St. Luke’s Monroe Campus Gets Glowing Review from First Patient

St. Luke’s Staff (left to right): Ivy Alvarez Patient Care Assistant, Marina Bereza BSN RN, Vera Lovewell RN

Bethlehem, PA (10/3/2016) – Ernest H. Smith, 71, of Neola, arrived at the Emergency Department of St. Luke’s Monroe Campus before 8 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 3.

“He had not been feeling well for several days,” his daughter, Debora Loch, said.

But care at other area facilities yielded slim results, she said. The cellulitis associated with her father’s congestive heart failure was flaring, resulting in discomfort and pressure in his chest.

She made a decision: “I asked him if he could hold on a couple more days until St. Luke’s new hospital opened up,” Loch said.

“The care has been phenomenal. We are so pleased with everything,” she said. They were seen and her father was admitted and transported to the hospital’s medical/surgical unit.

St. Luke’s Monroe Campus opened its doors today making it the first new hospital in more than 100 years in Monroe County. The hospital saw and treated walk-in patients and admitted its first inpatient, Mr. Smith.

The Emergency Department opened at 7:30 a.m. and began accepting walk-in patients. The hospital began accepting ambulances by early evening.

The hospital is fully staffed and functional. Our staff is ready, willing and able to provide for the healthcare needs of the community. We look forward to supporting Monroe County’s health needs.

The hospital will hold its official ribbon cutting on October 13.

St. Luke’s Monroe Campus by the numbers

• St. Luke’s University Health Network invested $100 million to construct the state-of-the-art hospital.
• The St. Luke’s Monroe Emergency Room will be able to treat 60,000 patients a year in its 33-bed emergency room.
• The facility is located on 41 acres of land in Monroe County.
• Jobs added to the local economy: 446.
• Three hundred sixty-nine physicians and 156 nurses were hired.
• Structural US-made steel were used in construction: 1,280 tons.
• The hospital contains 9,697 total square feet of space.
• Major roadways leading to St. Luke’s Monroe Campus: Three – Routes 80, 33 and 61.
• Dedicated employees who work at the new hospital: 436.