Work Begins on Fowler Community Wellness Center in Bethlehem

News Media Invited to “Wall-Breaking” at Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley

The new Fowler Community Wellness Center is under construction on Bethlehem’s Southside! In celebration, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley will host a special “Wall-Breaking” ceremony.

What: “Wall-Breaking” (like a groundbreaking) celebration, featuring Hispanic food, music

When: August 9th from 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: 520 E. 4^th St., S. Bethlehem

Who: Speakers to include Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez and Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Joseph Roy. News media invited. 

The mission of the new Fowler Community Wellness Center is to bring together leading non-profit organizations who have agreed to work collaboratively, offering a range of services to assist area residents lead healthy and productive lives. Planned services include: physical and mental healthcare, health and wellness education, academic enrichment and a range of job readiness and job placement services.

“Today, we take an important step forward in our ongoing effort to break down the walls to health and self-sufficiency for all in our community,” says HCLV Board member Mario Stuart.

Fourteen organizations have signed on as Wellness Center Partners, including: 1 hospital system, 1 school district, 2 government agencies, 4 colleges and 7 leading human service providers. 

The Vision for Renaissance Capital Campaign committee has raised more than $2.1 million to support Wellness Center renovations.  The committee also helped secure the funding needed to renovate the Basilio Huertas Senior Center.  Their next priority will be to secure funds to address capital needs at the existing HCLV facility.  Vision for Renaissance Capital Campaign co-chairs are St. Luke’s University Health Network CEO and President Richard A. Anderson, Lehigh University Professor Emeritus W. Beall Fowler and BASD Superintendent Joseph Roy.

Media Contact:

Sam Kennedy, Corporate Communications Director, 484-526-4134, samuel.kennedy@sluhn.org

About Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley

For the past 49 years, our mission has been to improve the quality of life of Hispanic and other families by empowering them to become more self-sufficient, while promoting an intercultural understanding in the Lehigh Valley. At HCLV, we believe in a community that embraces economic opportunity for all and sees its cultural diversity as a foundation for building a stronger society and a more vibrant economy. We also believe at the heart of change is the individual’s desire and willingness to pursue a path toward their own independence and self-sufficiency. All people deserve a “voice” in their community and government. All families have the right to a sustainable wage and an affordable home in a safe neighborhood. All children deserve a quality education and adults the opportunity to continue learning. Our senior citizens are valued members of society that deserve to live in an environment of dignity and respect. Progress is dependent upon the ability to form effective partnerships with others in the community. All HCLV staff and Board Members are accountable to our constituents, our donors and our community.

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a non-profit, regional, fully integrated and nationally recognized network providing services at seven hospitals and more than 270 outpatient sites. The network’s service area includes Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and in Warren County in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing health education, St. Luke’s operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing and 23 graduate medical educational programs and is considered a major teaching hospital, the only one in the region. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first Medical School. Repeatedly, including 2017, St. Luke’s has earned Truven’s 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation as well as 50 Top Cardiovascular program in addition to other honors for clinical excellence. St. Luke’s is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of St. Luke’s information technology applications such as electronic medical records, telehealth, online scheduling and pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers in comparison to major teaching hospitals and other health systems.