South Bend Medical Foundation's more than 850 employees provide a wide range of quality, cost-effective health care services for communities in Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Illinois. The Foundation has several outpatient laboratory locations in St. Joseph County, Indiana, and operates the laboratories at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Elkhart General Hospital, The Heart Center of Indiana, and the University of Notre Dame. By working together with healthcare providers, the South Bend Medical Foundation preserves the critical relationship between laboratory, physician and patient.

The Foundation was founded in 1912 as the region's first medical laboratory. In 1946, its shareholder-physicians divested their financial interest in the laboratory, created the current not-for-profit structure, and gifted the Foundation to the community.

Through the years, South Bend Medical Foundation has been acknowledged as one of the most innovative diagnostic laboratories in the country. It was one of the first approved to train medical technologists. It was one of the first to operate its own blood bank. It was one of the country's original federally certified laboratories for drug testing. And it was the first in the region to use the latest in flow cytometry and image analysis technology to assist in the diagnosis of cancer.

Much of what Foundation specialists do is behind the scenes. They are involved not only in specific clinical tests, but with various medical issues such as infertility, cancer, and disease diagnoses. Foundation personnel are dedicated to being a trusted physician resource, handling everything from routine outpatient orders to providing inpatient services at hospitals and other health care facilities throughout the region.

South Bend Medical Foundation offers services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.