St. Luke’s Sacred Heart campus in Allentown
St. Luke’s University Health Network has tripled its number of inpatient beds for behavioral health from 57 to 168, making it the largest provider of psychiatric services in the region. Inpatient beds are now available at three campuses: Sacred Heart in Allentown, Quakertown and Gnaden Huetten in Lehighton.
“After acquiring Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown and Blue Mountain Health System in Carbon County, we made a commitment to relocate and expand our behavioral health services to meet a critical need,” said Christina Zelko Bennick, Vice President, Inpatient Behavioral Health.
In November, inpatient behavioral health services were moved from St. Luke’s Bethlehem campus to Sacred Heart and the number of inpatient beds was increased from 67 to 108. In December, St. Luke’s opened an Older Adult Behavioral Health Unit at their Gnaden Huetten campus at 211 N. 12th Street, Lehighton. The new unit has 20 inpatient beds for individuals 55 and older and is located in space in the former Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital that was completely renovated.
Also, once the new 80-bed hospital St. Luke’s is building in Quakertown is complete in the fall of 2019, the existing Quakertown hospital will be renovated and repurposed to include an inpatient behavioral health unit.
“The fact that we added these much-needed beds with plans to expand beyond this complement demonstrates a commitment to all the communities we serve,” Zelko Bennick said.
St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Services’ providers help diagnose and treat a wide variety of mental and behavioral health concerns that often present while patients are dealing with other physical conditions or injuries including, adult attention deficit disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, fibromyalgia, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and work/life balance.
About St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Services
St. Luke’s inpatient behavioral health services include:
- Adult Behavioral Health Unit at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart, Quakertown and Gnaden Huetten campuses is for adults who need intense structure and care 24 hours a day.
- Older Adult Behavioral Health Unit at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart and Gnaden Huetten campuses is for adults 55 and older who need a secure and intimate setting to address their unique behavioral health needs.
- Extended Acute Care at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus is an inpatient unit treating individuals 18 and older who require extended hospitalization for further therapeutic treatment.
St. Luke’s provides partial hospitalization services, which are designed to be short-term and are an alternative to hospitalization if individuals can actively participate in treatment or as a “step-down” from the inpatient setting.
Also offered are outpatient services that are staffed by licensed professionals who provide individual, group, couples and family therapy. In addition, St. Luke’s Psychiatric Associates provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, adolescents and children.
Note: This local health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network.
