Dear Friends of Lankenau Medical Center,
I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. To say that these last few months have been challenging for all of us—and certainly our hospital and health system—would be an understatement. At the same time, I am continually encouraged by the resilience our staff and patient community has demonstrated during this time. This letter summarizes our response to the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 on Lankenau and Main Line Health (MLH) and provides updates on exciting COVID-focused research at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, our commitment to addressing disparities in healthcare, and some shining moments that make us smile even in the hardest of times.
I'm thrilled to share some exciting news about the impressive accolades Lankenau Medical Center has recently earned for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
For the 11th year, Lankenau Medical Center has been named one of the nation's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health™ (formerly Truven Health Analytics). The study spotlights the top-performing cardiovascular hospitals in the U.S. based on clinical, operational and patient satisfaction metrics and data. Lankenau continues to deliver significantly higher inpatient survival rates and shorter hospital stays for patients with heart failure or who have experienced a heart attack.
Finally, Lankenau has received the Mission: Lifeline® Gold Plus Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of high risk emergencies including heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest to help save lives and improve patient outcomes.
As always, no matter the circumstances, Lankenau and Main Line Health remain committed to delivering the best patient care possible, and we thank you for your ongoing support.
In closing, being part of the pandemic response and witnessing the resolve and "can do" attitude of the Lankenau and Main Line Health team is something that will stay with me forever. I sincerely hope we won't see a resurgence of the virus in the months ahead, but we are certainly prepared and will be ready to care for all who need us.
I wish you and your family a safe and healthy rest of your summer and thank you again for your loyal support of Lankenau.
Sincerely,
Phillip D. Robinson, FACHE
President, Lankenau Medical Center
COVID-19 Pandemic response
To support our workers who have experienced challenges during the pandemic with child or eldercare, commuting, housing or related needs, we established an Employee Emergency Fund and have awarded almost 500 grants to MLH employees in need of extra assistance. This fund— along with an incredible number of food, mask and PPE donations— was made possible thanks to our remarkably generous donor community. We have been overwhelmed and humbled by this outpouring of support.
Covid-19 research from Lankenau Institute For Medical Research
In order to further support these efforts and help meet the approximately $300,000 in funding necessary to bring LIMR's COVID-related research to completion, we established a new LIMR COVID-19 Research Fund, and are excited to announce that a group of LIMR Board members have initiated a Challenge Match to help raise the remaining dollars by the end of 2020.
Recognizing and addressing health care disparities
Additionally, to continue our efforts to increase access to healthy food and address food insecurity among vulnerable populations in our community during the pandemic, Lankenau partnered with the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) to provide weekly home deliveries of farm fresh produce from Lankenau's on-site Delema G. Deaver Wellness Farm to patients in need. We are also partnering with MANNA to deliver prepared meals to referred MLH patients who have a COVID-19 positive diagnosis, upon discharge and in the ambulatory setting.
Advancing the patient experience through technology