Beacon Health System celebrates 10 years as member of Mayo Clinic Care Network

Beacon Health System is marking its 10th anniversary as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a select group of independent healthcare organizations with special access to Mayo Clinic’s knowledge, expertise and resources. The first health system in Indiana to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Beacon has spent a decade bringing the expertise of Mayo Clinic specialists to patients across northern Indiana and southwest Michigan, close to home and at no additional cost.

Since becoming a member in 2016, Beacon physicians and providers have completed more than 3,100 eConsults with Mayo Clinic specialists and drawn on more than 2,900 hours of healthcare consulting support — a decade of work that has shaped how Beacon delivers care, develops its physicians and advances its operations.

“Over the past 10 years, being part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network has brought tremendous value to our patients and our physicians,” said Michelle Bache, MD, MBA, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Elkhart General Hospital. “It has connected patients facing complex diagnoses with world-class expertise close to home and meaningfully enriched our medical staff. The value of this membership continues to grow stronger each year, ultimately helping us fulfill our Beacon mission of delivering outstanding care, inspiring health and connecting with heart.”

At the heart of the membership is the eConsult program, which allows Beacon physicians to connect with Mayo Clinic specialists on complex cases across cardiology, oncology, neurology, rheumatology, pulmonology and other specialties. Averaging more than 300 consultations per year, the program gives patients the benefit of Mayo Clinic’s expertise without the burden of travel, reinforcing their confidence in the care they receive close to home.

“Beacon Health System’s commitment to the health of the people and community it serves closely aligns with Mayo Clinic’s focus on putting the needs of patients first,” said Mark V. Larson, M.D., Medical Director – Central Region, Mayo Clinic Platform. “Through its Mayo Clinic Care Network membership, Beacon Health System providers have access to Mayo Clinic’s expertise in treating serious, complex and rare conditions, helping patients receive the care they need close to home. As Beacon Health System celebrates 10 years as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, we recognize and value the meaningful impact this membership continues to have on patient care.”

Beyond eConsults, Mayo Clinic specialists have come to Beacon campuses to educate physicians on topics ranging from GLP-1 therapies and rare neurological conditions to rheumatologic disease, while Beacon leaders have traveled to Rochester, Minnesota, for leadership summits, the GRIT for Women in Medicine conference and clinical retreats. Network membership has also driven consulting support addressing such operational priorities as length of stay, patient experience, ambulatory quality structure, nursing development, AI literacy and clinical documentation improvement.