St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus is Growing!

By Melinda Rizzo

Look for construction tours of the new St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus West Wing. A grand opening in March, 2023 is anticipated.
 
St. Luke’s University Health Network takes cancer seriously.
 
Among the hardest diagnosis to be received by a patient, 1 in 8 women will hear the devastating news they have breast cancer.
 
And 1 in 8 men will receive the news they have prostate cancer.
 
“Having convenient access to high quality cancer services is why we’re doing this,” said Dennis Pfleiger, president of St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus.
 
Serving the greater Upper Bucks County community with world-class physicians, specialists, diagnostic tools and resources is among the reasons St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus is expanding in Milford Township.
 
“The services offered meet a goal to keep high quality care close to home, especially cancer and obstetric care,” Pfleiger said.
 
Cancer treatments after surgery and specialist visits with medical oncologists and radiation therapy specialists can be frequent and stressful. Radiation therapy treatments, once they begin, are typically taken five days a week, from two to nine weeks, for a single course of treatment.
 
The new approximately $72 million, 118,000 square-foot west wing investment by St. Luke’s University Health Network will roughly double the Upper Bucks Campus size by spring of 2023.
 
These medical care services will be available once the new wing opens:
 

• First floor is dedicated to bringing comprehensive cancer services including specialists and radiation therapy treatments. This allows for convenient scheduling for patients and assures that the medical team coordinates care. “This is the first time we’ve offered radiation treatment here in Quakertown,” Pfleiger said. The investment in radiation therapy is significant. Pfleiger said the external radiation machine used to deliver targeted therapy to patients costs about $4 million alone. A lead lined room, or lead shielding, is required for safe operation during treatments and to protect patients and staff during treatment cycles.
• Second floor expanded obstetric services, including birthing and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A NICU is a specialized department in a hospital where premature and ill infants receive specialized, round-the-clock care and treatment.
• Third floor space set aside for future development, driven by the community’s future needs. “We have more land and can continue to grow to meet the needs of the community,” Pfleiger said.

 
“I think this [expansion and direction] will change the face of care in the Upper Bucks and Montgomery counties,” he said.
 
Pfleiger said coordinated care at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus is an important factor for patients. Having local access to more physicians and specialists, as well as an integrated care component between treating physicians, is another attractive feature.
 
Once open the new wing is expected to add about 100 full-time or equivalent employee positions to the roughly 500-member staff already employed at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus.
 
“We’re seeing a broader market choosing to come to St. Luke’s. The national recognition speaks to high quality and great access. People are choosing St. Luke’s when they move into the area,” according to Pfleiger.
 
The U.S. government and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) ranks St. Luke’s University Health Network higher than its competitors in the Greater Lehigh Valley region.
 
Expanding health care services benefits the entire community and its economy.
 
“We’re providing stable jobs for people in our community. That equates to great stable jobs for our local businesses,” Pfleiger explained.
 
Not only will permanent jobs be available in the new west wing, but with a construction timeline of about 18 months, jobs in construction services and management have been part of the community – and made a positive economic impact – during the expansion project.
 
“By bringing in high quality, great jobs, our stores and businesses in the area benefit, too. We do a lot with our local businesses to make sure we’re supporting them. As people move into the area, they see we have a great health care system, and it’s an entire win for the community,” he said.
 
Drawing inspiration from the landscape and property on which St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus sits, the addition will also keep the modern farmhouse feel in architecture, décor and amenities, Pfleiger said.
 
Sustainable materials, including wood and stone and environmental landscaping for walking trails, exercise equipment and flower meadows create a homey, natural feel at the site – inside and out.
 
The infusion center will have banks of glass windows, so every patient has a pastoral view outdoors as they take treatments.
 
“It’s those small details that make a great difference,” Pfleiger said.
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For more details on St. Luke's University Health Network visit www.slhn.org.