St. Luke’s Welcomes Region’s Only Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist

St. Luke University Health Network recently welcomed Dr. Elizabeth Adams, a board-certified specialist in pediatric cardiology who is also the only board-certified adult congenital heart disease specialist in the Lehigh Valley.

Elizabeth Adams, DO

Dr. Adams' pediatric outpatient office will be at 7001 North Route 309 in Coopersburg. She will see her adult patients on the Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township.

A native of New Tripoli, PA, Dr. Adams is qualified to care for adults with congenital heart disease, a new field within cardiology.

“Congenital heart disease affects 1 percent of the population. That doesn't sound like a lot, but when you think about the population of the Lehigh Valley, it’s a significant number of patients,” Adams said.

“We're seeing a fairly sizable adult population with complex congenital heart disease that is best treated by someone with specific training in adult congenital cardiology. For the first time in the United States, there are more adults living with congenital heart disease than children with congenital heart disease, a trend that is expected to continue. It’s exciting to bring a new skill set to the St. Luke’s network so we don't need to send patients out of the area for care.”

Dr. Adams also specializes in treating heart problems and conditions in children, including congenital defects and acquired problems and illnesses such as Kawasaki Disease and rheumatic heart disease.

“I like to approach my patients in the same manner that I would want to see my own family members treated,” Dr. Adams says.

“I try to be very reassuring and help patients and their families understand what the issues are. Whether it's helping a concerned parent or an adult patient who doesn't have a good understanding of his or her heart disease, I always take a good deal of time during their visits for education and explaining the importance of lifelong care."

Dr. Adams earned her medical degree from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She served a pediatrics internship at Geisinger Medical Center and completed her pediatrics residency at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Adams then completed pediatric cardiology fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where she also subsequently became an adult congenital cardiology fellow.

Dr. Adams is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Board of Pediatrics’ sub-board of Pediatric Cardiology and the American Board of Internal Medicine, sub-board of Adult Congenital Cardiology.

“I really enjoy educating my patients and getting to know them so that I understand not just their heart disease, but also how it impacts their lives so we can treat it effectively,” she said.   

Dr. Adams is currently accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 484-822-5099.

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 15,000 employees providing services at 10 hospitals and over 320 outpatient sites.  With annual net revenue greater than $2 billion, the Network’s service area includes 10 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe and Schuylkill counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.  Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.  In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the Lehigh Valley’s first and only regional medical school campus.  It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 28 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 226 residents and fellows.  St. Luke’s is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system with Medicare’s five- and four-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.  St. Luke’s is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital.  In 2019, three of IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals were St. Luke’s hospitals.  St. Luke’s University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from IBM Watson Health seven times total and five years in a row. St. Luke’s has also been cited by IBM Watson Health as a 50 Top Cardiovascular Program.  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 the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.  St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.