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Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP

Accepting New Patients

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Specializes in: Family Medicine and Nephrology (Kidney Disease)

Professional interests include: lab tests, anemia, hypertension (high blood pressure), and more.

168 S Sgt Stanley Hoffman Boulevard
Lehighton, PA 18235

(610) 377-2311

Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP is a nurse in Allentown, PA specializing in family medicine and nephrology (kidney disease). Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP is affiliated with Lehigh Valley Health Network and KIDNEY CARE SPECIALISTS LLC.

Office Locations

Address:

1230 S Cedar Crest Blvd Stes 301 302, 304
Allentown, PA 18103

Unable to locate address.

Address:

168 S Sgt Stanley Hoffman Boulevard
Lehighton, PA 18235

Address:

45 Constitution Boulevard
Kutztown, PA 19530

Some issues Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP can help you with:

Acute Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is when 80% to 90% of kidney function is lost. Kidney failure is also referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Kidneys are critical to human health, essentially acting as the body's built-in filtration system. When the kidneys can no longer function effectively, waste can accumulate in the blood and concentrations of nutrients can become unbalanced, impairing the body from performing critical functions. For example, if the kidneys do not regulate levels of potassium, the heart may develop arrhythmias (irregular rhythm) or even go into cardiac arrest.

Kidney failure may be caused by a number of health conditions that slowly damage and weaken the kidneys, such as:

Diabetes
High blood pressure
Urinary tract problems
Excessive alcohol consumption
Persistent and severe dehydration
Lupus
Acute kidney injury (AKI)

High blood pressure and diabetes are the most frequently observed causes of kidney failure. However, these conditions typically take years to develop into kidney failure and might escape notice during that time.

Symptoms of kidney failure include:

Difficulty sleeping
Fatigue
Reduced appetite
Weight loss
Edema (water retention)
Ankle and foot swelling
Anemia
Itching
Muscle cramps

No cure currently exists for kidney failure; however, medical treatment can permit people to live healthy and long lives. A nephrologist (kidney doctor) determines the most effective treatments for patients with kidney failure.

Dialysis is a well-known treatment for kidney failure that uses a machine to filter and clean waste from the blood. Patients attend regular dialysis sessions to replace their lost kidney function. Some patients with kidney failure are unable to survive without having dialysis every few days.

More advanced kidney failure may be treated by kidney transplant surgery. Deceased donor kidney transplant surgery provides kidney failure patients with a healthy kidney from a recently deceased person. Living donor kidney transplant surgery provides a kidney from a donor who is still alive. As most people have two kidneys, kidney failure patients' relatives or friends may offer to donate one of their kidneys. Kidney transplants can dramatically improve kidney function and lower or eliminate the need for dialysis.

People with kidney failure are advised to eat a nutritious diet, monitor and lower blood pressure, and to best manage diabetes. Exercise and a tobacco-free lifestyle may also help patients with kidney failure.

Anemia

Anemia is the most common blood disorder. It occurs when the body does not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the tissues. Blood loss, insufficient red blood cell production, and red blood cell destruction are the three main causes of anemia. These issues may arise from such conditions as iron deficiency, heavy periods, ulcers, kidney disease, as well as some forms of cancer.

An individual with anemia will have the following symptoms: shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, cold hands or feet, paleness, and irritability. Anemia is diagnosed when blood tests show low counts for hemoglobin, which is the protein responsible for carrying oxygen to different tissues throughout the body.

Treatments for anemia are dependent on the kind of anemia an individual has. For example, iron supplementation may correct iron deficiency anemia. For anemia caused by chronic kidney failure, chemotherapy treatments, and HIV/AIDS, a group of medications called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents may be prescribed.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidneys, made up of minerals that are normally present in urine. They can vary in size, from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a nickel, occasionally even larger. Sometimes they lodge in the kidney, and sometimes they break free and make their way out through the urinary tract, which can be extremely painful.

