Lehigh Valley Health Network cut the ribbon this week for its new Center for Healthcare Education located at 3900 Sierra Circle, Center Valley.

The Center for Healthcare Education becomes the home of LVHN’s Department of Education and serves as the central hub of education and training programs for the health network.

The facility will consolidate two Department of Education sites into one 70,000-square-foot location with dedicated space for education, administration and support services.

Michael Rossi, MD, LVHN’s Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, says education remains in the forefront at LVHN, and this project further enhances a strong legacy of molding future generations of health care professionals.

Rossi says education is the key to:

• Attracting doctors and clinicians who are on the leading edge of medical advancements.

• Providing high-quality care and safe patient experiences.

• Growing LVHN’s medical education programs to attract the best and brightest candidates.

• Facilitating clinical experiences for students in health professions in the region.

• Onboarding and retaining clinical staff through continued opportunities for professional development.

Robert Barraco, MD, LVHN’s Chief Academic Officer, says in addition to providing education like professional development and onboarding, undergraduate and graduate medical education, health care simulation and electronic medical record training, the facility allows for the co-creation of programs with education partners including area school districts, colleges and universities.

Barraco says LVHN’s Department of Education supports 1,200 medical, nursing and other students, and 340 residents and fellows. The department has provided 190,000 instructional hours of professional development and distributed over 1 million health sheets and 250,000 patient education resources.