Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) operating income, or the amount reinvested into facilities and services, from fiscal year 2014 was $72 million, or a margin of 3.8 percent, LVHN President and Chief Executive Officer Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, reported at the LVHN annual meeting.

According to LVHN’s 2015 annual report, acute admissions remained relatively steady compared to 2014. Emergency room visits increased by almost 2,000 to more than 208,800 and visits to health network-owned physician practices totaled 2.1 million, an increase of 5.4 percent from fiscal year 2014.

LVHN’s community benefit totaled more than $400 million for the first time in fiscal year 2015. LVHN’s community benefit was valued at $401.6 million from July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015.

The community benefit, which includes investments in care like screenings, health education and research, community partnerships, uncompensated charity care and care for people who are uninsured or underinsured, and the difference between government subsidies for care and the actual cost of providing that care, was announced as part of the health network’s annual report at its annual meeting Dec. 2 at Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest.

As one example of the the community benefit, physician assistant Brett Feldman leads Street Medicine, attending to some of the 2,500 reported as homeless by shelters in the Lehigh Valley. In one recent encounter, Feldman and his LVHN colleagues used two-way interactive audio and video technology to connect and provide behavioral health services to a patient living in an unsheltered camp. It was the first care the patient had received in more than 20 years.

Nester said the health network continues to create a better health experience through Triple Aim, adopted from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which includes:

Better health by being accountable for the overall well-being of the entire population;

Better care by providing an exceptional experience at every touch point within the health network; and

Better cost by embracing the fact that quality care costs less.

Nester cited the implementation in 2015 of the Epic electronic medical records system at LVHN hospitals and in community practices and how it has combined more than two dozen different medical records systems into one, giving the patient and physician or other caregivers at-your-fingertips information to discuss lab results or health trends like weight, blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Epic provides patients easy access to their health information through the patient portal called MyLVHN, making prescription refills, getting test results and messaging a doctor easier.

The network’s 13th LVHN health center opened in Fogelsville in July.

Nester said there also has been significant growth in ExpressCARE locations over the past several years. Four LVHN ExpressCARE locations opened in fiscal year 2015: Fogelsville, Bath, Hazleton and Nesquehoning. ExpressCARE visits grew by 73 percent to more than 73,000, compared to fiscal year 2014.

The health network’s annual report noted that less than two years following the merger that established Lehigh Valley Hospital - Hazleton, the LVHN Cancer Center - Hazleton opened and orthopedic surgery was added to the services at LVH - Hazleton. The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation accredited LVH - Hazleton as a Level IV Trauma Center last month.

At LVH-Muhlenberg, Bethlehem, ground was broken in September for a Specialty Care Pavilion that will include obstetrics and newborn services and a Center for Inpatient Rehabilitation.

The LVHN Board of Trustees recognized Jeffrey P. Feather, vice chair, National Penn Bancshares, Inc. upon his retirement from the Trustees effective the end of December after 18 years of service.