News

Patients Honored, First Responders and Trauma Team Recognized

Two patient heroes were honored at the thirteenth annual St. Luke’s Night of Heroes celebration, along with the more than 100 caregiver heroes who helped make their recoveries possible. The event was held Saturday evening at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.    

                                                                             

Dr. Jeremy Hewens, 66, of Milford, NJ, was struck while riding his bicycle on January 7, 2016. He required CPR at the scene to regain vital signs. He was transported to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill where he was found to have a severe traumatic brain injury, a skull fracture, a large liver laceration and rib fractures.  His first 11 days in the hospital were spent in a coma with multiple brain monitors.  After three weeks in intensive care, he was able to be discharged to undergo intensive and prolonged rehabilitation. Today he lives at home with his wife, Jean.

Joyce Chaya, 66, of Pen Argyl, was struck by a dump truck and taken to St. Luke’s University Hospital on July 22, 2016.  She suffered multiple life threatening injuries including a ruptured aorta and ruptured spleen, both of which required emergent procedures.  She also sustained a traumatic brain injury, spinal fractures, rib fractures, a collapsed left lung and severe pelvic fractures. She spent three weeks in intensive care and another two weeks in the St. Luke’s Acute Rehabilitation Center.  Today she lives at home with her husband, Edward.

For the past 13 years, St. Luke’s has honored both patients and caregivers at Night of Heroes. The event celebrates the caregivers who everyday dedicate themselves to saving lives, and the patients who beat the odds to survive. Each year two patients’ families tell their stories through a video presentation, and members of the trauma team who touched these patients’ lives are recognized and honored for their skill and dedication. 

A Night of Heroes hosted 800 attendees, including more than 100 heroes. Key sponsors of the event included St. Luke’s Orthopedic Specialists; Service Electric Cable TV and Communications; Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at St. Luke’s; Jeff Kelly and HCI Group.

The evening’s schedule was as follows: 

• 6:00 – Cocktails and Dinner Stations
• 7:45 – Opening remarks
• 8:00 – Video and Heroes Awards Presentations
• 9:00 – Music and Dancing to UUU and Lucky 7

Special, surprise awards honored the following: Sr. Judith Filorimo recognized with the Martin Cohen Trauma Humanitarian Award, Robert Daley with the Charles D. Saunders Dedication to Trauma Award and Jack Chambers Emergency Department Physician with the William “Billy” Guth Trauma EMS award.

Listed below are the 2017 Heroes Award recipients (listed by hometown): 

 Albany, GA

Letitia Stewart

Alburtis

Christopher Malewicz

Allentown

Ashley Getz

Anthony Luizza

Ronnie Mubang

Doron Rabin

Rhonda D. Rodriguez

Linda Umaru

Victoria Villani

Humberto Ortiz

Alpha, NJ

Travis Conaway

Ambler

Kristopher S. Matullo

Bangor

Andrea LaBar

Gilberto Quinones, Jr

Bath

Sarah M. Braun

Bethlehem

Mary Ellen Amey

Vamsi Balakrishnan

Kathleen Caceres

Julia Corsi

Marian Holly

Geeta Khellawan

Shane McGowan

James Reese

Holly Ringhauser

Ellyn A. Smith

Shawn Yeazell

Dominic Rachiele

Karen Lovell

Boyertown

Breanna Lucas

Center Valley

Jose Amortegui

Leonard A. Paparo

Coopersburg

Rebecca DeLong

Eunsun Lee

Thomas R. Pfeiffer

Dean Tyrell

Coplay

Ashley Cray

Cresco

Donna Clark

Easton

Heather Assise

Nancy J. Eckert

Colleen Searles

Nicolette Thompson

Carol Abel

Galena, OH

Ike Akusabo

Hamburg

Trisha Sensenig

Hellertown

Timothy Oskin

April Rose

Jacqueline Sodano

Hunterdon MICU

                Thomas Cadmus

Kathleen Honeywell

Keller, TX

Jason Black

King of Prussia

Geeta Sathe

Lehighton

Heather Shapiro

Lookout Fire Company No. 1

                Dean Parsons

                James Davey

Dennis Miller

Allen Jennings, II

Matthew Kolb

Grant Parsons

Kenneth Kidd

Brandon Hill

John Zeigafuse

Brett Riker

Macungie

Donna Drake

Moorestown, NJ

Hugh O'Donnell

Nashville, TN

Keith Habeeb

Nazareth

Laraine Kossis

Northampton

Elizabeth M Bingaman

Northampton County Emergency Management Services

                Desiree Kuehner

                Heather Konschnik

                Keith Knoblach

                Angela Nale

NorthSTAR Air Medical

Michael Carrig

Jennifer Hartnett

Jason Jorgenson

Daniel Vanco

Perkasie

Luisa Williams

Phillipsburg Rescue Squad

                Russell Bogoly, Jr.

                Todd Reinbold

Alex Reinbold

Michael Petruzzellis

Pohatcong Township Fire Department

Pohatcong Township Police Department

Ryan Barsony

Jeffrey Greenemeir

Robert Paulus

Matthew Radecky

Scott Robb

Schnecksville

Susan Bleiler-Corsi

Slate Belt Police Department

Robert Long

Arron Flad

Shannon Young

Slatington

Lauralee Best

Souderton

Elena Berg

Suburban Emergency Medical Services

Jeremy Slack

Howard Schwartz

Summit Hill

Christopher Rehnert

Upper Saucon

Chad Saunders

Warren County DPS & 9-1-1 Center

James Oleniacz

Mark Snyder

Weatherly

Ryan Rambaran

Whitehall

Cynthia Lentini

The Night of Heroes concept began in 2005 at St. Luke’s. It was initiated by trauma surgeon James Cipolla, MD, and his wife, Dawn.

Media Contact:

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

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.