Cancer Care

At LVHHN, we strive to be the best and set our own high standards for quality

At LVHHN, we are not content to merely meet standards. We strive to be the best, and set our own high standards for quality. In cancer care, that means physicians who are all board-certified in at least one specialty and attending oncologists who are not only board-certified, but also contribute to the research and education goals of the cancer program. Our collaboration with Penn State has resulted in an expansion of the Hematology Oncology Fellowship Program at Penn State to include at least one fellow at Lehigh Valley Hospital at all times. All nurses who administer antineoplastic agents are certified, and nearly all nurses who care for our cancer patients are either eligible or have obtained certification by the Oncology Nursing Society.

Our other quality indicators include:

1) Nation’s Top 1 Percent
Patient satisfaction consistently ranks in the top one percent nationwide, earning high marks for skilled and friendly staff, concern with patient comfort, less waiting time, easy scheduling and explanations given by physicians.

2) Commission on Cancer Approved
We have received a full three-year accreditation as a Teaching Hospital Cancer Program by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The Commission approves only those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. About one-fifth of the country’s hospitals have approved cancer programs.

3) Quality Exceeds FDA Requirements
We have our own quality assurance standards throughout the program. For example, our breast health program is accredited by the American College of Radiology and the Food and Drug Administration, but our radiologists each read more than 1000 mammograms every year, far more than the FDA requirement of 480. We perform more than 30,000 mammograms every year.

4) Meeting or Exceeding National Averages for Survival Rates
Our evidence-based disease management approach was recently presented at a national conference on quality cancer care because it has been so successful. In place since we opened the Cancer Center, disease management teams use data collected through the tumor registry to evaluate whether patient treatment and outcomes are in accordance with established disease management guidelines. These guidelines reflect national standards of care. Through careful monitoring and attention, we have achieved a high level of compliance with these guidelines—consistently higher than our benchmarks—resulting in survival rates that are as good or better than national averages.

5) Research that Improves Life for Cancer Patients
Quality is continually enhanced through our research efforts and involvement with national associations focused on improving life for cancer victims. Patients have access to clinical trials and leading edge research through our membership in the Penn State Cancer Institute as well as through national cooperative research groups such as the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG).

6) Nurses and Physicians Nationally Recognized for Quality Care
Our physicians and nurses have been nationally recognized for their excellence by quality care organizations such as the Consumer Research Council of America and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We also have earned the important national designation “Magnet Hospital for Nursing.”

Quality Commitment

Throughout the Cancer Center--at every location, in every department, in every individual-- resides a deep and abiding commitment to one thing—reducing the burden on cancer patients and their families and treating each patient with compassion and respect for their individuality and dignity. This mission drives everything from clinical program development to research and education to support programs, as we strive to provide the best possible care for patients and their families.

Our greatest contribution today is to make a difference in the lives of people struggling with cancer.

Since its opening in 1993, the Cancer Center has become the fourth largest cancer program in all of Pennsylvania. By bringing together some of the best minds in cancer care augmented by state-of-the-art facilities and technology, our patients receive a level of care not found elsewhere in the region.

Through our two locations, The John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest (LVH-CC) and the Cancer Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg (LVH-M), we offer a comprehensive program to the more than 2,500 new patients we treat each year. Our physicians are leaders in their fields, experienced in all kinds of cancer. They are equally committed to our referral community, providing prompt and thorough communication with you and directing your patients back to you for continuing care.

Contact Us

Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network has cancer facilities at the John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center at Cedar Crest and I-78 and Muhlenberg. In addition, Breast Health Services are available at centers in Bath, Hamburg, Trexlertown and at 17th and Chew, Allentown.

To learn more about the state-of-the-art services of the Cancer Center and how they can benefit your patients, call 1-800-584-2040 or 610-402-CARE, or visit The Cancer Center online.

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