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It’s not unusual for the Memorial Hospital childbirth team to deliver five babies in a few hours on an average day. But on New Year’s Day? That’s something very special. “It happens more than you would think, but not on New Year’s. It feels like a long adrenaline rush to have so many deliveries so fast,” said Mackenzi Hesselbart, Memorial childbirth charge nurse. “But we have a fun time telling the moms which delivery number they are and finding out what hospital had the first baby.” While the Memorial team delivered the first baby in St. Joseph County for the second straight year, the Elkhart General childbirth team took top honors in the region, also for a second straight year. Elkhart General welcomed the first baby of the new year in both Elkhart County and Michiana. The first baby of the year always proves memorable for the team, said Amber O’Brien, Elkhart General labor and delivery charge nurse. “New Year’s Day is symbolic of fresh new beginnings,” O’Brien said. “A new baby arriving shortly after midnight is an inspiring way to kick off the new year.”
Tyler Allman’s natural ability for sports was interrupted after he received a Batten Disease diagnosis as a child. Batten Disease is a rare, fatal disorder that has no cure. Tyler lost his battle with Batten Disease five years ago in January. Through their grief, his family decided the best way to honor his life and legacy would be giving to others in his name. Royer and Heather Allman along with their son Ryan established TEAM TYLER~ Supporting The Beyond Batten Disease Foundation to help find a cure for the condition. Through TEAM TYLER, Heather also created Tyler’s Peace Angels as a means of giving gifts to children receiving medical care in the hospital over the holidays. Beacon Children’s Hospital teams provided care to Tyler throughout his life, including several Christmas stays, so his family donates there annually during the holidays. This holiday season, Beacon Child Life Specialists received over 500 gifts from Tyler’s Peace Angels 5th Annual Gift Giving. They will distribute the gifts to patients and their families to add some brightness to their stay.
Beacon Health System today announced that Dale A. Patterson, MD, MS, FAAFP, has been named President of Beacon Medical Group. Dr. Patterson, who has served in various clinical leadership roles with the healthcare organization for the past 15 years, will assume the role in January 2023. Dr. Patterson is currently Vice President Medical Affairs at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. During the pandemic, he has served as Chair of the Beacon COVID Task Force and on the COVID-19 Response | Unified Command of the St. Joseph County Health Department. Dr. Patterson is also a Volunteer Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. As President of Beacon Medical Group, Dr. Patterson will be responsible for more than 440 physicians and advanced practice clinicians who are committed to delivering outstanding care across our communities. He succeeds Vincent C. Henderson, MD, who is retiring.
Beacon Health & Fitness Granger has been named the 2022 Medical Fitness Association Certified Facility of the Year. This prestigious award is presented annually to a certified medical fitness facility that serves as an industry benchmark by developing programs, achieving results and adhering to the highest standards. “Our goal from day one has been to set a standard of excellence and quality at Beacon Health & Fitness Granger that is recognized nationally,” said Sarah Strefling, Director, Beacon Health & Fitness Granger. “I’m so proud of our associates who have worked so hard to make this a special place, and our team is grateful to our members who have been with us on this incredible journey.”
When given the opportunity to design the “department of their dreams,” the Memorial Inpatient Pharmacy team attended every meeting possible during the past year to describe their vision to the contractors and architects who were designing the new department. Their dreams just became reality following a ribbon cutting this week. “We are excited that the pharmacy team has a great space to help us all deliver the very best care to the patients we are privileged to serve,” said Memorial Hospital President Larry Tracy. Congratulations to hospital leadership, the Inpatient Pharmacy team, Walsh Construction and Creative Design Solutions for your vision and hard work.
Beacon Health System thanked its nearly 8,000 associates this Thanksgiving season by offering them a frozen turkey wrapped inside an insulated keepsake bag. Leaders from across the organization personally thanked each associate last week as they passed out turkeys and insulated bags at Community Hospital of Bremen, Elkhart General Hospital, Memorial Hospital of South Bend and Three Rivers Health. Beacon associates have also been incredibly generous, with nearly 1,200 associates opting to donate their turkey to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. In addition, about 100 associates at Three Rivers Health donated their turkey to the United Way of St. Joseph County (Michigan). “We are incredibly humbled by the continued generosity of Beacon Health System associates who donate their turkey to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana each year,” said Marijo Martinec, Executive Director and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. “So much about the holiday season is centered around food and for someone who struggles with food insecurity, holiday meals are not guaranteed,” Martinec said.
Beacon Health System is proud to announce Maria Behr, MBA, BSPharm, as the new President of Three Rivers Health. Maria has worked in healthcare and served Beacon for nearly 30 years. “We are very pleased that Maria has accepted the role of President of Three Rivers Health,” said Kreg Gruber, Beacon Health System CEO. “She has been one of our outstanding leaders at Beacon, expanding her responsibilities over the years.” Since April 2022, Maria has been responsible for non-nursing operations and has led the hospital integration with Beacon. During this time, Maria has maintained her corporate role of leading the Beacon Pharmacy Departments from a strategy and alignment perspective. She started her career in healthcare in 1992 as a Clinical Pharmacist at Elkhart General Hospital. She quickly rose to Pharmacy Manager, a position she held until 2015 when she was promoted to Director of Pharmacy. In 2018, Maria assumed the position of Executive Director of Operations at Elkhart General. See link to learn more about Maria. Congratulations Maria on your new role at Three Rivers Health!
In 2022 Beacon Health System and Ivy Tech Elkhart-South Bend partnered together to create the Beacon School of Nursing. Partnering with Ivy Tech addresses the nursing shortage our community is facing AND supports equitable economic prosperity in underrepresented minorities.
In October 2022, Beacon Health System leaders broke ground on the new 10-story patient care tower on the campus of Memorial Hospital of South Bend. This transformational, once-in-a-generation project is designed to enrich the patient, family and visitor experience while meeting the growing healthcare needs of residents in our area for decades to come. “We are raising the bar for inpatient care in our region and investing in our community with this historic initiative,” said Larry Tracy, President of Memorial Hospital. “But this is more than brick and mortar; we are planning for the future of healthcare with this commitment to our patients and our clinical teams.” The $232 million tower project – the largest construction project in Memorial Hospital’s 129-year history, will comprise 300,000 square feet and expand the number of adult acute care beds from 249 to 302. Included in the new tower will be an expanded Intensive Care Unit, new and enhanced technologies across the facility and larger patient rooms with comfortable, dedicated space for family and visitors.
Beacon nurses are the heartbeat of our system! We continue to offer wages starting at $40.00/hour ($74,880 annually) and up to $64.36/hour ($120,481) annually) with a signed 3-year agreement. Your hourly rate will depend on the year of licensure and shift. Examples: Starting at $40/hour with a 3 (three) year agreement to work at Beacon Health System as a Registered Nurse on days. Starting at $50/hour with a 3 (three) year agreement to work at Beacon Health System as a Register Nurse on nights. Beacon Health System offers a competitive hourly rate if you choose not to opt in to an agreement.
