Kreg Gruber
Chief Executive Officer
Kreg was named Beacon’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2017.
Prior to arriving in South Bend, Kreg served as President of Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He’s also held the positions of Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Amerigard Health Services Garden City Hospital in Garden City, Michigan.
Kreg is a graduate of Ohio State University and Indiana University. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of St. Joseph County.
David Bailey
President, Community Hospital of Bremen
David has served as the President and CEO of Community Hospital of Bremen since March 2013. During his tenure, he has introduced or expanded services to better serve the Bremen community, including the addition of primary care physicians, infusion therapy, occupational health and laboratory services. David previously served as Administrator and Chief Operating Officer at East Texas Medical Center.
David earned his bachelor’s degree in Medical Records Administration from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Maria Behr, MBA, BSPharm
President, Three Rivers Health
After serving as Vice President of Operations at Three Rivers Health, Maria Behr, MBA, BSPharm, was named President in October 2022. During her time at Three Rivers Health she was responsible for non-nursing operations and led the hospital integration with Beacon. Maria has worked in health care and served Beacon for 30 years.
Maria began her career in health care in 1992 as a Clinical Pharmacist at Elkhart General Hospital and became Director or Pharmacy in 2015. In 2018, she assumed the position of Executive Director of Operations at Elkhart General Hospital. She earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and her MBA from Bethel University, Mishawaka.
Mark Brett, FACHE
Chief Operating Officer
Beacon welcomed Mark as Chief Operating Officer in January 2025. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer/Regional Vice President Operations for Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo. Prior to that role, Mark was the President of Alignment Strategies, a strategy and governance consulting practice.
In addition, Mark served for over 20 years at Sparrow Health System in Lansing in different capacities including President and CEO of Sparrow Hospital, Senior Vice President/Regional Chief Operating Officer and Executive for the organization’s five major service lines.
Mark earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from The Ohio State University and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Kira Carter-Robertson, MHA, FACHE
President, Beacon Plainwell
President, Elkhart General Hospital
Beacon Health System welcomed Kira Carter-Robertson as President of Elkhart General Hospital in November 2025 and President of Beacon Plainwell in April 2026. She brings more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience, with expertise in driving operational excellence, enhancing patient experience and leading strategic planning and organizational growth.
Prior to joining Beacon, Kira served as Chief Operating Officer for University of Michigan Health – Sparrow in Lansing, Michigan, where she advanced through senior leadership roles during her tenure.
Kira earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and her master’s degree in health administration from Saint Louis University. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Jeff Costello
Chief Financial Officer
Jeff has served as Chief Financial Officer of Memorial Health System and now Beacon Health System since 1995. In this role he has managed all accounting, financial planning, investments, business office operations, construction and medical records.
Jeff is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University with a master’s in Business Administration. He first joined Memorial in 1985.
Jeff serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Michiana, Saint Joseph Valley Metronet and the Community Foundation of Saint Joseph County.
Sam El-Dalati, MD, MBA
Chief Clinical Officer
Prior to joining Beacon in June 2019, Dr. El-Dalati served as the Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Network Integration Officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health – Lorain Region in Ohio.
A board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. El-Dalati is leading Beacon’s clinical excellence and quality outcomes initiatives for all inpatient, outpatient and physician office-based locations.
Dr. El-Dalati earned his medical degree at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and a Master’s of Business Administration degree in healthcare from Cleveland State University.
Jamie Easterling, MBA
President, Memorial Hospital of South Bend
Jamie Easterling was named President of Memorial Hospital of South Bend in 2026. He has brought more than 30 years of healthcare leadership experience and a strong track record of operational excellence, performance improvement and people-centered leadership.
Before joining Memorial Hospital, Jamie served as Chief Executive Officer of Whitesburg ARH Hospital in Kentucky. He previously spent 24 years with TriHealth in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he held several leadership roles, including President and Chief Operating Officer of Good Samaritan Hospital and President and Chief Operating Officer of Bethesda North Hospital. In addition to his hospital leadership experience, Jamie served as Partner and Chief Commercial Officer for Project MedTech, a medical technology company.
Jamie began his healthcare career as a radiologic technologist. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Morehead State University and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Throughout his career, he has focused on building high-performing teams, strengthening operations and advancing outstanding patient care.
Mario Ellis
Chief Human Resource Officer
Mario Ellis joined Beacon Health System as Chief Human Resource Officer in February 2023. A Chicago native with more than 30 years of experience in human resources operations and functional management, Mario most recently served as Vice President of Total Rewards that included HR operations at WellSpan Health in York, Pennsylvania.
A trusted leader with a talent for excellent service delivery, Mario has held senior human resources leadership roles with prominent healthcare organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic, St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho, and University of Chicago Medicine.
Mario earned a Bachelor of Science degree in commerce, concentrating on human resources, from DePaul University in Chicago. He received a Master of Arts degree in practical theology from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is a current candidate for a Master of Health Administration degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in December 2023.
