Lehigh Valley Heart Institute has formalized a relationship with Penn Medicine, one of the United States’ leading academic medical centers.

Lehigh Valley Heart Institute treats about 90 percent of heart failure patients in the Lehigh Valley who choose the Institute for their care, including those with advanced heart conditions.

Those requiring heart transplants are referred to Penn Medicine, whose teams are equipped to treat the most complex cases. Penn Medicine has one of the largest heart transplant programs in the U.S., performing nearly 1,500 heart transplantations since 1987.

“When someone requires the most complex level of care, Lehigh Valley Heart Institute makes sure that our patients are in the right hands, for the best treatment,” said Ronald Freudenberger, MD, MBA, Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Heart Institute.

The relationship with Penn Medicine not only provides access to advanced transplant care through the Penn Transplant Institute, but diagnostic testing, breakthrough therapies and clinical trials.

“Penn Medicine is proud to support Lehigh Valley Health Network in delivering advanced cardiac care, whether that’s providing heart failure care close to home, or a heart transplant in Philadelphia,” said Michael A. Acker, MD, Director of the Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center and Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.