Beacon announces Sarah Paturalski as President of Beacon Dowagiac, names additional leaders
Beacon Health System has named Sarah Paturalski, MBA, MSN, RN, as President of Beacon Dowagiac. With more than 15 years of healthcare leadership experience rooted in nursing, Paturalski brings a proven record of operational excellence, workforce development and patient care innovation to the role.
Paturalski has served as Vice President of Nursing and Clinical Services at Memorial Hospital of South Bend since 2018 – most recently stepping into the role of interim President – providing executive oversight of all inpatient clinical areas at the 423-bed downtown South Bend hospital.
During this time, she served as a key clinical architect for the $257.7 million Memorial patient tower expansion and helped design the St. Joseph County Health Crisis Center. She led initiatives that significantly reduced inpatient length of stay and nursing agency staffing, and spearheaded growth of Beacon’s nursing pipeline through the Beacon School of Nursing at Ivy Tech and Hybrid Faculty Program. She also worked to establish a partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation to advance inpatient rehabilitation services.
She will transition to Beacon Dowagiac this summer.
“Sarah is a values-driven, collaborative leader who exemplifies what outstanding service looks like in our health system and our communities,” said Kreg Gruber, Beacon’s CEO. “Her roots in nursing have shaped her into the kind of leader who builds strong teams, earns deep trust and delivers results. We are proud to have her serve as president of Beacon Dowagiac, where her passion for people and patient care will make a lasting difference.”
Paturalski holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University and an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Lake Michigan College. A dedicated mentor of emerging leaders, she has served twice as Memorial’s interim Vice President of Operations, overseeing a broad range of clinical and operational service lines. She was selected following a national search, with final selection made in partnership with Beacon Dowagiac Board members. Dave Bailey, President of Community Hospital of Bremen, has been serving as interim President of Beacon Dowagiac since July 2025.
Additional Leadership Appointments
Lee Herschberger, MBA, RN, FACHE, will serve as Interim Vice President of Nursing and Clinical Services at Memorial Hospital, effective April 13. Herschberger brings diverse clinical and executive experiences to the role, most recently serving as Executive Director of Operations at Three Rivers Health Hospital. He began his career as a registered nurse, with clinical experience spanning critical care, cardiac and respiratory step-down and open-heart recovery.
Herschberger has held clinical and operational leadership positions at Beacon, including Director of Patient Care Services at Three Rivers Health Hospital, improving patient experience outcomes, strengthening patient flow and expanding service lines. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University Northwest and a Master of Business Administration from Bethel University and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Three Rivers Health will welcome Mary Wendt, MBA, RD, LD, as Interim Vice President of Operations, also effective April 13. Wendt brings extensive operational and clinical leadership experience, advancing through roles across a wide range of hospital service lines. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Operations at Elkhart General Hospital, providing strategic and financial oversight of multiple clinical, support and ancillary departments.
During her tenure at Elkhart General, Wendt oversaw a significant relocation and expansion of the sleep disorder center, grew outpatient nutrition services and brought dialysis services in-house in record time. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
