St. Luke’s University Health Network has announced that Pamela Abrams, MD, has been named its new Medical Director for Pediatric Specialty Services.

Dr. Abrams is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist who has been practicing at St. Luke’s for more than 11 years.

A graduate of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, she was one of the first pediatric specialists employed by St. Luke’s and developed the pediatric Type 1 diabetes program, which has provided care for more than 300 children.

Dr. Abrams is passionate about medical education and has served as the Pediatric Clerkship Site Director for Temple St. Luke’s School of Medicine.

“Dr. Abrams has helped to pave the way for further growth in the pediatric specialty division with the subsequent additions of many other pediatric specialty programs. Given her clinical experience and experience growing pediatric specialty services, we are confident she will be able to help us continue expanding, while ensuring high-quality care for all of the patients we serve,” said Jessika Haynos, St. Luke’s Pediatrics Service Line Administrator.

As Pediatric Specialty Medical Director, Dr. Abrams is responsible for overseeing medical services, quality and service outcomes in St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Division. She participates in strategic planning, recruitment, development of quality metrics and service improvement strategies.

Dr. Abrams also oversees patient satisfaction, multidisciplinary care coordination and new program development.

“I am honored to help lead the St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Division,” Dr. Abrams said.

“It has been amazing for me to witness the tremendous growth in pediatric services since I joined St. Luke’s over a decade ago, and I am so proud of the high level of care we deliver to children in our community.

“I know how important our work is, both as a pediatric endocrinologist but also as a parent. My colleagues are phenomenal pediatric specialists who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to us, and I look forward to helping with the growth of even more programs and services over my next decade here,” said Dr. Abrams.

Over the past decade, St. Luke’s Pediatrics has significantly expanded services to meet the growing demand for pediatric care in the region.

In June 2023, the Network announced St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, based at the Bethlehem Campus in Fountain Hill. The facility features The Isaacman Family St. Luke’s Children’s ER, an Inpatient Pediatric Unit, a Pediatric ICU, Child Life Services and a Surgical Neonatal ICU.

St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital provides top-notch, family-centered care for children. Its board-certified pediatric hospitalists, pediatric intensivists and specialized pediatric nurses are available 24/7 to ensure each child receives the best care.

St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Division offers more than 40 pediatric specialty services conveniently located close to patient’s home and family including:

• Multiple outpatient pediatric medical specialties such as pediatric neurology, pulmonology, endocrinology, GI and cardiology

• Pediatric surgical services, including pediatric general surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology and ENT

• Outpatient pediatric lab locations

• Multiple locations for pediatric PT/OT/ST services

• The region’s only comprehensive program offering lactation support, post-partum depression support, various support groups and education sessions provided through the St. Luke’s Baby & Me Support Center

• Pediatric mental health services, including an Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit at St. Luke’s Easton Campus

Many of these services are at St. Luke’s Pediatric Specialty Center in Center Valley. The three-story facility is the region’s only freestanding facility dedicated entirely to caring for children. For patients who need to see multiple specialty providers, appointments are coordinated on one day to minimize time off from school and work.

“St. Luke’s has been taking care of children in the community for over 150 years. However, over the last decade, as our health system continued to grow and as the number of babies being born at St. Luke’s every year increases, we realized we need to also grow our pediatric services to better meet the needs of the patients in our community,” Haynos said.

In October 2023, St. Luke’s announced the opening of the new Isaacman Family Children’s Emergency Room at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. The ER was made possible by a contribution from Jared and Monica Isaacman.

Jared Isaacman is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift4, an Allentown-based leader in integrated payment processing solutions.

The new Isaacman Family Children’s ER features a special waiting area with a soothing environment to allow children to feel as comfortable as possible. Children receive care apart and separate from services provided to adult patients.

The Isaacman Family Children’s ER is supported by pediatric specialists, including board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians, and equipped with a range of special diagnostic and therapeutic tools to meet the unique needs of children.

“We have taken a very strategic and planned approach to prioritizing new services based on need and demand. Our goal is to make pediatric care easily accessible to all members of the community so that families do not need to leave the region to receive health care for their child,” Haynos said.

“The expansion of pediatric services at St. Luke’s and the announcement of St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital has definitely made a positive impact on the community. Parents and families can now stay close to home, in their own community, for routine and complex pediatric care,” said Haynos.