Latoya Perry, MD - Beacon Medical Group Oncology South Bend

Beacon Medical Group Midwifery Centered Care is one of the area's leading midwifery programs, featuring four, highly trained, certified nursing midwives. A midwife is a trained health care professional who provides personalized care, education and support to women during pregnancy and childbirth.Our team guides patients on this life-changing journey through pregnancy, labor and delivery. We are at your side to provide obstetric guidance and personal support to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy.You will have the opportunity to deliver your baby in one of Memorial Hospital's spacious birthing suites equipped with whirlpool tubs, birthing balls and aromatherapy. And should you need specialized care for you or your baby, Memorial has a Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit and the region's only dedicated Special Care Obstetrics.Midwives also offer women's health services such as annual well-woman exams, Pap smear screenings, sexually transmitted infection screenings and treatment, basic gynecological care, family planning and menopause care, among others.Our midwives have more than 40 years of combined experience, including midwives who are bicultural and bilingual.

Everything fell into place for Dr. Howard Wiarda in college. He had always enjoyed anatomy classes, and one day it just clicked that he was meant to be a physician.This love of understanding the human body transferred well to his specialty field, where he now uses interventional radiology to help patients live a better life."The most important part of my work is knowing that I take good care of my patients," Dr. Wiarda said. "I want my patients to know that they're important to me."Of course, Dr. Wiarda likes to have fun, too. He believes that when you like what you do and you like the people you work with, everything else works itself out. His personal motto is related to this."If you keep the patient at the forefront, and make the right decisions with the patient in mind, everything else will settle," he says.Home Life:When Dr. Wiarda is not working, he can most likely be found outside biking, running, swimming, or spending time with his family.

Dr. Kevin Cumper has always had an interest in microbiology. However, it wasn't until the middle of graduate school that he felt a calling to do something beyond microbiology research. "I found that working with patients directly was much more fulfilling than just doing lab work," Dr. Cumper said. "It's rewarding to be able to cure diseases." Dr. Cumper loves the opportunity to create a great outcome for a patient. And that positive outcome can't take place without a great team to make it happen. "A strong team makes everything better," he said. "The whole patient care team thrives on good communication and can positively impact a patient's life." Dr. Cumper describes himself as an avid gamer, his passion lying in computer games. He also loves to read in his free time.