What constitutes a great workplace? What does it take to give employees an unsurpassed professional experience? Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) knows and delivers it to its 20,000 employees – or as they call each other – colleagues.
The region’s largest employer, LVHN has been named one of the 2021 Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma by Great Place to Work and Fortune. Four LVHN health care professionals share their thoughts on how the health network provides support and an excellent work experience even during the challenges of the pandemic.
Wellington J. Davis III, MD, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital
Describe your role.
I came to LVHN 18 months ago. From cleft lip and cleft palate repair to facial reconstruction and wound care, we perform the full gambit of pediatric plastic surgery. There aren’t too many places like Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.
What resources provided by LVHN during the pandemic have helped you?
When COVID-19 hit, LVHN did a lot of behind-the-scenes work. For example, we changed the patient schedule and how patients flow through our offices and facilities to ensure a safe environment for us to provide care and for patients to receive care.
What makes LVHN a great place to work for you?
LVHN is very focused on maintaining and elevating the gold standard of patient care. I’ve been in health care a long time. Hands down, LVHN is the most organized and efficient organization I have ever been a part of. For me, efficiency creates trust. Having this trust means I don’t worry. When something needs to get done, it gets done.
Plus, LVHN’s leaders genuinely listen and consider what you have to say. I came from a place where people were not so open-minded. I’m fairly new to LVHN and it’s a breath of fresh air to be here.
Steve Pyne, Registered Respiratory Therapist
Describe your role.
I came to LVHN in 1983 and have had multiple roles. I currently work night shift in adult and pediatric critical care and other departments at three of our hospital campuses.
What resources provided by LVHN during the pandemic have helped you?
For me, the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) was a very big deal. I was surprised to hear on the news about hospitals that didn’t have the right masks. At LVHN, you could not go on a floor that did not have N95 masks.
Our employee health department has been great through all of this. We have a 24-hour nurse on call that gives colleagues guidance if you think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19. It’s been great to help us know exactly what to do and get answers to our questions. I’m appreciative that LVHN did that.
LVHN’s innovative technology also is very beneficial. Our Advanced Intensive Care Unit is an off-site location staffed by critical care physicians and nurses who monitor patients in our ICUs overnight. We could not have saved as many lives as we did without this excellent team.
What makes LVHN a great place to work for you?
Our people. I’m inspired to work with many good, committed and smart colleagues. Everyone is here to serve others and give of themself to care for our patients. The health care professionals at LVHN are simply the best at what they do.
Kylie Schmitt, RN, Low-Level Monitoring Unit
Describe your role.
I came to LVHN two years ago. For the past year, my unit has been a COVID-19 unit. We’ve had to develop new models to care for patients with the virus and to accommodate the increase in the number of patients with COVID-19.
What resources provided by LVHN during the pandemic have helped you?
There was no rule book to navigate this pandemic. Throughout, there was always continuing education and resources available, as well as frequent communication from our leaders to keep us informed, and to keep our patients and their families informed. Everyone had to rise to the challenge. The fact that LVHN is recognized by Fortune as one of America’s best places to work in health care shows that LVHN continues to step up and succeeded at giving patients – and everyone who works here – the best experience.
What makes LVHN a great place to work for you?
My fellow nurses and technical partners. I love that each day we all come in and give 110% to the patients and to each other. That’s how we are getting through such a challenging time. Without this team, I don’t know how I would have gotten through this crazy year. We keep each other sane.
Javiera Espinoza, Technical Partner, Emergency Department
Describe your role.
I have been at LVHN since 2013. I assist nurses with patient care. I’m also a medical interpreter, fluent in Spanish. Being a voice for patients is very rewarding. It’s heart-warming to see their faces light up and feel their gratitude.
What resources provided by LVHN during the pandemic have helped you?
I had my first exposure to COVID-19 last summer. Although the test was negative, it triggered a lot of anxiety in me and I was very scared. I have two small children, so having to quarantine without my kids was very hard. My supervisor encouraged me to take advantage of Preferred EAP counseling provided by LVHN. I had a few sessions with an amazing counselor. It helped me tremendously. It was the scariest 10 days of my life, but it was also the most self-rewarding.
What makes LVHN a great place to work for you?
LVHN helped me grow professionally. I started as a patient transporter. Now I am a technical partner and I am finishing nursing school. It’s very rewarding to work for a health network that makes such a big impact and has such a great reputation.
Another thing that makes LVHN a great place is how we all came together as a team during the pandemic. It really made me passionate about working here. To me, LVHN feels like my little family.
Lehigh Valley Health Network | lvhn.org
This post is a sponsored collaboration between Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lehigh Valley Style.
