St. Luke’s Anderson Campus, pictured above, is part of St. Luke’s University Health Network. The hospital is located at the intersection of Rt. 33 and Freemansburg Avenue in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. (Contributed photo)
St. Luke’s University Health Network and Moravian Academy have announced a partnership that will provide comprehensive sports medicine and health care services for members of the Moravian Academy family.
“The unique potential of this partnership, especially in terms of what it offers students, is truly exciting,” said Adrianne Finley Odell, Head of School at Moravian Academy, which has campuses in the city of Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township. “As we’re already seeing, amazing things happen when two premier Lehigh Valley institutions come together with a shared commitment to our communities.”
The 10-year contract announced Nov. 1 includes integrated health care components beyond the traditional sports medicine field, representing an extension of a strong partnership that was formed in 2016.
“Unique, hands-on educational experiences for students bound from the partnership between St. Luke’s and Moravian Academy,” said Dylan Deal, Director of the Merle-Smith Campus. “Just last spring, Anatomy & Physiology students toured the Venel Institute where they learned about cadavers and assisted with the dissection of a human shoulder under the guidance of a St. Luke’s orthopedic sports medicine physician. As the partnership advances, so will our ability to incorporate opportunities like this into the curriculum for a transformative student experience.”
As the Lehigh Valley’s largest sports medicine provider and a Top 100 Teaching Hospital, St. Luke’s is uniquely positioned to provide the services and educational offerings requested by Moravian Academy, said John Hauth, Senior Network Administrator for Sports Medicine at St. Luke’s.
“St. Luke’s is honored to have been given this opportunity to extend and expand on its relationship with Moravian Academy,” Hauth said. “St. Luke’s and Moravian Academy share a vision for bringing innovative programming and opportunities to all of their students and the community.
“One of the strengths of our sports medicine program is the access to our team of fellowship-trained physicians, licensed Athletic Trainers, sports performance coaches and physical therapists,” he added. “In addition, we have integrated our outstanding colleagues in medical education, community health and preventative medicine as well as behavioral medicine/health to further strengthen this relationship.”
The contract expands the traditional sports-related components with a health wellness aspect.
“We are excited to continue and strengthen our partnership with St. Luke’s,” said Manny Oudin, Director of Athletics for Moravian Academy. “Our athletic programs, student-athletes and coaches have greatly benefited from our relationship. We look forward to the next series of opportunities for our athletic programs, the development of educational programming for our community and the evolution of additional partnerships between Moravian Academy and St. Luke’s.”
Hauth said St. Luke’s is working with its partners to promote a “fit for life” vision, creating opportunities for individuals of all ages to stay physically active.
“The collaboration with Moravian Academy will result in facilities and programming that will support this vision,” he said. “We are doing everything we can to prevent illness and injuries in this school community.”
Note: This local health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network.
