Schuylkill County Provides Access to Quality Health Care 

St. Luke’s University Health Network

Schuylkill County is truly blessed to have three distinguished tertiary health systems serving our community. Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill and St. Luke’s Hospital–Miners Campus are the facilities providing care for Schuylkill County residents,” says Schuylkill Chamber President & CEO Robert S. Carl Jr. 

Ahead, providers from two local facilities share about living and working in the area. 

Lehigh Valley Health Network

Dr. Karolin Ginting 

Dr. Karolin Ginting is a general surgeon practicing at Lehigh Valley Physician Group-Tunnel Road in Pottsville and operates at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill (LVH-Schuylkill). 

With two campuses in the Pottsville area, LVH-Schuylkill was honored as a 2024 Performance Leadership Award winner for patient outcomes. LVH-Schuylkill received a Stroke Gold Plus Award from the American Heart Association in 2024, too. 

After completing her training in Cincinnati, Ginting says she was looking for a place that would allow her to serve the community and grow as a physician. Lehigh Valley Health Network recruited her to join LVH-Schuylkill. Plus, she says the opportunity to bring and grow a robotic, minimally invasive surgery approach to the community was quite attractive. 

“Practicing in Schuylkill County has allowed me to practice advanced surgical approaches in a rural setting and become a trusted resource for both patients and other clinicians,” Ginting says. 

Ginting appreciates the spirit of collaboration that comes from practicing in a smaller hospital as well as the support available from being part of a larger system. 

Ginting says she was drawn to the natural beauty and friendly people of Schuylkill County. 

“People here are genuine, hardworking and deeply appreciative of the care they receive, which is incredibly gratifying for me,” Ginting says. “I also love the rural, small-town charm – farmers markets and quiet mornings.” 

Ginting also enjoys the balance she has found in Schuylkill County between a meaningful career and a peaceful, rewarding personal life. 

“The natural beauty, the friendly people and the opportunity to practice high-level medicine in a community setting makes Schuylkill County a truly special place,” she says. “Plus, you have access to so much of our country within a short drive if you enjoy traveling.” 

Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital

Dr. Felicia Heath 

Dr. Felicia Heath serves as the vice president of medical affairs, anesthesia medical director and ICU medical director for Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital, where she has worked since 2019. She moved to the area from Florida and says she was lured by the beauty of the mountains and nature. 

“I really enjoy the nature here,” Heath says. “I love my job, I love the people I work with, and I really enjoy the community I serve and taking care of the patients in this county.” 

A joint venture between Geisinger and St. Luke’s, Geisinger St. Luke’s is a 60-bed hospital in Orwigsburg that includes a Primary Stroke Center certified by The Joint Commission. In addition to being a Level IV trauma center, the hospital offers cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, gynecology, nephrology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, radiology and urology services. 

“Geisinger St. Luke’s has offered me an opportunity to be part of something from the ground up,” Heath says. “They’ve given me a voice right from the beginning, and that led to leadership opportunities starting out as the medical director of the anesthesia department, then the critical care department and now, I serve as the vice president of medical affairs.” 

Heath says that although the hospital has been open for five years, the community has welcomed it with open arms. 

“From a physician standpoint, I don’t think we talk about this enough, but it’s so nice to have the community appreciate you,” she says. 

Heath is also author of the memoir Spirit of a Hummingbird. She says she has engaged in some of the local book clubs who’ve read her book. 

In her spare time, Heath says she enjoys going for walks and hiking in the area. 

“I enjoy nature and lots of land, but I also appreciate an easy commute to cities like Philadelphia, New York City, D.C. and New Jersey,” she says.