Essential Partners Tom Whalen, MD, Chief Medical Officer, LVHN

Marybeth Browne, MD, Allentown native and Chief of Pediatric Surgical Specialties at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, has been integral to the growth of Children’s Hospital. In this edition of Essential Partners, she talks about the impact her mother had on her career, the best and worst part of being a pediatric surgeon and how she is putting her background in quality improvement to use at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.

When Michael Pasquale, MD, began as a trauma surgeon at LVHN, he only expected to stay for three to five years. That was in 1993. Today, he’s Chair of the Department of Surgery as well as the Physician-in-Chief of Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. In this edition, he discusses the impact of robotic surgery, a new app that’s changing communication to families during surgery and the future of surgery at LVHN.

What is the role of a Chief Academic Officer? Robert Barraco, MD, the physician who holds that position at LVHN explains and shares details about SELECT, a medical education program created by the University of South Florida College of Medicine and LVHN.

Jennifer Stephens, DO, Chief Medical Officer of Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG), became an EMT as a college student and that ignited her passion for medicine. Today she oversees one of the largest integrated, multi-specialty medical groups in Pennsylvania. In this edition of Essential Partners, Stevens discusses innovations implemented by LVPG to improve patient care, the evolving landscape of health care and how she’s able to maintain a work-life balance.

In this edition of Essential Partners, cancer surgeon Martin Martino, MD, discusses why he entered this challenging field of medicine. He also discusses his passion for gynecologic oncology, robotic surgery, and his innovative approach to caring for patients while achieving a work-life balance.

In this edition of Essential Partners, Ron Freudenberger, MD, discusses the journey that led to his current role as Physician-in-Chief of Lehigh Valley Heart Institute. Plus, learn about the importance of care teams, research and education in the delivery of quality heart care.