Former Elkhart County Health Officer Bethany Wait, D.O., Joins Medical Staff at Heart City Health
ELKHART–Board-certified family physician Bethany Wait, D.O., moved on from her role as the Elkhart County Health Officer to join the team at Heart City Health’s Women’s Health center on Cassopolis Street in Elkhart. There, she will help the team provide access to high-quality women’s healthcare for the Elkhart community.
Dr. Wait began her work at Heart City Health on Nov. 18, 2021. She previously worked at Goshen Health, was a managing partner at Goshen Family Physicians, and was the medical director for Goshen College. Most recently, Dr. Wait served as the Elkhart County Health Officer at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, starting Jan. 1st, 2021. Her work helped increase awareness of vaccinations against the illness in spite of opposition. At Heart City Health, she’s eager to join Heart City Health in making healthcare more accessible to all.
“[Heart City Health is] a great group of individuals who are willing to be visionaries and practice medicine better,” says Dr. Wait. After a personal illness caused her to reconsider her career goals, Dr. Wait was inspired by Heart City Health’s mission, as stated on their website, to be “a premier healthcare network providing access to high quality preventive and primary care for our community.”
“My road to this new adventure was unexpected and not anticipated. I had been a partner at Goshen Family Physicians for ten years caring for the most wonderful families you could imagine. I delivered countless babies and had the privilege of caring for several fourth-generation families. It was incredibly humbling and satisfying. In April of 2020, I became ill with COVID and needed to take a year off of work to recover, thus leading me to the health officer position.” Dr. Wait continues,
“My year as Health Officer showed me the importance of public health and education. I felt a strong desire to serve those who need the most that medicine can offer. Through many interactions with the Heart City leadership team, it became clear that we share the same vision of bringing high-quality health care and education to the most vulnerable. Our vision for Heart City Health Women’s Health is to offer women, ages 13 and above, both preventative medicine and primary care, along with access to health education and community resources.”
In addition to her role at Heart City Health, Dr. Wait holds a medical degree from the Michigan State University of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her Residency with Memorial Family Medicine and is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She’s a prospective board member for the Northern Indiana Hispanic Coalition. Outside of work, you can find her gardening on her farm or playing basketball with her nine-year-old son.