Mary Free Bed Expands Outpatient Rehabilitation Access with New East Beltline Northeast Location
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation is expanding access to expert outpatient care in West Michigan with the opening of Mary Free Bed – East Beltline Northeast, its fifth outpatient location in the region. Beginning in May 2026, the new location will bring comprehensive rehabilitation services closer to home for individuals and families […]
Speed, Strength and Inclusion Take Center Stage at the 2026 Amway River Bank Run
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan will once again come alive with speed, cheers and determination as people of all abilities line up for the 49th Annual River Bank Run on May 9. The event brings elite athletes from West Michigan, across the U.S. and beyond for one of the most distinctive races in the world. In addition to being the largest 25K road […]
From Hospital to Home: Preparing for Life After a Stroke
Returning home after a stroke is an important milestone in the stroke recovery journey. Understanding what to expect after stroke rehabilitation can help you and your family feel more prepared, confident and supported during the transition home. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, which can affect movement, speech and cognitive […]
How Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Work Together in Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Brain injuries can occur in both traumatic and non-traumatic varieties. Traumatic injuries occur from, you guessed it, physical trauma. This can include events such as motor vehicle accidents, assaults or striking the head during a fall. Non-traumatic injuries may involve brain bleeds, cancer diagnosis or brain infections. This list isn’t exhaustive. Severity of brain injury […]
Driving Hope and Freedom: Three Mary Free Bed Leaders Honored by Crain’s
Three Mary Free Bed leaders have been named Notable Leaders in Health Care by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, a recognition that celebrates individuals making a meaningful impact through leadership, collaboration and service. Honorees are selected based on professional accomplishments, organizational influence and community contributions. This year’s recognition highlights leaders across the Mary Free Bed System, […]
At Home Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Exercises and Habits that Support Recovery
Returning home after brain injury rehabilitation can be filled with many emotions. Following inpatient brain injury rehabilitation, you may feel grateful as you ease back into your community and daily routine, but it’s also natural to feel a little scared as you adjust to new challenges. You may grieve the loss of certain strengths or […]
Mary Free Bed Supports 8th Annual Limb Loss Awareness 5k
Kentwood, Michigan – The City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will host the annual Limb Loss Awareness 5K on Saturday, April 25, at Veterans Memorial Park. This year’s event is proudly supported by Diamond Sponsor Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics, whose continued partnership helps expand opportunities for individuals of all abilities […]
Rise Players Make an Impact Off the Court Through Mary Free Bed Partnership
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Rise is once again supporting Mary Free Bed through its Players with Purpose Program. This is the third year of the community-driven initiative that gives Rise supporters the opportunity to attend any remaining regular-season match at Van Andel Arena while making a direct impact on causes that matter […]
Tony’s Long-Haul Comeback After a Brain Injury
For Manuel “Tony” Rodriguez, the phrase long haul used to describe his career as a truck driver. Today, it describes something far more personal: his road to recovery following a brain injury. Step by step, Tony moves down the halls of the Mary Free Bed Grand Rapids Campus with a walker, a gait belt around […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Welcomes New Child Life Specialist to Support Patients and Families
Mary Free Bed Kids has welcomed a new child life specialist to support young patients and their families across its growing Pediatric Rehabilitation Program. This grant-funded position strengthens the services that will be moving into the new Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital this fall, a joint venture with Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. What […]
GVSU, Mary Free Bed Celebrate Partnership That Addresses Nursing Shortage, Offers Tuition Assistance
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Leaders at Grand Valley State University and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital celebrated a partnership on April 2 designed to address a nursing talent shortage and reduce financial barriers for students pursuing a nursing degree. Under the agreement, GVSU Kirkhof College of Nursing students interested in the program will receive tuition […]
The Comeback Round: A Teen’s Journey Through Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Miguel Ortega loves boxing. Throughout his recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury, Miguel used the discipline and focus he found in the ring to craft his comeback at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a devastating car crash, the teenager sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and was clinically dead […]
Common Communication Disorders After Stroke: Aphasia, Dysarthria and Apraxia
A stroke can change a person’s ability to communicate in an instant. While many people associate stroke recovery with physical challenges, stroke often affects speech, language and the ability to express thoughts clearly. For survivors and families, these communication changes can feel frustrating, overwhelming and isolating. As a speech-language pathologist at Mary Free Bed, I […]
Kidney Disease Awareness Month: From Patient to Clinician at Mary Free Bed
By Natalie Frias March is Kidney Disease Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about a condition that often progresses quietly until it dramatically alters daily life. For me, kidney disease is not just a diagnosis. It’s the chapter that reshaped my future, strengthened my resilience and ultimately led me to my role as a […]
Maverick’s Motivation: Brain Injury Recovery Through Inpatient Therapy
Maverick Martin experienced a brain injury moments before completing his first 5K; his heartbeat stopped steps from the finish line. 30-year-old Maverick and his wife, Jamie, were running in the LeRoy Razzasque Days 5k in July. He was flying through the race with impressive speed. His wife was about 10 minutes behind. Maverick was racing […]
