE TAX-EXEMPT PARENT ENTITY OF THE NETWORK. AN INDEPENDENT CPA FIRM AUDITED THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE TAXPAYER AND ITS CONTROLLED AFFILIATES FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2024 AND JUNE 30, 2023; RESPECTIVELY, AND ISSUED A CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENT. AN UNMODIFIED OPINION WAS ISSUED EACH YEAR BY THE INDEPENDENT CPA FIRM. THE NETWORK'S FINANCE COMMITTEE ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE AUDIT OF THE NETWORK'S CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THE SELECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR. |
| CORE FORM, PART XII; QUESTION 3 |
THE ORGANIZATION IS AN AFFILIATE WITHIN ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK ("NETWORK"); A TAX-EXEMPT INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY NETWORK. THE NETWORK'S FINANCE COMMITTEE ENGAGED AN INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTING FIRM TO PREPARE AND ISSUE A NETWORK WIDE CONSOLIDATED AUDIT UNDER THE SINGLE AUDIT ACT AND OMB CIRCULAR A-133. |
Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.