This message is from Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lehigh Valley Health Network.     

Dear Colleagues (Heroes),

Your hard work is impacting entire communities. Your care is saving lives. Your advocacy is keeping people safe. During our tough fight against COVID-19, persistence and diligence are qualities we must possess. It is imperative that we continue to do everything we are currently doing to emerge victorious. We will win this fight because of the tenacity of our team. Thank you for bringing your “A” game every day.

If you need evidence that we are #LVHNCOVIDSTRONG, just look at what we accomplished together over the past week. We saved lives, reunited patients with loved ones, told stories of hope and furthered our transformation as a digital health network. It’s no surprise that the people of our community continued to recognize your compassion, integrity, willingness to collaborate and drive for excellence.

Here are highlights from Week Six of COVID-19 operations:

• While COVID-19 volumes are still fluctuating in all the communities we serve, the number of newly diagnosed cases is starting to slow. As a result, we believe we have hit “the peak” and are now operating at a steady plateau of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. While this is great news, we must remain diligent.
• Phase three of our plan to relocate and consolidate Lehigh Valley Physician Group practices began as part of our effort to intentionally reduce face-to-face encounters and increase encounters via video visits, E-Visits and phone visits. I discussed our efforts to swiftly transform LVHN into a digital health network in the latest CEO update video.
• We informed parents how to use technology to access care for their children and when it is appropriate to have a face-to-face visit.
• We are now using technology to safely connect hospitalized patients with their care teams and their loved ones.
• At LVH–Pocono, we celebrated (and shed tears of joy) as the hospital’s first extubated COVID-19 patient was discharged and reunited with family. Watch the emotional moment captured on video.
• When a patient with COVID-19 is discharged, we are now playing the U2 song “Beautiful Day” on the overhead speakers to celebrate a joyous occasion and what is truly a beautiful day for these patients and their families.
• To inspire hope and encouragement, we shared the personal account of a woman who recovered from COVID-19.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Terry Capuano explained that our PPE supply is in good shape thanks to the superb work of our supply chain management team.
• Bugsy, Epic’s infection control application, was launched to help clinicians reduce infections and effectively treat patients throughout the continuum of care.
• We provided tips to help you interact with media and share information on social media.
• Meredith Rochon, MD, Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine, shared an FAQ for pregnant women to ease their concerns during the outbreak.
• When the CDC recommended that all people wear a face mask, we shared “Face Masks 101: Everything you need to know about everyday wear.”
• LVHN and Health Network Laboratories (HNL) are now working with OraSure to study two different COVID-19 tests. One is an oral saliva test for diagnosing COVID-19 and the other is an antibody test to determine prior exposure to the virus.
• LVHN’s critical care team has been participating in a trial with Mayo Clinic and other health systems to study convalescent serum in critically ill, compassionate use cases. We enrolled our first patient this week and will now begin to encourage patients who recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma.
• In amazing displays of tribute, the people of our community thanked you for your commitment and dedication during parades held at many of our hospital campuses.

As we start Week Seven, here are some of the things we’re working on:

• While new COVID-19 cases have flattened and there is a lot of national chatter about “opening up the economy,” please remember that we have only seen this “flattening” because of the strict adherence to social distancing by our citizens. If we let our guard down, we will surely see a return of new cases in our community. Please stay diligent to all the practices that have gotten us to this point in Week Seven and beyond.
• HNL will accelerate its early analysis and planning for COVID-19 antibody testing, working with two leading companies in this arena, Diasorin and Viracor.
• We will start to utilize three sophisticated deterioration indices to analyze our COVID-19 hospitalized patients and help determine which patients will require more intensive care resources as their illness progresses.
• Coordinated Health will launch a Virtual Injury Center as part of our efforts to expand offerings as a digital health network.
• “Shelter in place” means something very different to our homeless population. Please know we are working even harder these days with local community organizations and supporting hotels to innovatively care for and stay in touch with homeless individuals throughout the region. Kudos to our entire Street Medicine team for all they do.
• We will continue to share news, health tips and encouraging stories on LVHN.org/COVIDSTRONG.

As we continue our fight, please remember to take care of yourself. With all the personal and professional challenges that COVID-19 present, I realize that it is more difficult than ever to carve out some “you” time. It is, however, essential. You must be at your best to care for our patients or to do the important work you do in support of our patients. That is why I would like to thank the people in your life who are helping you during this crisis. The people who support colleagues on the front lines are important members of the LVHN team. Please share my sincere thanks with your family and friends for having your back.

Until Week Eight, be safe, be #LVHNCOVIDSTRONG and be #LVHNProud.



Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP
President and Chief Executive Officer, Lehigh Valley Health Network