Photo caption: Caitlin Kolba at her first day of work for St. Luke\u2019s this week.<\/i><\/p>\n
When Caitlin Kolba reported for her first day of work at St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network this week, she became the Network\u2019s 20,000th employee \u2013 the personification of St. Luke\u2019s remarkable transformation into the Lehigh Valley\u2019s largest and most recognized health system.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to apply to St. Luke\u2019s after talking to other people who worked there,\u201d said Kolba, 32, of Bethlehem Township, who is now employed as a clinical social worker in the extended acute care unit at St. Luke\u2019s Sacred Heart Campus in Allentown. \u201cJob satisfaction is very high. There are so many opportunities for growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
After living in Virginia for nearly two decades, Kolba returned to the Lehigh Valley, where she grew up until age 11. While working at an independent practice in Allentown over the past couple of years, she came across many St. Luke\u2019s employees, all of whom spoke so highly of the Network that she became convinced that St. Luke\u2019s must be a very special place indeed.<\/p>\n
She said she felt like she hit the jackpot when she received her job offer. \u201cI immediately called my best friend to tell her because I was so excited!\u201d<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s is \u2013 and will remain \u2013 locally owned and managed for the benefit of our community. Founded in Bethlehem in 1872, St. Luke\u2019s is a fully integrated, regional, not-for-profit health system providing services at 15 campuses and more than 300 outpatient sites. The Network continues to be headquartered in the Lehigh Valley and overseen by a board of trustees comprised of Lehigh Valley residents. With annual net revenue of $3.5 billion, it is an important economic engine providing family-sustaining jobs across a service area that includes 11 counties in two states.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Luke\u2019s remarkable growth over the years is the result of the trust earned from the communities we have served over the course of our 150-year history,\u201d said Rick Anderson, President & CEO of St. Luke\u2019s. \u201cThis growth has provided the opportunity to attract employees drawn not only to our culture but also to our competitive salaries and benefits. St. Luke\u2019s is a caring organization that continually demonstrates St. Luke\u2019s employees are our Network\u2019s most important asset.\u201d<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s has received numerous awards as the region\u2019s best health care employer. In 2023, the Network was named a Top Workplace nationally, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey. St. Luke\u2019s is the ONLY healthcare institution in Pennsylvania and the third-highest ranked health care entity in the nation to be deemed a Top Workplace in 2023. The Network was also recently named one of America\u2019s Best Employers for Women by Forbes Magazine. St. Luke\u2019s is the only employer in the Lehigh Valley to be named to the list and is one of only two health care employers in Pennsylvania to receive the designation. In addition, the Network was recently recognized by Forbes Magazine as the top-ranked employer in the Lehigh Valley and one of the best employers in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s is now the Lehigh Valley\u2019s largest employer and most recognized health system, transformed by many factors, including new hospital construction and new outpatient sites. Consider these prior employment milestones:<\/p>\n
As St. Luke\u2019s celebrates employment of its 20,000th<\/sup> employee, the Network\u2019s Human Resources Department continues to process numerous job applications for hundreds of opens positions, including many for nurses.<\/p>\n \u201cDemand for St. Luke\u2019s award-winning health care is the catalyst for the Network\u2019s continued growth, providing the opportunity to welcome even more employees, attracted by competitive salaries and benefits, into the St. Luke\u2019s family,\u201d explained Evan Ochs, St. Luke\u2019s Senior Vice President of Human Resources. \u201cWe also enjoy a culture of respect and caring, making St. Luke\u2019s the most recognizable health care employer in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Lehigh Valley\u2019s top employer, St. Luke\u2019s has many openings for direct care roles including nurses, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists and patient care assistants. Non-clinical roles include administrative roles, leadership positions, information technology analysts, inventory control specialists, distribution center associates and sterile processing technicians \u2013 all also imperative to our mission of providing award-winning healthcare.<\/p>\n A searchable database of all job openings is available at https:\/\/www.slhn.org\/careers<\/a>.<\/p>\n About St. Luke\u2019s <\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872, St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a> (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 300+ outpatient sites.\u00a0 With annual net revenue of $3.5 billion, the Network\u2019s 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\u2019s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke\u2019s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.\u00a0 In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus.\u00a0 It also operates the nation\u2019s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 45 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 400 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, opened the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.<\/p>\n SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare\u2019s five-star<\/em> ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.\u00a0 It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital<\/em> and a Newsweek World\u2019s Best Hospital<\/em>.\u00a0 The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital<\/em> designation from Fortune\/Merative 11 times total and eight years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.\u00a0 In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems<\/em> nationally.\u00a0 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<\/em> award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. \u00a0The Network is also recognized as one of the state\u2019s lowest cost providers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo caption: Caitlin Kolba at her first day of work for St. Luke\u2019s this week. When Caitlin Kolba reported for her first day of work at St. Luke\u2019s University Health … Continue reading St. Luke\u2019s Hires 20,000th Employee<\/span>
\nSam Kennedy<\/p>\n