Cornerstone University and Mary Free Bed Launch Nursing Partnership
Nursing partnership expands BSN clinical training, tuition support and workforce pathways in rehabilitative care GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – (February 19, 2026) – Cornerstone University and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital are establishing a new partnership to expand clinical experience, tuition assistance and professional pathways for students in the university’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. […]
Mary Free Bed Expands Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is expanding access to inpatient rehabilitation care with the opening of its newly expanded sixth floor. The build-out adds 20 private inpatient rehabilitation rooms, increasing capacity to serve patients from across Michigan and beyond. The project responds to a growing need for rehabilitation care. Over the […]
Nour’s Next Chapter: Brain Injury Recovery Journey Through Day Rehab
Nour Yahya is thoughtful, kind and extraordinarily resilient. After a car crash caused a traumatic brain injury, the 23-year-old spent a year in the Mary Free Bed Day Rehab Program, rebuilding herself – and her independence – through specialized brain injury rehabilitation. Fast forward one year to the day she graduates from physical therapy. Her […]
Mary Free Bed Kids Earns Top Rankings in Pediatric Therapy
Families across West Michigan have recognized Mary Free Bed Kids as a leader in pediatric therapy, ranking its teams among the best in the 2026 GR Kids Family Care Providers Guide. Mary Free Bed Kids earned top honors across all three outpatient therapy disciplines, with its physical, occupational and speech-language therapy teams placing in the […]
Pediatric Stroke Recovery at Mary Free Bed: Amelia’s Story
A stroke is something most people associate with adults. But for one West Michigan family, it arrived without warning—on a school field trip, in the middle of an ordinary day. Cari Dennany was running errands when her phone rang. On the other end was her 8-year-old daughter’s teacher. “She told me Amelia had fallen down,” […]
Newsweek Ranks Mary Free Bed at Home Among America’s Best Home Health Agencies 2026
Mary Free Bed at Home is proud to be named among America’s Best Home Health Agencies for 2026 by Newsweek and Statista. Ranked fifth in the state of Michigan, and first in West Michigan, this prestigious recognition places Mary Free Bed at Home among the top 300 home health providers nationwide, selected from more than 10,000 agencies across the country. “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition from Newsweek,” said Trey […]
PODCAST: Rebuilding Strength and Hope: Brad Mathis Reflects on His Mary Free Bed Journey, Five Years Later
Five years after a life-changing illness and complex surgery, Brad Mathis shares his incredible journey of recovery at Mary Free Bed. From being dependent on a ventilator to regaining his independence, Brad reflects on the care, hope, and determination that helped him rebuild his life. Join us as he reunites with his rehabilitation team who […]
Mary Free Bed Guild Names First Executive Director for Historic Organization
The Mary Free Bed Guild is proud to announce the appointment of Amy Stuursma as its first executive director, marking an exciting new chapter in the Guild’s 134-year history of service to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation ,the West Michigan community and beyond. Stuursma brings more than 17 years of nonprofit leadership experience as the executive director of […]
Making Spirits Bright: Celebrating the Holiday Season with Mary Free Bed Patients
The holidays are a time for family, warmth and togetherness, but for patients at Mary Free Bed recovering from complex conditions, including brain and spinal cord injuries, being away from home can be especially difficult. That’s why team members work hard to spread holiday hope and cheer for those who need it most. Thanksgiving Therapy Activities for Pediatric Patients On Thanksgiving […]
A Hero’s Homecoming: Patient Returns as New Comic Book Alter Ego
The flu bug doesn’t stand a chance against his arch nemesis, “Kaden Blaze”! The superhero character, inspired by former Mary Free Bed Kids patient Kaden Stevenson, made an exciting appearance at the hospital’s Grand Rapids Campus on December 2. Three years ago, during Christmas break, Kaden’s mom, Michele Stevenson, noticed the 7-year-old’s health was getting progressively worse. […]
Taking it Day by Day: Greyson’s Healing Journey after a Brain Injury
The summer before his freshman year of high school, 14-year-old Greyson Schuelke walked out of the Mary Free Bed Kids Inpatient Rehabilitation Program after 41 days of intense recovery. Just weeks earlier, he had been relearning how to walk, talk and eat following a traumatic brain injury. His graduation was a milestone celebrated by family, […]
Carle Health and Mary Free Bed unite to transform inpatient rehabilitation
National rehab expert and community health system offer local care and advanced treatment Starting January 2026, patients across the central Illinois region will have greater access to elevated inpatient rehabilitation services right in their own communities. The Carle Health system and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation are partnering together to enhance patient outcomes and the […]
New Voice for Disability Advocacy: Madison Reid Wins Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2026
Michigan has a new voice for disability advocacy! Detroit native Madison Reid was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2026, and she’s looking forward to getting to work. Four women took the stage at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids on Saturday, November 15, to share their platforms and stories. Madison’s platform, “Hope After Harm” […]
Central Michigan University Announces Partnership With Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation
Central Michigan University (CMU) Online is excited to announce a new partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, designed to provide expanded access to CMU’s educational programs for employees and their families. The agreement, signed recently in a co-branded ceremony, reflects a shared commitment to supporting lifelong learning and professional development. Through this partnership, over 2,500 […]
Keep Rolling, Keep Happy: Jason’s Spinal Cord Injury Recovery
Jason Norwood’s chill demeanor rolls off him like waves. He’s quick to smile and eager to talk about motocross, the sport he’s loved since he was a kid. Recently, he’s been sharing a new story: how his life has changed after a spinal cord injury. It’s another kind of challenge with a different track, but […]