During the 2021 Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) Community Annual Meeting, LVHN President and Chief Executive Officer Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, provided evidence that life today is better than it was one year ago.

“By vaccinating our communities, caring for those with COVID-19 and other conditions, and growing our health network to give you even more convenient access to care, LVHN is creating better days ahead for you and those you love,” Nester said.

In addition to his virtual presentation Dec. 1 during LVHN’s annual public board of trustees meeting held each December, Nester recapped the health network’s efforts to care for and vaccinate the community during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He said LVHN continues its leadership in protecting the community against COVID-19 by recently surpassing a milestone of administering more than 500,000 free vaccinations. This includes almost 9,000 doses to the 5-11 age group in just four weeks following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approval. LVHN administered the vaccines for no cost in order to make vaccines available to as many people as possible as fast as possible.

“Vaccines save lives,” Nester said. “I say this with the utmost confidence because science tells us so.”

Nester provided the following evidence of vaccine efficacy:

• Nationwide, about 85 percent of those hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

• States with higher vaccination rates are experiencing fewer hospitalizations than those with lower rates.

• While no vaccine is 100 percent effective, data suggest that vaccinated individuals who contract COVID-19 have symptoms that are less severe.

Nester said the role that the health network has played in combating COVID-19 is demonstrated by government data that consistently shows LVHN has cared for more patients confirmed or suspected of having the virus than any other health-care provider in the Lehigh Valley area.

Nester emphasized how LVHN has been in the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 since the early days of the pandemic by being the only health-care provider in the region selected to participate in the Pfizer-BioNTech clinical studies to test its safety and effectiveness. In July, LVHN was the only regional health network to become part of the Pfizer booster shot trial, again, leading the way in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

In addition to the health network’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Nester said LVHN remains focused on delivering the highest quality care to people in each community it serves. “We are in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth that will give you convenient access to the world-class care you and your family need,” Nester said.

The opening of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH - Hecktown Oaks in Lower Nazareth Township, a new ER and the Breidegam Family Children’s ER at LVH - Cedar Crest, as well as the 2022 openings of LVH - Carbon near Lehighton and LVH - Dickson City near Scranton are among the list of new LVHN facilities designed to make specialized care available close to home.

Investments in new facilities are possible because LVHN is financially strong. The health network reported operating income of $150.7 million for fiscal year 2021, or an operating margin of 4.4 percent. Non-labor-related expense reductions implemented during the pandemic, as well as the return of patients who were avoiding health care during the early part of the pandemic contributed to LVHN’s financial strength.

In fiscal year 2021, the number of visits to Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) practices increased by more than 100,000, bringing the total to 3.2 million visits. Outpatient registration increased significantly to nearly 1.5 million.

In addition to building new facilities, the health network used its financial strength to reward its health-care professionals for their exceptional work throughout the pandemic. The majority of nearly 20,000 LVHN colleagues received a merit increase and a bonus in 2021. Nearly 7,000 caregivers received a salary increase in addition to a merit increase.

To review the LVHN “2021 Report to the Community”: LVHN.org/annualreport

For information about COVID-19 and to schedule a vaccination: LVHN.org/vaccines