Image provided by Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (July 22, 2024) –  Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and River Crossing YMCA (formerly Greater Valley YMCA and YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties) officials cut the ribbon at LVHN Childcare Center. Located in the Westgate Mall on Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem, the facility will be independently operated by River Crossing YMCA for LVHN. The health network made an investment to create the facility to provide greater access to childcare services for its colleagues.

“LVHN surveys our colleagues annually to collect feedback about how we can make LVHN an even better place to work,” said Jim Miller, President of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg, which is located adjacent to the center. “In recent surveys, colleagues expressed the need for greater access to childcare, and we are proud to give our colleagues what they asked for.”

LVHN Childcare Center offers full-time programming Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-6 p.m., including breakfast, lunch and snacks. The 10,000-square-foot facility includes nine age-appropriate classrooms, a multipurpose room for indoor gross motor activities, a full kitchen and two outdoor playground areas. The center is part of the comprehensive health network built just for kids at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.

The center also will provide enrollment spots for community members who are not LVHN colleagues. Tours of the facility are available upon request. River Crossing YMCA offers financial assistance and participates in Child Care Works, Pennsylvania’s subsidized childcare program for families that qualify.

River Crossing YMCA operates 13 early childhood education centers with six located in the Lehigh Valley. Most of these early childhood centers are Keystone STARs three or four certified, the highest quality level of certification possible in the state.

“Like our partners at LVHN asked their employees what they need, the Y seeks to understand what our community needs and be a solution partner where our expertise can best serve,” said Trish Feinthel, Chief Operations Officer, River Crossing YMCA. “When this opportunity to bring our high-quality childcare to members of the LVHN team presented itself, we couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.”

About Lehigh Valley Health Network

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes 15 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Dickson City, one in Lehighton, one in Macungie and one in Gilbertsville, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children; burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center; and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the third largest children’s hospital in Pennsylvania, offers the most comprehensive care for children in our community from primary care to pediatric specialties. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) is one of the top hospitals in the country for orthopedic and pulmonary and critical care according to the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list. U.S. News ranks LVH among the top 20 hospitals in the nation for orthopedics and 40th for pulmonology and lung surgery. LVH also ranks as the top hospital in the region for the 11th consecutive time and sixth among Pennsylvania’s top 10 hospitals. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH–Muhlenberg are the Lehigh Valley’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About River Crossing YMCA

River Crossing YMCA (formed when YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties and Greater Valley YMCA came together as one organization on July 1, 2024) is a charitable, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through membership and programs that foster youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for all. Annually, the Y serves over 142,000 members and participants at its 12 member branches, 13 early childhood centers, 20 summer camp locations and 37 school age child care programs. River Crossing YMCA provides over $12 million of community impact annually in the form of financial assistance to individuals and families in need and free programming for veterans, cancer survivors, older adults and more. To learn more visit ymcarivercrossing.org.

Information provided to TVL by:
Brian Downs