Photo caption: Temple/St. Luke’s medical students Maia Clayton ’28 (left) and Ashley Pacheco ’29 (right), surgical instruments in hand, join classmates in an orthopedic surgical simulation under the guidance of St. Luke’s orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Kimberly Zambito (back). 

St. Luke’s University Health Network proudly hosted dynamic Perry Initiative outreach programs at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem on October 17 and 18, designed to inspire the next generation of leaders in orthopedic surgery and engineering. The events took place in the Priscilla Payne Hurd Education Center, located on the hospital campus.

The Perry Initiative is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing career exploration and hands-on learning opportunities in orthopedic surgery and engineering. Through its outreach programs held across the country, the initiative aims to inspire and empower students to pursue careers in medicine and STEM.

On Friday, Oct. 17, the Medical Student Outreach Program welcomed 17 students from the Temple/St. Luke’s Medical School. Participants engaged in two surgical simulations to repair bone fractures using different techniques. They also received mentorship from St. Luke’s orthopedic surgeons and residents, gaining insight into the pathway to a career in orthopedics and the steps required to succeed in the field.

The following day, 31 local high school students participated in an immersive, all-day program. Students performed surgical simulations to reconstruct knee joint ligaments using three different methods and practiced various suturing techniques. Throughout the day, they learned from prominent surgeons, engineers and leaders in orthopedics and biomedical engineering.

Orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Kimberly Zambito spearheaded the initiative at St. Luke’s, supported by residents and members of the St. Luke’s orthopedic team.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to watch students discover their potential through hands-on experience,” said Dr. Zambito. “We’re not just teaching skills; we’re opening doors to futures they may not have imagined.”

“At St. Luke’s, we believe in mentoring and empowering future professionals. These programs are a powerful way to show students what’s possible,” added Dr. Douglas Lundy, SLUHN Chairman of Orthopedics. “By combining hands-on experience with real-world mentorship, we’re helping shape the future of medicine and engineering.”

The Perry Initiative continues to be a cornerstone of St. Luke’s commitment to education, innovation, and community engagement. The success of this year’s events reflects the dedication of the SLUHN Orthopedic Department and the enthusiasm of the students who participated.

These programs were made possible through the generous support of Zimmer Biomet Foundation, Stryker Joint Replacement Division, OrthoPediatrics, and St. Luke’s University Health Network.

For more information on The Perry Initiative, visit www.perryinitiative.org.

 

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.

The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 50+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 500+ residents and fellows.

St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. It is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In 2025, the Network earned straight A’s from Leapfrog across all of its 11 acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 11 years in a row, including in 2021 when its flagship University Hospital was identified as THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.

Information provided to TVL by:
Gary Blockus