BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — St. Luke’s University Health Network on Friday opened its new $252 million St. Luke’s Heart Hospital at the Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township.
About 200 people attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the five-story, approximately 355,000-square-foot facility, which St. Luke’s said is the largest construction project in the health network’s more than 150-year history in both cost and square footage.
St. Luke’s President and CEO Rick Anderson noted the significance of opening the hospital during the United States’ 250th anniversary year.
“The new St. Luke’s Heart Hospital stands as an essential expression of what American ingenuity, innovation and determination can achieve,” Anderson said. “Like every hospital built by St. Luke’s, it was constructed with American steel with an unwavering commitment to excellence. Combining world-class technology, leading-edge design and the expertise of our exceptional clinicians, this facility reflects St. Luke’s and our nation’s proud tradition of pioneering advances in health care. Most importantly, it ensures that patients throughout our region have access to some of the finest cardiovascular care available anywhere in the world, right here in the Lehigh Valley.”
Construction began in 2024 and employed more than 1,000 skilled workers. Once fully operational, the hospital is expected to support hundreds of permanent health care jobs.
The Heart Hospital includes four dedicated heart operating rooms, one hybrid operating room and 10 advanced interventional suites for cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and interventional radiology. It also includes a cardiac intensive care unit for patients requiring specialized care.
“This Heart Hospital represents one of the most significant investments in cardiovascular care our region has ever seen,” said Raymond Durkin, MD, St. Luke’s Cardiovascular Services Chairman. “When I look at this building, I don’t just see a hospital. I see lives that will be saved, families that will have more time together and a commitment to delivering world-class cardiovascular services close to home for generations to come.”
The facility is equipped with advanced cardiac imaging technology, heart-lung machines for open-heart surgeries and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, machines that can provide long-term cardiopulmonary support.
The Heart Hospital will also serve as a Siemens international show site for cardiac imaging and is expected to attract physicians and other health care leaders from around the world.
The facility includes expanded teaching space and a new cardiac fellowship program. Other additions include a larger cafeteria and rooftop helipad to facilitate the rapid transport of patients to the Anderson Campus trauma center.
“The new Heart Hospital is a transformative investment in the future of health care for our region, nearly doubling the number of in-patient beds at the Anderson Campus to meet a growing demand for St. Luke’s high-quality services,” said Ed Nawrocki, president of St. Luke’s East Region and the Anderson Campus. “For 15 years, Anderson Campus has grown alongside the communities we serve, expanding access to advanced, high-quality care. The Heart Hospital builds on that legacy by bringing world-class cardiovascular expertise, state-of-the-art technology and an exceptional patient experience together under one roof. It reinforces what our patients already know: They can receive the most advanced heart care available anywhere, right here close to home.”
The Heart Hospital adds 140 beds, nearly doubling the Anderson Campus’ inpatient capacity.
The Anderson Campus opened 15 years ago on a 500-acre property overlooking the Lehigh River. The campus has since expanded with a Specialty Pavilion in 2017 and the Women & Babies Pavilion in 2020.
