Lehigh Valley Health Network and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Announce Affiliation Agreement

Today, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and its subsidiaries, which include Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced an affiliation agreement that will enhance the care, health outcomes and well-being of families throughout the region. This affiliation is guided by the principle that children requiring care should see the most appropriate clinical team in a timely fashion and in the most appropriate location that is closest to their home and family.

The CHOP-LVHN affiliation is designed to enable both organizations to optimally care for children in the region – including those with high-risk, high-complexity, rare and acute diagnoses. Together, these organizations will work to ensure each patient has access to high-quality care in the location that best serves their and their families’ needs.

“When it comes to complex issues, the stronger the relationships and the more channels of communications, the more effective the care,” said J. Nathan Hagstrom, MD, Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “This affiliation is going to help us go beyond the referral process. It’s about building relationships and working together to provide our patients with the best care.”

Clinicians from LVHN and CHOP have a longstanding relationship, previously collaborating across numerous clinical areas in the care of local families. This new affiliation creates a more formalized process to support these shared patients, providing access to CHOP’s expertise in rare and complex diseases while harnessing LVHN’s comprehensive, exceptional pediatric care.

“The CHOP-LVHN affiliation will strengthen the channels of communication, cooperation and learning between two world-class children’s hospitals to ultimately improve the overall care and experience for patients and their families,” said Steve Docimo, MD, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Strategy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

This affiliation will also advance the educational and research capabilities of both organizations, identifying opportunities to build shared programs and services.

“When a family arrives at any LVHN location, we are able to guide them to the most appropriate level of care to meet their needs – whether it’s within our own institution or through our affiliation with CHOP,” said Anne Baum, President, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “This affiliation gives our patients and families the confidence that their children are in the best hands, receiving high-quality care at the location that best meets their individual needs.”

About Lehigh Valley Health Network

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) includes 13 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Dickson City, and one in Lehighton, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children; burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center; and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the third largest children’s hospital in Pennsylvania, offers the most comprehensive care for children in our community from primary care to pediatric specialties. Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest is ranked as the region’s No. 1 hospital for 10 straight years and has been recognized among Pennsylvania’s top 10 hospitals for 10 consecutive years and nationally ranked for orthopedics in 2023 by U.S. News & World Report. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH–Muhlenberg are the Lehigh Valley’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.