Thanks to a generous gift from Steve and Jeanne Follett, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg celebrated the opening of The Steve and Jeanne Follett Hybrid Electrophysiology Lab.

The lab is the first site in Pennsylvania to offer the AlliaTM IGS Pulse from GE Healthcare, a next generation image-guided system designed to improve workflow for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in interventional cardiology.

“Lehigh Valley Health Network has an enormous responsibility to our community – providing access to the highest quality care, close to home,” Steve Follett said. “Our family is honored to have the opportunity to help through this new lab and its world-class technology, which will enable more people to live longer, healthier lives.”

The new lab was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 20 that was attended by the Folletts, their family and Lehigh Valley Health Network colleagues.

The Allia IGS Pulse is the star of the show in the new lab. It brings an impressive list of state-of-the-art features and benefits, giving clinicians capabilities far beyond what was previously possible.

A few key features are:

• Exceptional image quality and optimized dose management regardless of patient size.

• The first monopolar X-ray tube used to capture images for interventional procedures. This new tube is powerful, yet quiet, to optimize the operating environment during a procedure.

• A small footprint that helps clinicians reach steep angulation for better understanding of coronary artery anatomy.

• The latest version of MyIQ technology incorporated into the system so clinicians can select their favorite look from four different styles with just one click.

Keith Micucci, CRNP, chief operating officer, LVH-Muhlenberg, spoke at the unveiling and noted the increased capacity and improved experience the new lab provides.

“Now, we can serve more patients who need electrophysiology (EP) procedures, such as cardiac ablations and EP studies,” he said. “Because the lab is hybrid, we can also perform catheterizations, valve replacements, angioplasties and more. We can do all this with increased efficiency — providing optimal experiences for both patients and clinicians.”

Steve Follett has a long history of service with LVHN, part of Jefferson Health.

He was a member of LVHN’s board of trustees for more than a decade, where he served as vice chair. He continues this tradition and is currently a member of Jefferson Health’s board of trustees. His unwavering dedication to the communities served continues with this gift.

“The next nearest location with this technology is more than an hour-and-a-half away in New Jersey,” Micucci said. “This new lab has been years in the making. Today it is a reality, thanks to the Follett family.”

Guests were then invited to take a tour of the new lab.