Limb Preservation Program Launch (Photo provided courtesy of Jefferson Health)
Coordinated, fast and expert care helps save at-risk limbs
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Feb. 18, 2026) — Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), part of Jefferson Health, held an event this month to introduce the Limb Preservation Program, the region’s only program dedicated to saving limbs. Each year, thousands in our community lose limbs because of diabetes, peripheral artery disease and nonhealing wounds. With the help of a nurse navigator, and the collaboration of clinicians from many specialties, people can receive the expert care they need to save their limbs through this new program.
Marissa Famularo, DO, is a vascular and endovascular surgeon who played an integral role in bringing the Limb Preservation Program to fruition.
“Every day we see people suffering from diabetic foot ulcers, critical limb ischemia, infected or gangrenous tissue, chronic nonhealing wounds and peripheral artery disease,” Dr. Famularo said. “Without proper and fast medical intervention, these people are at risk of losing their limbs.”
The first-of-its-kind in our region, the program has offices and specialists in Allentown, Bethlehem and Bartonsville, making this critical program more easily accessible to as many people as possible. Just a few of the specialists who may be consulted include vascular surgeons, wound experts, podiatrists, cardiologists and more.
Tim Friel, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Jefferson Health–Lehigh Valley Region, welcomed physicians, clinicians and others who attended the event to learn about the program, celebrate its launch and take a tour.
“The Limb Preservation Program was born when we identified a need for people in danger of losing a limb to find fast, coordinated care,” Dr. Friel said. “It is only through the hard work, dedication and passion of the team involved that we could launch this program today.”
“We are very fortunate to have a talented and dedicated clinical team led by Dr. Famularo,” said Benjamin Jackson, MD, Chief, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, with LVHN. “This is life-changing care for people who are in danger of losing their limbs. It gives them the ability to continue to live their lives.”
Personalized treatment approaches
When it comes to limb-saving treatment, there’s not one standard solution. Each person’s condition is diagnosed and a path forward is developed using evidence-based treatments. Clinicians in the Limb Preservation Program provide advanced care using the latest treatments and technologies available.
Treatments may include the use of state-of-the-art wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. When required, the team performs minimally invasive endovascular procedures, like angioplasty and stenting. Vascular surgeons perform complex open surgical bypasses and reconstruction. The program also includes comprehensive rehabilitation to help people walk again.
About Jefferson
Jefferson is reimagining healthcare and higher education to create unparalleled value throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. More than 65,000 people strong, Jefferson is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 33 hospital campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans, through Health Partners Plans, Inc., is a not-for-profit managed healthcare organization offering a broad range of health coverage options to more than 370,000 members for more than 40 years.
Information provided to TVL by:
Priscilla Turbitt
