Lehigh Valley Health Network is making changes in operations to protect the community and staff, which include temporarily closing operating rooms, postponing tests and surgeries and consolidating ExpressCARE locations.

“Doing so will interrupt a number of planned surgeries and tests and we appreciate your understanding as we put safety first,” the health network said in a press release Sunday afternoon.

Operating rooms

To protect the community and the staff and to preserve medical supplies and protective equipment, LVHN is temporarily closing select operating rooms across the health network.

“This precaution is consistent with decisions being made at other health networks throughout the country, and it will allow us to maintain vital surgical services during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the network said.

Sites temporarily closing include:

• Fairgrounds Surgical Center

• Lehigh Valley Hospital–17th Street, operating room

• Lehigh Valley Health Network–Tilghman, operating room

• J.B. and Kathleen Reilly Children’s Surgery Center

• Coordinated Health, all operating rooms

All scheduled procedures at these sites will be reviewed. Critical procedures will be relocated to other locations within the health network. LVHN will begin contacting patients today to discuss plans for their scheduled procedure.

Ambulatory Services

LVHN is postponing some previously scheduled tests and procedures.

LVHN staff will call you to inform you if your test or procedure needs to be postponed, beginning Monday.

LVHN ExpressCARE Consolidation

To help ensure adequate staffing at LVHN COVID-19 Assess and Test locations, LVHN is temporarily suspending services at three LVHN ExpressCARE locations. In addition, LVHN ExpressCARE locations currently offering COVID-19 Assess and Test services and typical ExpressCARE services will redirect people seeking ExpressCARE treatment for minor illnesses and injuries to other ExpressCARE locations.

LVHN ExpressCARE locations temporarily suspending services effective Monday are:

• LVHN ExpressCARE–Bethlehem Township: LVHN ExpressCARE– Palmer Township or another ExpressCARE location.

• LVHN ExpressCARE–Bangor: ExpressCARE–Palmer Township or another ExpressCARE location.

• LVHN ExpressCARE–Blakeslee: ExpressCARE–Tobyhanna or another ExpressCARE location.

Starting Tuesday, parents seeking care for their children should utilize health care services at LVHN ExpressCARE–Palmer Township while Children’s ExpressCARE services are temporarily suspended.

Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital remains open to provide specialized care to children.

The following LVHN ExpressCARE locations that also serve as LVHN COVID-19 Assess and Test locations will redirect people seeking ExpressCARE services to other ExpressCARE sites starting Monday:

• ExpressCARE–Macungie – COVID-19 assess and test only: LVHN ExpressCARE–Fogelsville.

• ExpressCARE–MacArthur Road – COVID-19 assess and test only: Go to LVHN ExpressCARE–Muhlenberg.

• LVHN ExpressCARE–Palmerton – COVID-19 assess and test only: go to LVHN ExpressCARE–West End.

• LVHN ExpressCARE–Bartonsville – COVID-19 assess and test only: go to LVHN ExpressCARE–Pocono

LVHN ExpressCARE–Richland Township will offer both COVID-19 assessment and testing and ExpressCARE services, however if you are seeking non-COVID-19 care, you will use a separate registration desk and waiting room.

“COVID-19 is now in our community, and the disruption it has caused is unprecedented. When dealing with crisis situations as an emergency physician, the most valuable lesson I learned was - do not panic. Fear is our enemy,” says Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, President and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network. “Rest assured, LVHN is your health partner, today and every day, especially when things get tough. With regard to this current COVID-19 outbreak, we have taken innovative measures to make sure our community remains as safe as possible. Thank you for your continued support as we navigate these unprecedented times.”

Refer to LVHN.org/covid19 for additional information, including FAQs for people with COVID-19, links to LVHN COVID-19 Assess and Test locations and more.