Lehigh Valley Health Network

Cancer Institute gets new name

Thanks to a gift from local businessman Joe Topper and his wife Maureen, the Lehigh Valley Cancer Institute has been renamed Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute.

Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said the Toppers’ gift will be used to bring the most innovative and lifesaving clinical trials to this region. It will also complement network investments in advanced cancer treatments and technologies, including stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies.

The institute will continue as one of only three cancer centers in the country participating in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, which LVHN joined in 2016. “At Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, we aren’t just treating cancer-we are caring for people,” said Suresh Nair, M.D., Physician in Chief of Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute.

For more information, visit LVHN.org or Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Adolescent bariatric surgery offered

Lehigh Valley Health Network is the first health network in the region to offer adolescent bariatric surgery for teens ages 16 and 17. “We are proud to bring this state-of-the-art and transformative care closer to home,” says Brian Leader, director, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. Bariatric surgery appears to be the right choice for obesity, which affects millions of teens. Many have been unsuccessful at losing weight through traditional weight-loss measures or suffer from obesity-related health conditions.

The program is in partnership with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital and Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. Adolescents undergo bariatric surgery at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest and are transferred for post-operative care to the Children’s Hospital’s pediatric unit on campus. All bariatric surgeries are conducted using robotic-assisted surgery, which results in less pain, fewer complications and quicker recovery.

To schedule an adolescent bariatric surgery consultation with a nurse navigator, call 888-402-LVHN (5846). Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following LVHN on Facebook , Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.