Reading to babies takes center stage at Beacon Children’s Hospital during national NICU Read-a-Thon

Laura Meyer loves so many things about being a Newborn Intensive Care Unit nurse and taking care of the hospital's tiniest patients. 'Bath night' and reading are two of her absolute favorites. "When I walk down the halls and hear families reading aloud to their babies, it makes me smile because...

Beacon provider reflects on the events of September 11 on 20th anniversary

In his own words: Rodrigo Correa is the Director of Rehabilitation Inpatient Services, Inpatient Therapy Services, Sterile Processing and Speech Diagnostics at Memorial Hospital. He describes his experiences on September 11, 2001, and how it has affected his life and his career. My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to those...

Elkhart General native remembers hospital workers with kind gesture 50 years later

Julie Parrott Karrer has no problem recalling how she felt on her milestone birthdays. The Elkhart native remembers the feeling a sense of despair when she was still single and turning 30. A wife and mother of five children, she cried when she turned 40. She decided she wanted 50 to be different. "I...

New COVID-19 rapid test guidelines go into effect Sept. 3

Due to a nationwide shortage of COVID-19 rapid tests and increased community demand, Beacon will be prioritizing its use of the tests across the system beginning tomorrow, September 3. “In the last two weeks, for example, testing volumes at our MedPoint locations has increased 200 percent,” said Molly Kelly, RN, Director...

Beacon Health System recognizes commitment, increases entry-level pay

Beacon’s mission to ‘Deliver outstanding care, inspire health and connect with heart’ depends on every person in our organization being committed to the service to others. To ensure the fulfillment of our mission, Beacon is making changes over the coming weeks to some of our wage rates.  We will start by...

Third dose of mRNA vaccine dose recommended for people with compromised immune systems

The CDC and the Indiana Department of Health now recommend that people whose immune systems are compromised moderately to severely should receive an additional, third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial two doses. Beacon Medical Group patients who meet the criteria should contact their primary care physicians' office. The...

CHA ACO, LLC improves care for Medicare patients, saves Medicare $6.4 million

CHA Accountable Care Organization (ACO), LLC, operated by Beacon Health System, improved care for nearly 12,300 Medicare beneficiaries in Indiana and southwest Michigan in 2020, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. As part of the Medicare Shared Savings Program, accountable care organizations that meet quality and cost goals...

Beacon Community Impact addressing opioid crisis through NARCAN training, prevention efforts

Drug overdoses jumped by more than 30 percent nationwide last year, largely fueled by opioids. Opioids alone accounted for more than 69,000 deaths in 2020. Beacon Community Impact hopes to change that trend by training community members to administer Naloxone, also known as NARCAN. Developed by Indianapolis non-profit Overdose Lifeline, Layperson Naloxone...

Beacon nurse describes emotional toll of caring for COVID patients as pandemic rages on

In his own words: Ian Klein is a Registered Nurse who holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and works at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. “I want to describe what goes on in a medical worker’s life right now. These are all my own personal experiences.” Patient 1: Woman is...

Pediatric hospitalist cites concern about capacity to care for all children if COVID cases continue to climb

In her own words: Dr. Kate Dutkiewicz, Medical Director at Beacon Children's Hospital, explains how children with every illness and injury could be impacted by rising pediatric COVID cases. And what we can do to stop this from happening. Children need specialized nurses and doctors because they are not small adults....