Caption: Mother and baby with port wine birthmark.

BETHLEHEM, PA — St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is proud to announce its formal induction into the Sturge-Weber Foundation (SWF) Clinical Care Network. St. Luke’s becomes the 27th institution globally to receive this prestigious designation and stands as the first and only healthcare provider in the Lehigh Valley – and only the second in Pennsylvania – to be recognized for this level of specialized clinical excellence.  The addition of St. Luke’s to the Clinical Care Network further strengthens the Sturge-Weber Foundation’s global mission to improve the quality of life and care for people with Sturge-Weber syndrome and associated port wine capillary malformations through ongoing collaboration with clinical partners and pioneers, education, advocacy, research, and patient/family support.

Port wine capillary malformations are a specific type of birthmark – now known to be caused by genetic mutations within the skin itself – that are present at birth, can be located anywhere on the body, and that will thicken in texture and darken in color over time.  Rarely, a port wine birthmark on the face may be associated with glaucoma – abnormally high pressures in the eye – and seizures, constituting what is known as Sturge-Weber syndrome. Due to its multi-system nature, patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome often require a highly coordinated “medical home” to manage complex cutaneous, ocular, and neurological symptoms.  Until recently, these highly specialized services were largely unavailable in the Lehigh Valley.

“As a parent of a child with Sturge-Weber syndrome, having a Clinical Care Network in my hometown is truly incredible,” says Julia Terrell, Director of Community Relations for the Sturge-Weber Foundation. “For years, families in the Lehigh Valley have had to travel long distances for specialized care—trips that are costly, time-consuming, and hard on patients. The expertise may have always existed, but families didn’t always know where to go or who to trust. Now, having a dedicated team close to home means families have clear direction, trusted care, and no longer feel alone in their journey. That truly warms my heart.”

Laser-Focused on Patient Care

The invitation to join the Sturge-Weber Foundation’s Clinical Care Network was driven by the internationally recognized expertise of Andrew C. Krakowski, MD, who is the Founding Network Chair of St. Luke’s Department of Dermatology and who serves as the lead point of clinical contact for the Birthmark Center at St. Luke’s. The Center originated with a generous donation from The Jeanne and Richard Kaskey Foundation, whose mission is to invest in transformative education and pioneering medical advancements—fueling innovation, accelerating discovery, and expanding access to care worldwide.  Dr. Krakowski is a recognized leader in the use of advanced laser surgery to treat port wine birthmarks and associated vascular malformations in both children and adults.  His clinical experience is supported by a robust academic portfolio, including his role as senior editor of the definitive textbook, Pediatric Procedural Dermatology and several recent high-impact, peer-reviewed publications focused on optimizing laser parameters and multidisciplinary protocols for managing port wine birthmarks.  “Dr. K,” as he is better known to his patients and families, is the only board-certified pediatric dermatologist in the Lehigh Valley, representing one of more than 40 pediatric specialties available through St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

Being inducted into SWF Clinical Care Network is an example of what sets St. Luke’s apart. This past fall, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranked St. Luke’s #1 – ahead of Houston Methodist and Mayo Clinic, two of the nation’s most prestigious institutions – as the nation’s top health system for quality, safety, and patient experience. This objective recognition, based on public data reported to the government, reaffirms St. Luke’s preeminent position among the leading health systems in the country.

Comprehensive, Multidisciplinary Care

While laser surgery is a cornerstone of port wine birthmark treatment, St. Luke’s provides a comprehensive “continuum of care” for pediatric and adult patients alike. Supporting the efforts of the Birthmark Center is a fully integrated team of pediatric and adult specialists across multiple specialties including:

• Ophthalmology: Monitoring and treating SWS-related glaucoma.
• Neurology: Managing seizure activity and neurodevelopmental milestones.
• Radiology: Advanced neuroimaging for monitoring vascular changes.
• Plastic Surgery/ENT: Providing reconstructive support for structural complications arising from vascular malformations.

“With support from The Jeanne and Richard Kaskey Foundation, St. Luke’s has evolved to become a national leader for these types of complex pediatric and adult laser surgeries, and we are delighted to partner with the Sturge-Weber Foundation on its global mission to be a resource for patients with port wine birthmarks,” says Andrew C. Krakowski, MD.  “Being named a Clinical Care Network site is a testament to the tireless effort and clinical excellence that the multidisciplinary St. Luke’s team offers our local Lehigh Valley community and, regionally, across eastern Pennsylvania.”

 

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 $4.5 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 Children’s Hospital is based at the Bethlehem Campus.

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 continuously operated School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 60+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 550+ residents and fellows.

In 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranked St. Luke’s #1 – ahead of Houston Methodist and Mayo Clinic, two of the nation’s most prestigious institutions – as the nation’s top health system for quality, safety and patient experience. This objective recognition, based on public data reported to the government, reaffirms St. Luke’s preeminent position as THE BEST OF THE BEST among the most respected health care systems in the United States.

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 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:
Sam Kennedy