Larry Holmes has been a champion of St. Luke\u2019s longer than he was heavyweight boxing champion of the world.<\/p>\n
The \u201cEaston Assassin\u201d was the king of the heavyweight division in boxing from 1978 through 1985 and has championed St. Luke\u2019s since 2011, when he represented St. Luke\u2019s orthopedic service line, and later as a St. Luke\u2019s Community Ambassador.<\/p>\n
In fact, Holmes was the first celebrity to work with St. Luke\u2019s, a list of high-profile athletes that includes Phillies legend Steve Carlton, Eagles kicker David Akers and running back Saquon Barkley, and Hollywood actor\/director\/produce Daniel Roebuck.<\/p>\n
Holmes, age 75, was honored by St. Luke\u2019s for his work highlighting St. Luke\u2019s exceptional health care including his work with sports performance and treatment for diabetes.<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s hosted an invitation-only event called \u201cCelebrating Larry Holmes: A Community Champion\u201d at the St. Luke\u2019s Easton Campus on Wednesday, Feb. 26.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Luke\u2019s is honored and privileged to recognize a special community champion like Larry Holmes,\u201d said St. Luke’s President & CEO Rick Anderson. \u201cLarry is the epitome of a humanitarian, philanthropist and true champion in every sense of the word and values his community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is only fitting that in honor of his 75th birthday, and his 75 professional fights, St. Luke\u2019s is unveiling a special watercolor portrait of the champ that will be located in the lobby of our St. Luke\u2019s Easton Campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holmes (69-6, 44 KOs), without question, is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. His storied left jab allowed him 48 successful title defenses and led to four more attempts at the title after his first loss.<\/p>\n
Mr. Holmes, always a champion, engaged with St. Luke\u2019s under the tutelage of John Graham, Senior Network Director, Fitness & Sports Performance, to maintain his fitness following his boxing career. In March of 2013, Larry required medical care when he was diagnosed with diabetes. Subsequently he filmed a documentary of his journey from diagnosis to treatment of diabetes under the care of St. Luke\u2019s physicians.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Luke\u2019s has been there for me, first as a retired athlete, and then when I needed them most. My blood sugar had spiked to 900 and I was told to get to a hospital immediately,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cJust like in boxing, when I chose the best trainers, I chose the best hospital, doctors and medical care in St. Luke\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lehigh Vally resident, Andrew Kish III, whose artworks are in galleries worldwide, created the watercolor portrait of Holmes with a \u201cstare\u201d in a true boxer\u2019s pose, gloved left hand slightly lowered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an honor to do this portrait of Larry,\u201d said Kish. \u201cThe painting represents Larry in the prime of his career when he was truly the best heavyweight boxer on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holmes and his family are thrilled with the portrait, which now hangs in “Larry’s Corner” at the St. Luke’s Easton Campus.<\/p>\n
Larry said: \u201cThank you to St. Luke\u2019s for working with me. Thank you to Andrew for a great painting. Together, this whole celebration of me turning 75 has been fantastic. It\u2019s a knockout.\u201d<\/p>\n
About St. Luke\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872,\u00a0St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites. With annual net revenue of $4 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. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus. It also operates the nation\u2019s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 52 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 500 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, established 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 ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. St. Luke\u2019s is a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World\u2019s Best Hospital. The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Fortune\/PINC AI 10 years in a row, including in 2021 when it was identified as\u00a0THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was also identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally. 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\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: Larry Holmes has been a champion of St. Luke\u2019s longer than he was heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The \u201cEaston Assassin\u201d was the king of the heavyweight division in … Continue reading St. Luke\u2019s Dedicates Larry Holmes Portrait at St. Luke\u2019s Easton Campus<\/span>
\nGary Blockus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"