The historic Vault 634—an embodiment of the spirit and progression of the city of Allentown—was the perfect venue to commemorate the first anniversary of the St. Luke’s Sacred Heart partnership. The State of the Heart event held Thursday, March 21, drew a crowd of more than 150 supporters—including health care leaders, elected officials and members of the St. Luke’s Sacred Heart community.
Since joining the network a year ago, St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus has benefited from an initial investment of $30 million, enabling facility improvements such as the installation of an electronic medical record system, creation of new behavioral health units, an emergency waiting room makeover and numerous other renovations.
The event also celebrated the launch of the Heart of the City capital campaign for St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus. The campaign aims to raise a minimum of $3 million, which will supplement additional funding sources to transform the care provided to the Allentown community through specialized services, behavioral health, neighborhood improvements and a community medical home for hundreds of underserved families in downtown Allentown.
During the event, individual community members were recognized and awarded a custom etched-glass memento for their leadership, generosity and support of the hospital over the past decade. St. Luke’s Sacred Heart President Frank Ford shared his vision for the future of the hospital and surrounding neighborhood.
“St. Luke’s Sacred Heart is more than a hospital. We don’t just care for patients when they are sick,” Ford said. “We care about the whole person—where our patients go when they leave the facility, where they’re finding their next meal, how to help them with other struggles they might be facing. It is our priority to preserve the Catholic identity of the hospital, and it is at the core of all we do.”
The campaign is already well on its way to success, thanks to the generous commitment of a matching grant to support the Older Adult Behavioral Health Unit from The Donald B. & Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation, as well as supporting gifts from the BB&T Economic Growth Fund of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, William Straccia, Paul and Patty Huck, and Tom and Amy Scalici—propelling the current total raised to more than $500,000. St. Luke’s Sacred Heart would not be where it is today without their unwavering support. They—along with other individuals recognized at the event—exemplify the caring, committed spirit that is Sacred Heart.
Tom Scalici, former Chair of the Sacred Heart Foundation, speaks at the State of the Heart event in Allentown March 21.
Tom Scalici, former Chair of the Sacred Heart Foundation, spoke candidly about how the St. Luke’s Sacred Heart partnership was formed.
“We knew we needed to find another partner,” Scalici said. “Ideally, one that would invest in our facilities, modernize our technology, expand the hospital’s services to allow for better patient care and maintain the Catholic values and mission on which we were founded. This search ultimately led us to St. Luke’s.”
St. Luke’s Sacred Heart would like to thank Boyle Construction, the event’s Gift Recognition Sponsor, as well as all those who attended in support of the hospital and the Allentown community.
To learn more about St. Luke’s Sacred Heart and how to support the Heart of the City Campaign, please visit sluhn.org/heartofthecity.
Note: This local health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network.
