LVHHN’s Chief Operations Officer, Louis L. Liebhaber, Resigns

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Oct. 13, 2006) – Louis L. Liebhaber has resigned from his position as chief operations officer at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

An internal announcement to LVHHN employees quoted Liebhaber: "It has been an important personal goal for me to serve as a leader at LVHHN and to help build it into the exceptional organization that it is. This past May, our youngest child graduated from college, giving me and my wife an opportunity to open a new chapter in our lives. I would now like to consider the many possibilities and opportunities that have come my way."

In commenting on Liebhaber's departure, Elliot J. Sussman, MD, chief executive officer of LVHHN, said, "Lou is the best chief operating officer I have encountered in my 30 years in health care. He has been a friend and trusted confidant for the 12 years it has been my pleasure to work with him. He is respected by our staff, and is one of the people responsible for making Lehigh Valley Hospital what it is today. I will miss him and I wish him the best as he pursues his goals for his career and personal growth."

Liebhaber joined LVH in 1994. During his 12 years there he has been involved with many community and professional organizations, such as Communities in Schools and the United Way of the Lehigh Valley, which honored him recently with their Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award. In 2002, he received the Employee Involvement Association's Executive Leadership Award, presented in Scottsdale, Ariz.

During his tenure, he led the successful merger with Muhlenberg Hospital Center, and was responsible for overseeing facilities and construction, including the Jaindl Pavilion and the new patient care pavilion at Lehigh Valley Hospital—Muhlenberg. His leadership has been recognized nationally by health care benchmarking organizations, such as Solucient, for achieving high levels of cost efficiency while maintaining exceptional quality. Among LVH employees he presented a monthly Service Star award with warmth and enthusiasm, and he sent 'You're Tops' letters to employees who were commended in patient satisfaction surveys.

Sussman noted that Liebhaber will be available to assist with transition issues through the end of November.

The position of chief operating officer will be assumed by Stuart Paxton. "Stuart Paxton has been with LVH for 24 years. He has the respect and affection of our staff and the community, and he has been instrumental in the growth and acceptance that our Muhlenberg campus has enjoyed in the community," said Sussman.

Paxton began his LVH career as controller at The Allentown Hospital. He assumed positions of increased responsibility in the finance department. In 1994, he moved into operations, taking on the role of Vice President for Support Services, overseeing implementation of a number of improvement initiatives, particularly in materials management. When what was then Muhlenberg Hospital Center merged with LVH, Paxton became Senior Vice President of Operations for that campus. His initial focus was to ensure that the merger was successful. For the past six years he has overseen the revitalization of that campus and its expansion, most recently with the seven story patient care pavilion.

Paxton serves on the board of the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park and has served on the Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce board. At present he is president of the Bethlehem Area Moravian Board and serves on the board of the Moravian Book Shop.

"Many of the leaders of our operations team were in place when I joined LVHHN 13 years ago. I have had the pleasure of working closely with them and attest to their extraordinary depth of experience and talent," said Sussman.

"Not only has Stuart been with the institution for 24 years, but the rest of his operations team has an extraordinary depth of experience." Terry Capuano, RN, MSN, MBA, Senior Vice President for Clinical Services, has been with the hospital for 22 years; Mark H. Holtz, Senior Vice President of Operations, for seven years; Mary Kay Grim, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, for 18 years; and Brian Hardner, Vice President of Facilities and Planning, for 11 years. Hardner managed the Muhlenberg building project and took over management of the Cedar Crest project when Carol Bury, formerly Vice President of Facilities and Planning, retired during the summer.

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