News
Jonathan Hosey, MD, Advocates for Best Neurological Care
May 15, 2017
Jonathan Hosey, MD, St. Luke’s University Health Network’s chief of Neurology and chairman of the Department of Neuroscience, is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of patients with neurological disorders. So when he and his team were given an opportunity to co-sponsor the 11th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Neurological Society (PNS) in November 2016, a major conference typically held in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, they were happy to oblige.
The mission of the PNS is to support neurologists and patients by providing an educational and networking forum with a special focus on advocating for neurology patients at the state level.
“We were delighted to serve as a sponsor,” says Dr. Hosey, who was instrumental in founding PNS in 2003. “By bringing together neurologists from around the state, we can share our best practices, some of which are unique to Pennsylvania.”
The annual conference is also important for neurologists who strive to improve the clinical practice of adult and pediatric neurology, according to Dr. Hosey. “In 2003, we realized there was a shortage of neurologists so we felt it necessary to congregate and support one another and learn about innovations and treatment techniques that can help us provide the best quality care for our patients,” he says.
Over 70 physicians, advanced practice providers, neurology residents and medical students from around the state convened at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem in November 2016 for the meeting. Medical personnel as well as premiere speakers and presenters in the field of academic and clinical neurology helped make the annual conference one of the most well-attended and successful in recent years.
The conference agenda included presentations on epilepsy, headache, neuro-oncology, Alzheimer’s disease, neurogenetics, neuromuscular diseases, autoimmune neurology and multiple sclerosis as well as pharmaceutical and clinical trials to help patients living with neurological disorders.
Representative Charlie Dent participated in the conference and discussed his strong support of health care in the state. He led an open discussion with the group about how state government can help the PNS mission.
Dr. Hosey explains that the conference is also important for recruitment purposes and a major focus of the event are lectures and discussions on current practice survival, given the estimated 20 percent shortage of neurologists nationally. “The meetings are attended by established physicians, of course, but residents and medical students also attend,” says Dr. Hosey. “This most recent conference gave us a chance to showcase our town and our hospital in order to secure the best practitioners for St. Luke’s now and in the future.”
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 22 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.

Jonathan Hosey, MD
“We were delighted to serve as a sponsor,” says Dr. Hosey, who was instrumental in founding PNS in 2003. “By bringing together neurologists from around the state, we can share our best practices, some of which are unique to Pennsylvania.”
The annual conference is also important for neurologists who strive to improve the clinical practice of adult and pediatric neurology, according to Dr. Hosey. “In 2003, we realized there was a shortage of neurologists so we felt it necessary to congregate and support one another and learn about innovations and treatment techniques that can help us provide the best quality care for our patients,” he says.
Over 70 physicians, advanced practice providers, neurology residents and medical students from around the state convened at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem in November 2016 for the meeting. Medical personnel as well as premiere speakers and presenters in the field of academic and clinical neurology helped make the annual conference one of the most well-attended and successful in recent years.
The conference agenda included presentations on epilepsy, headache, neuro-oncology, Alzheimer’s disease, neurogenetics, neuromuscular diseases, autoimmune neurology and multiple sclerosis as well as pharmaceutical and clinical trials to help patients living with neurological disorders.
Kris Levine, St. Luke’s Neurology special programs coordinator, managed and coordinated the event with the help of Amtul Farheen, MD, neurologist and officer of the PNS, and Dr. J.P. Orlando, associate chief academic officer at St. Luke’s. In addition to presentations and information sharing, the group raised $60,000 in scholarship funds for residents and medical students in the state of Pennsylvania.
Representative Charlie Dent participated in the conference and discussed his strong support of health care in the state. He led an open discussion with the group about how state government can help the PNS mission.
Dr. Hosey explains that the conference is also important for recruitment purposes and a major focus of the event are lectures and discussions on current practice survival, given the estimated 20 percent shortage of neurologists nationally. “The meetings are attended by established physicians, of course, but residents and medical students also attend,” says Dr. Hosey. “This most recent conference gave us a chance to showcase our town and our hospital in order to secure the best practitioners for St. Luke’s now and in the future.”
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 22 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.