Lehigh Valley Health Network
Department of Medicine
1240 S. Cedar Crest Blvd.
Allentown
PAUSA
18103
Biographical Sketch: Eric J. Gertner, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., serves as Associate Chief for External Programs in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network. A graduate of Princeton University, he received his medical degree from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and his master’s degree in public health from the Drexel School of Public Health. Dr. Gertner completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, where he was Chief Medical Resident. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Gertner received national recognition from the American Medical Association Young Physicians’ Section with its Community Service Award in 2006, and regional recognition from the Latino Leadership Alliance of the Lehigh Valley for community service in 2008. Dr. Gertner currently serves on the Board of Directors for Casa Guadelupe Center in Allentown, and the East Central PA Area Health Education Center (AHEC). He was appointed by Governor Rendell to the Pennsylvania Chronic Care Commission, and serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Council on Patient Advocacy and the Workgroup for Cultural Competency and Medical Diversity. A native of Lakewood, NJ, he is interested in care for underserved populations and those with chronic illnesses.
Professional Bio for Dr. Jarret R. Patton
Dr. Patton has been an advocate for children for many years. He has served as the Medical Director of Outpatient Pediatrics at Lehigh Valley Health Network since 2005. He takes pride in taking care of many of the underserved or uninsured children in Allentown, PA and the surrounding Lehigh Valley. He has always made it his personal interest that children have a plan for their life. For well visits, he often asks his patients of all ages “What are you going to be when you grow up?” There are varied responses. However, he uses that question as a dialogue to let children know they can do whatever they would like to provided they take their education seriously.
Working with a diverse population is also what adds to his experience as a physician. In 2008, Dr. Patton completed the Cultural Competency Leadership Fellowship with the Health Research and Educational Trust in conjunction with the American Hospital Association. Through this fellowship opportunity Dr. Patton is a part of a team leading change within his institution that will promote better health care for people of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Diversity is also demonstrated in Dr. Patton’s education. He has lived in different geographic locations with distinct cultures including New Orleans where he attended Xavier University of Louisiana (BS in chemistry) and Cleveland where he received his MD from Case Western Reserve University. He lived several years in Brooklyn, NY while he attended his residency at New York University/Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. He now lives in Eastern Pennsylvania with his wife and three children.
Dr. Patton has remained engaged in Pennsylvania communities where he serves as a member of several different organizations. He is a board member of Community Services for Children, Incorporated, serves as a children’s “champion” for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, and is an active member of the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley. Professional membership includes the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the National Medical Association (NMA). Statewide, he serves on different insurance plan advisory panels including Highmark Blue Shield and Gateway Health Plan. On a national level, his seat on the Long Term Care Advisory Panel at the Joint Commission keeps a pediatric voice at the table for something that is generally thought about through the eyes of adult caretakers.