Through an article posted on the Muhlenberg website, shortly followed by an email sent out to the student body, Muhlenberg College students were notified that their health and wellness experiences here at Muhlenberg would change drastically. This article and subsequent email detailed the partnership between Muhlenberg College and the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)—affecting both the Health Center and the Counseling Center.
Beginning on Aug. 1, the Muhlenberg College Health and Counseling Centers would be renamed to Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) Family Medicine—Muhlenberg College, and be under the jurisdiction of LVHN.
President Kathleen Harring, Ph.D., stated that the reason behind the partnership was for the future of the College’s success. “As part of Muhlenberg’s strategic planning, the College implemented several new initiatives (e.g., new curriculum, coaching program, upgraded facilities) that strengthen the holistic student experience at Muhlenberg. The Muhlenberg/LVHN partnership is an additional element that supports a powerful residential educational experience.”
It is unclear whether or not there was a financial gain for the College to partner with LVHN. When asked if there was a monetary incentive for Muhlenberg, Brynnmarie Dorsey, executive director of health and counseling services stated, “The driving force in pursuing this partnership is the enhancement in clinical services through affiliation with a major health network. The expanded partnership between Muhlenberg and LVHN allows the College to improve services, manage costs and address the evolving needs of students.”
The article sent out by Muhlenberg College states that the Directors of Health and Counseling Services Brynnmarie Dorsey and Tim Silvestri, respectively, will be employed by both Muhlenberg College and LVHN. Both the Health and Counseling Centers will now be under the domain of LVHN, however, the on-call system for mental health emergencies is staying unchanged.
In an announcement posted to LVHN, it was made explicitly clear that Muhlenberg will be outsourcing all campus health services to LVHN, the first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley. “It is the first time a Lehigh Valley-based college or university has outsourced its entire student health operation to a health network.” Though LVHN is currently partnered with other Lehigh Valley schools, including Cedar Crest College, East Stroudsburg University and Kutztown University, no institution has handed over 100% of its student health network. This makes Muhlenberg College the prototype for Lehigh Valley institutions.
There have been many concerns raised from students about the logistics of the new partnership. Previously, there was no copay for students at the health center or the counseling center. Still, there is no copay for the counseling center, but there is a copay for the health center. Insurance is needed for the health center, whether it be through Muhlenberg or an external company. Dorsey explained how insurance will work at the health center. “As an LVPG family medicine practice, charges for office visits at the health center will be billed. LVPG will submit charges to the student’s health insurance on file. Any costs not covered by insurance, including copays, coinsurance and deductibles, will be the student’s responsibility. We encourage you to check with your health insurance carrier to determine if they participate with LVPG. The Student Health Insurance Plan offered by the College works the same as other health insurance plans and is in-network with LVPG Family Medicine. There will be no charge for behavioral health services in the counseling center.”
“LVHN is currently involved in another lawsuit over a massive data breach, and just reached a $65 million settlement over their patient’s information being shared on the dark web.”
Ariana Handelman ‘25 has found it more complicated to get care than in the past, and to figure out just how insurance will work with the new Health Center. “The fact that they have to recreate profiles, even though I thought I did it online is really frustrating and the fact that I have to go into both the Health Center and Counseling Services to make an appointment and I couldn’t do it online is really frustrating. Theoretically, it’s all supposed to work seamlessly which would be good and potentially connect to my Northwestern patient portal, so hopefully that would be better, but I’m not sure that’s how it works. And, I’m on the school-provided insurance, and when I went to the school health center, they didn’t know what my insurance was going to cover, and I feel like if I’m doing both things through the school, it should work more seamlessly than it does.”
Annalise Christie ‘26 spoke on her experiences as a dancer, using services through the Health Center that aren’t as widely accessible to the entire campus community. “I think a bigger issue for the dance community specifically is that we don’t have a dance physical therapist anymore, so they’re putting us through the LVHN system. There’s this Dance Wellness Center, but we don’t have easy access to a physical therapist that’s trained in our needs, we have to go through sports med. people instead. I talked with someone in the dance and bio department, who should have been able to have a hand in this, and wasn’t able to. The [dance] department doesn’t actually know the care that dancers are going to get because of the new partnership.”
