A Mayo Clinic consultation no longer has to mean a drive to Minnesota.
Instead, Mayo's resources will be available here. Beacon Health System announced today that it has joined Mayo Clinic Care Network, an organization Mayo developed to compete in the rapidly changing health care landscape.
While Beacon remains independent, the move will allow it to access Mayo's medical specialists and research information, while cutting expenses and the need to travel for patients with complex medical issues.
The announcement was made by Phil Newbold, CEO of Beacon Health, at an event Thursday at the Lerner Theatre in Elkhart that drew about 400 employees. He said Beacon Health is the first hospital system in Indiana to join with Mayo.
"We know that being close to friends, family and support systems is a big deal," said Kreg Gruber, chief operation officer of Beacon Health System. "When people have those support systems they do better emotionally and physically."
In exchange, Mayo has the opportunity to extend its geographic reach and reputation without building or acquiring more hospitals.
Mayo health care model
In recent years, many health care organizations across the country have merged or consolidated in order to cut costs and improve services.