One of the Lehigh Valley region’s largest sectors is healthcare, with both St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network–now part of Jefferson Health–serving hundreds of thousands while helping train the next generation of healthcare professionals. That sector is expected to become even more prominent as Thomas Jefferson University prepares to establish a regional medical college campus in Allentown.
The four-year campus of Sidney Kimmel Medical College will feature more than 54,000 square feet of state-of-the-art education space. The curriculum will match that offered at the school’s Philadelphia campus, with clinical training offered at Jefferson Health - Lehigh Valley Region locations.
Officials call the move a lasting investment in the Lehigh Valley region since physicians are more likely to practice where they train. Over the 2025-2026 academic year, eight physician assistant students and more than 80 medical students completed their clinical rotations at local Jefferson Health hospitals.
This announcement comes after Thomas Jefferson University recently shared plans to expand graduate-level nursing and paramedicine and respiratory therapy programs to the Lehigh Valley. Both onsite and online offerings will begin this Fall.
Local leaders have praised the expansion. State Representative Peter Schweyer emphasized the campus’ ability to ensure the region has “top-notch medical professionals for years to come.” State Representative Mike Schlossberg highlighted Jefferson’s roles as a “driver of jobs, economic development and tax revenue.”
Meanwhile, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk says the new campus will offer opportunity to all students, whether beginning with a dream to be a doctor in the Allentown School District, or moving from another state to attend Muhlenberg College.
The campus’ inaugural class of 45 students will begin in July 2029.
