Lehigh Valley Health Network today announced it will renovate the former Payless ShoeSource shoe store in the Carbon Plaza Mall into an outpatient center.

The health network plans to offer services that include radiology, ultrasound, 3D screening mammography and lab services through Health Network Labs at the property at 1205 Blakeslee Blvd. Dr. East. The facility will be called LVHN Imaging and Breast Health Services.

LVHN expects to complete the project and open the new outpatient center in the spring of 2020.

“Several thousand Carbon County residents travel to a LVHN location outside the county for their care,” said Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, LVHN’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Our goal is to provide care closer to home and eliminate the need for them to travel outside the county to receive that care whenever possible. This conveniently located outpatient center is another big step toward providing that nearby access.”

Nester said community members and LVHN patients requested that the health network expand outpatient services in Carbon County prior to the opening of a new hospital, which was announced last summer. He said patients will no longer have to travel for general x-ray and ultrasound services, women will be able to receive mammograms closer to home, and those who use the current HNL lab location in Lehighton, which is extremely popular, will benefit from having a second location to make getting their lab work done more convenient.

The addition of an outpatient center in Lehighton is LVHN’s latest expansion of services in Carbon County. LVHN announced in August it would build a new hospital along Blakeslee Boulevard (Route 443) in Mahoning Township, about a mile from the planned outpatient center. Township supervisors approved the project in November. The new hospital will be called Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)−Carbon and will be built on an open property purchased by the health network cattycorner to the Walmart Superstore on Blakeslee Blvd. The health network expects to break ground on the project in the spring and opening is anticipated in the fall of 2021.

Terrence Purcell, LVHN’s Vice President for Market Development and a native of Mahanoy City, will serve as president of the new hospital.

LVHN also opened two ExpressCARE locations in Lehighton and Palmerton in 2019.

ExpressCARE Lehighton is located at 363 North First Street. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. ExpressCARE at Palmerton began seeing patients in October at 528 Delaware Ave. The Palmerton location is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. With the two Carbon County facilities LVHN now provides services at 20 ExpressCARE locations in the region.

Other LVHN services and specialists already available in the area include family practice, hematology oncology, infusion, cardiology, neurology, pulmonary and critical care medicine, vascular surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, rehab and laboratory services through HNL.

For more information about any of these services contact LVHN.org/Carbon or call 888-402-LVHN.