Kidney stones can be smooth or jagged and are yellow to brown in color. They are mostly comprised of the minerals calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus. Examining the stones to see what they are made of can show what caused the stone to be formed in the first place. For example, a stone made of mostly calcium, which is the most common type, can happen any time the urine becomes too concentrated due to dehydration or a blockage in the kidney. A uric acid stone forms when acid levels in the urine get too high, usually due to excessive consumption of animal protein such as meat and fish. A struvite stone is a sign of certain infections, and a cystine stone can be due to a genetic disorder that raises the risk of kidney stones.

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain, either in the back or lower abdomen, or severe pain when urinating. There may also be blood in the urine. Treatment for kidney stones depends on how large the stone is. Very small stones can pass out of the body on their own, and they do not require treatment other than drinking adequate water and taking pain killers. Larger stones need to be broken apart and removed. The main treatment options are:

Shock wave lithotripsy, which uses sound wave vibrations to break apart the stone
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, or the use of a very tiny tool (like a wire inserted through the back) to break apart and remove the stone
Ureteroscopy, a thin tube inserted through the urethra and bladder to the stone, where tiny tools can grasp the stone and remove

People who have had one kidney stone are at risk of developing another. To reduce this risk, patients are given instructions specific to the type of stone they developed. Generally the instructions will include drinking more water to dilute the urine, but it may also involve lowering sodium intake or eating less meat.

doctor visit	156

**Gender**
Male	90
Female	98

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	168
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	59
From 75 to 84	58
85 and over	43
Less than 65	28

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	66
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	51
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	64
Dementia	9
Cancer	8

doctor visit	134

**Gender**
Male	74
Female	76

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	132
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	49
From 75 to 84	56
85 and over	22
Less than 65	23

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	66
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	63
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

doctor visit	75
lab tests	10
preventive care	10

**Gender**
Male	108
Female	100

**Age**
From 65 to 74	76
From 75 to 84	68
85 and over	36
Less than 65	28

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	67
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	21
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	59
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	29
Diabetes	73
Dementia	12
Cancer	14

doctor visit	62

**Gender**
Male	43
Female	38

**Age**
From 65 to 74	34
From 75 to 84	27
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	25
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	46
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	60
Dementia	15
Cancer	15

doctor visit	107

**Gender**
Male	55
Female	49

**Age**
From 65 to 74	39
From 75 to 84	36
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	63
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	26
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	57
Dementia	12
Cancer	15

doctor visit	159

**Gender**
Male	72
Female	63

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	124
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	54
From 75 to 84	42
85 and over	26
Less than 65	13

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	49
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	41
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	58
Dementia	13
Cancer	17

doctor visit	105

**Gender**
Male	57
Female	45

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	86
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	37
From 75 to 84	38
85 and over	15
Less than 65	12

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	56
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	26
Heart Failure	47
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	23
Diabetes	62
Dementia	16
Cancer	17

doctor visit	82

**Gender**
Male	68
Female	63

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	119
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	42
From 75 to 84	55
85 and over	23
Less than 65	11

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	60
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	21
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	57
Dementia	11
Cancer	15

doctor visit	98

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP treated as a nurse in Allentown, PA were lab tests and preventive care.

doctor visit	108
lab tests	10
preventive care	10

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP.

**Gender**
Male	56
Female	53

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	62
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	38
85 and over	16
Less than 65	11
65 to 74	39

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP treated were chronic kidney disease, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	49
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	60
Asthma	7
Osteoporosis	3
Heart Failure	40
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	49
Atrial Fibrillation	19
Cancer	11
Dementia	9

Education & Training

She has a state license in Pennsylvania.

Licensed In: Pennsylvania

Affiliations & Hospitals

Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Lehigh Valley Health Network

KIDNEY CARE SPECIALISTS LLC

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Cheryl Heintzelman Bitting, MSN, CRNP. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Fresenius USA Marketing, Inc.	$26 $26
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.	$15 $15

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$41

Biography

Ms. Cheryl Bitting practices family medicine and nephrology (kidney disease) in Allentown, PA, Lehighton, PA, and Kutztown, PA. Ms. Bitting is professionally affiliated with Lehigh Valley Health Network. According to Lehigh Valley Health Network, new patients are welcome to contact her office in Lehighton, PA.