Lehigh Valley Health Network has announced plans to form a singular Emergency Medical Service organization called Lehigh Valley Health Network - Emergency Medical Services, as of Jan. 1.

LVHN - EMS will be comprised of West End Community Ambulance Association in Effort, the former American Patient Transport System in Hazleton and LVHN–MedEvac in Lehigh County.

While the community may see a new look of vehicles and branding, all three entities will retain the same staff and continue to provide the same services from the same locations throughout Luzerne, Monroe and Lehigh counties and surrounding communities. This includes the many resources they provide to the community such as CPR training and standby services for special events.

According to Bob Begliomini, senior vice president for LVHN, this transition is in the best interest of everyone involved, as it will allow us to expand the services and resources for both the employees of each location and the communities they serve.

“Under LVHN - EMS, we plan to bolster our facilities’ existing capabilities while still allowing them to maintain the hometown feel they have always had,” says Begliomini.

The mission of LVHN - EMS’s is to provide cutting edge medical care to everyone they serve. “This will be a smooth transition, as all three entities have always prided themselves on providing the highest quality care to our patients, and that will remain our priority,” says Begliomini.