When asked if the dance department previously had a physical therapist, Christie replied, stating, “We used to have a physical therapist that would give us individual screenings and provide physical therapy for us, and had a dance background. She was a specialist. But, the people that are in there now aren’t trained to work with us, and are just being told that they have to.”
Dorsey clarified questions of concern for student anonymity in the use of the Counseling Center, as family members now have the potential for access to LVHN student portals. “All visits to health and counseling remain confidential. Both offices abide by HIPAA privacy rules. Students will complete and sign a communication form upon their first visit to the offices to identify with whom, if anyone, they would like their medical information released. In order for medical records to be viewed in MyLVHN by another person, students who are 18 years old must give proxy access to that person. Students who would like family members to access their medical information should give them MyLVHN proxy access. Students who do not want this information accessible to others should not give others MyLVHN proxy access.”
In a similar vein, Dorsey clarified just how accessible Health Center records are to others, and if these records can stay anonymous if asked for by the student. “The Health Center will continue to partner with the Allentown Health Bureau to provide free laboratory tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea. There will also be no charge for pregnancy tests. Students will have an office visit charge for these services, but no charge for the tests themselves. Students can ask the physician or nurse to make these office visits not visible on MyLVHN.”
“As an LVPG family medicine practice, students will have access to a faster and more robust referral network. Students will experience greater continuity of care between the campus Health Center, local providers and their primary care providers through a shared record system. Through this partnership, students also can utilize an online portal for, direct messaging with providers, and direct billing. This collaboration also provides more opportunities to broadly share critical public health information.”
Dorsey spoke on what she sees as the biggest benefit for students moving forward with the partnership. “As an LVPG family medicine practice, students will have access to a faster and more robust referral network. Students will experience greater continuity of care between the campus Health Center, local providers and their primary care providers through a shared record system. Through this partnership, students also can utilize an online portal for direct messaging with providers and direct billing. This collaboration also provides more opportunities to broadly share critical public health information.”
An anonymous student expressed their complicated feelings about the partnership. “Something that kind of concerned me when I heard about the partnership was how as recently as last fall, and there was actually a lawsuit brought up in February of last year, LVHN has been accused of something called ‘medical kidnapping.’ I don’t want to speak ill of the whole organization and network, I know it’s a very complex network… but this lawsuit is something that is still going on. For me, being aware that this was going on, I don’t know how I feel. In terms of just their partnership here, they know what they’re doing, it was a very easy and painless process for me, which was not what I was used to from the health center here.”
LVHN is currently involved in another lawsuit over a massive data breach, and just reached a $65 million settlement over their patient’s information being shared on the dark web.
Also beginning Aug. 1, LVHN merged with Jefferson Health Network, a merger that claims to “[create] a leading integrated academic health care delivery system, alongside a national doctoral research university and an expanded not-for-profit health plan.”
Jefferson Health Network has merged with multiple smaller healthcare institutions in the past few years. The most recent of these mergers was a merger with Einstein Healthcare Network, which was announced in 2018 but finalized in 2021. This was because of “antitrust scrutiny and legal challenges.” The merger had to jump through numerous legal hoops, including the Federal Trade Commission and Pennsylvania’s attorney general trying and failing to block the merger.
Jefferson Health Network has been going through internal restructuring, with an estimated 400 employees being let go. In Febuary, The Philadelphia Business Journal reported that Jefferson Health Network was operating in the red, but cut its losses from the previous year by 40%.
Similarly, LVHN has been doing internal restructuring, announcing last October that about 240 positions would be eliminated.
When asked if this partnership with Jefferson Health Network would affect students, Dorsey claimed that “The merger will not have a direct impact on students or the services provided at Muhlenberg College. However, in a larger context, the combination of the two health systems will offer patients increased access to care, including specialty care, more opportunities to participate in clinical research and health plan offerings.”
With Muhlenberg College partnering with LVHN, and LVHN partnering with Jefferson Health Network, all seemingly simultaneously, big changes are coming to Muhlenberg College Health & Counseling Services, which is now a small fish in an increasingly enormous pond.
Amy Swartz ‘26 is an English & creative writing and political science double major. She is a General Editorial Assistant, and is thrilled to be a part of such an amazing organization! Outside of the Weekly, you can always find her reading a new book, updating her Spotify playlists, or rewatching an episode of New Girl!
