BETHLEHEM, PA – August 12, 2021 – Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley  held a grand opening event on Wednesday evening for its fourth Community Health Center location at 635 E. Broad Street. The facility initially opened in fall 2020 during the pandemic. The event took place during National Health Center Week on Patient Appreciation Day.

The more than 12,000 sq. ft. facility offers:

• primary medical services, including well and sick care for individuals of all ages
• behavioral health services (onsite)
• medication-assisted therapy for substance-use disorder through its Centers of Excellence program for opioid-use disorder
• social services support
• disease prevention and wellness education programs, such a diabetes prevention and diabetes management programs, as well as yoga for chronic pain management
• family planning services
• group prenatal and parenting programs using the Centering Institute model

A future development phase will include a 340B pharmacy, which will allow patients to get their prescriptions onsite right after their appointments, and a dental clinic.

The new health center has nine exam rooms, a group room for classes, private space for behavioral health consultations, as well as care management and social services support. It is in the Broad & Wood Business Center along LANTA bus routes 101 and 215. Patient parking is located on the street, and in adjacent parking lots to the side and rear of the building.  The large rear space of the suite is now home of NHCLV’s administrative offices, with workspaces for staff in clinic and agency operations management, and finance and billing.

NHCLV is the region’s first nonprofit, Federally Qualified Health Center. It also operates community health centers in downtown Allentown, Southside Bethlehem, and West Ward Easton.

The facility was largely made possible through a grant from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration. The project architect was BDA Architects of Bethlehem. The general contractor was Allied Building Corp. of Bethlehem. The construction project was directed by NHCLV Project Manager Josefina Morales.

The original site for NHCLV was in Allentown’s First Ward, a designated medically underserved area. NHCLV was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2004 with a goal of meeting the needs for a coordinated system of primary care for the uninsured and underinsured residents of the Lehigh Valley.  All of their health centers are open to the general public and accept patients with or without health insurance. (NHCLV is an independent nonprofit, patient-led organization, not affiliated with any local health networks.)  www.nhclv.org

NHCLV would like to thank its National Health Center Week 2021 sponsors:

Platinum Level – Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania, Aetna Medicare, Aetna Medicaid, and Aetna CHIP

Gold Level – AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania, Capital Blue, Gateway Health, and United Healthcare

Silver Level – Allentown Diagnostic Imaging, B. Braun Medical Inc., Labcorp, UPMC Health Plan, and Whitehall Pharmacy

Bronze Level – Medly and Humana

Open House Sponsor – United Healthcare

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Tracey Werner, Marketing Consultant
tracey@blabbermouthcommunications.com

 

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