St. Luke’s Health Network

Reed new Vice President of Community Health

Rajika Reed, Ph.D., MPH, M.Ed., has been promoted to vice president of community health at St. Luke’s University Health Network effective Feb. 21. She was since 2012 the Network Director of Epidemiology and was in 2018 promoted to Senior Director of Epidemiology and Strategy.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, master’s degrees in public health from the University of Pittsburgh and in education from Lehigh University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Design from Lehigh University.

Originally from Sri Lanka, she was, prior to joining St. Luke’s, in research, data evaluation and in local community health programs. She will build upon the work of St. Luke’s Community Health Department, to achieve health equity by reducing health disparities in the communities that the network serves.

ActivArmor plastic casts introduced

The use of 3D-printed, durable plastic casts by ActivArmor of Colorado were debuted by St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Kristofer Matullo, M.D., in early March in the region. ActivArmor is a custom-made device that form-fits the anatomy: hands, wrists, arms and lower limbs. The plastic used is recyclable and 100 percent biocompatible. SLUHN is the first healthcare organization in Pennsylvania to offer this casting.

A 3D scan of the affected area is taken. A printer creates two halves of the cast, which are then fitted onto the body part. The 3D cast, which can get wet, may be locked on like a cast or removed like a splint to allow swelling of an injured area to subside. The lattice-like spaces allow for wound care, treatment with advanced healing technologies and cleaning of the skin or sanitizing the device to remove pathogens like the coronavirus while the cast is being worn. It will be available to orthopedic patients throughout the St. Luke’s network.