ST. LUKE’S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK
St. Luke’s Anderson Launches New Electronic Vehicle Charging Stations
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Bethlehem, PA, Jan. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- St. Luke’s University Health Network has partnered with Blink Charging to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its Anderson Campus, bringing the amenity to employees, patients and community visitors who own electronic vehicles (EVs).
EV owners in the community will have access to eight charging stations on the Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township. Four are located in the parking lot next to the hospital’s main entrance on Freemansburg Ave at the Women & Babies Pavilion, slated to open in January, and four are located in the lot for the medical office building and cancer center.
The charging stations are emblazoned with the St. Luke’s logo, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Blink, a leading EV charging equipment provider, will own and operate the chargers and will handle customer transactions.
Working with Blink, Ed Nawrocki, President of St. Luke’s-Anderson, coordinated the installation for the charging stations on the medical campus in support of employees and community members who have adopted electric vehicles as part of their commitment to alternative energy.
“We want to encourage people to have sustainable practices,” Nawrocki said. “It’s the future.”
St. Luke’s also want visitors and patients to know they can count on St. Luke’s as a source for charging when they are on the Anderson campus, Nawrocki said. Under the St. Luke’s arrangement with Blink, the charging stations would be open to employees, patients, visitors and the public.
Blink Chairman and President Michael D. Farkas remarked, "We're excited to bring EV charging to St. Luke's employees and visitors, helping to showcase St. Luke's commitment to a green community. We also look forward to continuing our relationship with St. Luke's at additional locations across the state."
According to Blink Regional Manager, Brandon Jacobs, the 80 amp charging stations are the fastest on the level 2 market. They are compatible with all-electric vehicles sold in the United States, including Teslas. St. Luke’s did not have to cover any expenses related to the EV chargers.
EV drivers who use Blink chargers can sign up for a free Blink member account; however, it is not required to get a charge. Payment methods include RFID, Apple Pay, Google Wallet and all major credit cards.
Jacobs said Blink was able to cover most of the cost of the equipment and installation with a grant from a Driving PA Forward level 2 charging rebate program. Blink will maintain the charging stations and handle all customer transactions, he said.
The installation of these charging stations and plans for future charging stations at the new St. Luke’s- Upper Bucks campus, once opened, come as electric vehicles become more mainstream. In the United States EVs are expected to double to 2 million by 2021 and grow to more than 18 million by 2030, according to reports from Edison Electric Institute and Institute for Electronic Innovation.
Jacobs said the growth of EVs, which do not spew harmful emissions, has led to the demand for convenient charging stations, making healthcare facilities ideal locations.
Nawrocki said the charging stations are the latest example of the Anderson Campus’ commitment to sustainable practices that lead to healthier lives. The campus, which was designed and built to LEED environmental and energy efficiency standards, features a walking trail and employee garden to encourage exercise and recreation. Also, part of the campus is an organic farm in partnership with Rodale Institute, which grows fresh produce for meals served in the hospital cafeteria.
Employees, patients and visitors interested in using the charging stations at the Anderson campus, can log on to www.blinkcharging.com for more information.
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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 fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 15,000 employees providing services at ten hospitals and 300 outpatient sites. With annual net revenue greater than $2 billion, the Network’s service area includes 11 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the Lehigh Valley’s first and only regional medical school campus. It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 34 fully accredited graduate medical, educational programs with 263 residents and fellows. St. Luke’s is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system with Medicare’s five- and four-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. St. Luke’s is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. In 2019, three of IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals were St. Luke’s hospitals. St. Luke’s University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from IBM Watson Health seven times total and five years in a row. St. Luke’s has also been cited by IBM Watson Health as a 50 Top Cardiovascular Program. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.
ABOUT BLINK CHARGING
Blink Charging is the largest owner/operator of EV charging stations in the United States. Founded in 2009, Blink is dedicated to slowing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation. With a long history pioneering the EV industry and a team of leaders that created the industry, Blink continues to be the preferred trusted partner in EV Charging Station technology. As such, the company is a driving force in the EV industry with more than 150,000 EV driver members and more than 15,000 EV charging stations across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.blinkcharging.com. Nasdaq: BLNK
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