Madden, McNeill, Northeast Delegation announce $4.3M grant for St. Luke’s radiology and surgical space expansion

HARRISBURG, Nov. 21 – The Anderson Campus of St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, will expand its surgical services and create space for a new radiology residency program thanks to a $4.3 million state grant, announced state Reps. Maureen Madden and Jeanne McNeill.

Madden, D-Monroe, and McNeill, D-Lehigh, serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Northeast Democratic Delegation, which joined a bipartisan, bicameral effort to advocate for this funding.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant will specifically help St. Luke’s renovate the existing and former emergency department space for an expanded pre-operative and post-operative area, an additional operating room, and space for a new radiology residency program.

“Adding a radiology residency program and creating more space for pre- and post-op care goes a long way to improving health outcomes for people throughout northeast Pennsylvania,” Madden said. “Highly trained radiologists are critically important for any hospital staff, and this helps ensure more will be available in our region.”

The exact amount requested by St. Luke’s is $4,313,738, which Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced late Friday, was awarded to the nonprofit health network.

“St. Luke’s nonprofit status means it reinvests every surplus dollar back into its hospitals, which can be found throughout NEPA,” McNeill said. “And since the Association of American Medical Colleges notes there is a national shortage of radiologists right now, this action means St. Luke’s not only will have state-of-the-art facilities, but trained doctors whose study of imaging results can often mean the difference between life and death. This is great news for our communities.”

St. Luke’s has campuses throughout northeast Pennsylvania, including in Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Monroe and Luzerne counties.

“We are grateful to have the support of Representatives Madden and McNeill and the entire Northeast Delegation for St. Luke’s new radiology residency program and surgical space expansion at the Anderson Campus,” said Ed Nawrocki, president of St. Luke’s East Region and Anderson Campus.

“This project will allow us to recruit and retain more physicians throughout our eastern Pennsylvania service area and provide the best access to care for our patients.”