Stacey Johnston, MD, MHA, CHCIO
Chief Information & Digital Execution Officer
Dr. Johnston joined Beacon in October 2024. She most recently served as the Vice President/Chief Applications Officer for Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to that role, she was the Chief Medical Information Officer. She also held the Chief Medical Information Officer role at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, South Carolina.
During her time in these roles, she has always maintained active medical staff privileges and worked as a hospitalist. She plans to continue this as she feels it gives her a unique insight into how technology and care intersect.
Dr. Johnston received her Bachelor of Science degree from Washington College and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory. She completed her family medicine practice residency with Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, where she was Chief Resident. She received her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Colorado State University.
Susan King
President, Beacon Health Foundation
Susan’s journey with Beacon began in 2017 when she took the reins of philanthropic development for the region’s only locally owned community-governed healthcare system. She is dedicated to fostering collaboration to bolster essential programs and services, both within the health system and across the community, that are crucial for addressing the region’s healthcare needs. Additionally, she serves on numerous nonprofit boards. Susan, her husband, Mike, and their two almost-grown children find joy in the vibrant Michiana area.
Diane Maas
Chief Strategy & Digital Growth Officer
As Beacon Health System’s Chief Strategy and Digital Growth Officer, Diane successfully navigates today’s complex health environment focusing on managed care, value based care, strategy, growth and digital transformation. Diane has 40 years of health care experience, 34 of those years on the provider side and six of them on the payer side; which gives her a unique perspective on the challenges facing health care today.
Diane leads two of the six strategies for the Health System – Smart Growth and Consumer Driven Culture. Both of these strategies ensure that future models of health care are designed around the consumer to provide care that is frictionless, seamless, personalized and are in the right location to meet the needs of the consumer.
Diane earned her undergraduate degree in Marketing and Management from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1984 and her Master’s degree in health administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1990. Diane currently serves as a board member for Everwise Credit Union, Everwise Credit Union Foundation, Managed Health Services, Franciscan Beacon Hospital, and South Bend Specialty Surgery Center.
Dale Patterson, MD, MS, FAAFP
President, Beacon Medical Group
Dr. Patterson was named President of Beacon Medical Group in 2023. He previously served as Vice President Medical Affairs at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. In addition, he was Chair of the Beacon COVID Task Force and served on the COVID-19 Response/Unified Command of the St. Joseph County Health Department. He graduated from the Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency program in 2000 and returned in 2007 as Associate Director. From 2010-2018, he served as the Program Director.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctorate of Medicine from Michigan State University, and also a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety from Northwestern University.
Sarah Paturalski, MBA, MSN, RN
President, Beacon Dowagiac
Sarah Paturalski was named President of Beacon Dowagiac in 2026. She has more than 15 years of healthcare leadership experience with a foundation in nursing and a proven record of operational excellence, workforce development and patient care innovation.
Before joining Beacon Dowagiac, Sarah served as Vice President of Nursing and Clinical Services at Memorial Hospital of South Bend beginning in 2018 and most recently served as interim President. She provided executive oversight for all inpatient clinical areas and played a key role in several major initiatives, including the Memorial patient tower expansion and development of the St. Joseph County Health Crisis Center. Sarah also led efforts that reduced inpatient length of stay, decreased reliance on agency staffing and expanded Beacon’s nursing workforce through the Beacon School of Nursing at Ivy Tech and the Hybrid Faculty Program. In addition, she helped establish a partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation to enhance inpatient rehabilitation services.
Sarah earned both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University. She also holds an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Lake Michigan College. A dedicated mentor and leader, she has twice served as Memorial Hospital’s interim Vice President of Operations, overseeing a broad range of clinical and operational service lines.
Gregory Piper, MBA
President, Beacon Allegan
Gregory Piper was named President of Beacon Allegan in 2025 after serving as interim president beginning in November 2025. He has 25 years of healthcare leadership experience with expertise in operational excellence, strategic planning and organizational growth.
Before assuming his current role, Gregory served as Beacon Health System’s Vice President of Retail Operations, leading critical operational functions across the health system. He also provided executive oversight of Beacon Granger Hospital following its opening in 2019. Since joining Beacon in 2001 as Distribution Manager at Memorial Hospital, Gregory has advanced through a series of leadership roles, including Director of Supply Chain Services and Executive Director of Supply Chain.
Gregory earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University. Throughout his career, he has focused on strengthening operations, supporting caregivers and expanding access to high-quality care in the communities Beacon serves.
Carl Risk, II
President, Beacon Kalamazoo
Carl previously served as Lead Administrator from St. Vincent Jennings Hospital in North Vernon, Indiana. He was instrumental in leading overall operations, implementing the hospital strategic plan and budget, developing effective working relationships with the board, managers, physicians, associates and community and improving patient care services and satisfaction.
He served as Vice President of Planning from 2004–2007 and then as Vice President of Clinical Services from 2007–2011 at King’s Daughters’ Hospital and Health Services in Madison, Indiana.
Carl earned an associate’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Evansville and a master’s degree in Health Administration from Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an Indiana Hospital Association board member.