24
Jul
21
Jul
Eye on Health: Cardiac team performs valve surgeries during mission trip to Kenya
Caring for patients starts close to home, but the impact of that care can reach around the world. In this month’s Eye on Health from WSBT, we meet the Beacon cardiac team that traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2026 to provide life-changing heart valve surgeries for patients living with...
20
Jul
Back-to-school health: A pediatrician’s guide to starting the school year strong
As summer winds down, families often find themselves juggling school supply lists, sports registrations and busy calendars. It's an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. A little preparation now can help your child feel healthier, more confident and ready to learn on the first day of school. "Back-to-school season isn't just about backpacks and school...
17
Jul
Retired nurse breathes easier after minimally invasive heart valve repair at Beacon Kalamazoo
Pat Zerfas had learned to live with a heart that wasn't working quite right. She figured that was just how it would be. The 87-year-old retired nurse had tricuspid regurgitation, a condition causing blood to leak backward through one of her heart valves. The effects of her leaking heart valve were taking a...
16
Jul
Medical Minute: How smoke from the Canadian wildfires may affect your health
If you're spending time outside today and it feels like your allergies are flaring up, that's likely the smoke drifting into our region from the Canadian wildfires. You might recall how hard we were hit back in late June 2023. The situation now is very similar. Depending on your exact...
15
Jul
Our Take: Beacon Kalamazoo surgeon explains risks, causes of aortic dissection
The sudden death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has put a spotlight on aortic dissection, a condition that can strike with little to no warning, even in people who seem perfectly healthy. It's the same condition that killed actor John Ritter in 2003. To help us understand the risks, causes...
15
Jul
When every second matters: The teamwork that saved a young woman’s life
Rachel Brading saw it coming. It was nighttime and a car was speeding toward them, blowing through a blinking red light on a quiet rural road. In an instant, she knew it wasn’t going to stop. She and her sister, Emma, were sitting in the backseat when instinct took over. Rachel reached across the seat and pulled...
09
Jul
Elkhart General patient’s final gift makes him become nation’s oldest liver donor
Every organ donation matters. But in January 2026, one made history. At 84, Fred Voorde of Elkhart became the oldest liver donor in the United States through Donation After Circulatory Death, or DCD. It's a process in which doctors recover the organ after life support is withdrawn and the heart stops,...
07
Jul
Elkhart General Hospital announces expansion, renovation of Emergency and Trauma Center
July 7, 2026 — Elkhart General Hospital today announced the expansion and renovation of its Emergency and Trauma Center, a project aimed at increasing capacity, reducing wait times and improving patient experience at one of the region’s busiest emergency departments. The $37 million project will move through planning, design, permitting and...
01
Jul