Leaders from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation and Beacon Health System have signed a new agreement to expand their relationship and increase access to high-quality rehabilitation services for patients in Indiana. In 2020, the two organizations started working together under a professional services agreement, and now they are deepening their connection with a new management agreement.
Under the agreement, Mary Free Bed is expanding its services beyond running patient access services and will now manage Memorial Hospital’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Program. Mary Free Bed will also employ its program director, therapy supervisor, clinical liaisons, and prospective payment services coordinator. This move will help expand access, align operational and clinical practices and increase skill levels of their clinicians who treat the patient every day.
The management agreement took place effective Aug. 3, 2025, when Mary Free Bed will begin to manage the day-to-day operations, performance, processes, procedures, while working closely with Beacon and Memorial leaders.
“This expansion of Beacon Memorial’s partnership with Mary Free Bed only reinforces our dedication to providing the highest quality of rehabilitative care for the patients of Michiana,” said Dr. Christopher Ketcham, DO, FAAPMR, medical director of Memorial Hospital Inpatient Rehabilitation. “As the region’s only level 2 trauma center and primary stroke center, we take care of the area’s sickest and most debilitated patients. This relationship will only enhance the specialized rehabilitative care we are able to deliver to our patients and their families.”
Mary Free Bed is the largest non-profit rehabilitation system in the country and is nationally ranked as a best specialty hospital by U.S. News and World Report. Beacon was the first Indiana-based health system to join the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation System, which includes more than four dozen hospitals with over 500 inpatient rehabilitation beds, as well as extensive outpatient services.
Since 1891, Mary Free Bed has restored hope and freedom through rehabilitation for patients who have experienced brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple trauma, amputation, cancer, and other diagnoses. Mary Free Bed has a successful partnership model that enhances rehabilitation operational efficiency, financial performance, clinical expertise, and improve the patient experience.
“For years, Mary Free Bed has been treating patients from northern Indiana,” said Sophie Sarringhaus, director of system operations for Mary Free Bed. “This partnership allows Beacon’s patients to benefit from our expanded expertise while still receiving the personal, compassionate care from the trusted team they know, and we’re excited to work together to restore hope and freedom for even more patients in the communities Beacon serves.”
