Lakeland Health joins Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Lakeland Health and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital have aligned to enhance rehabilitation care for patients in southwest Michigan. Lakeland has joined the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network, an innovative alliance of hospitals and providers throughout Michigan. The network was established in 2011 to extend Mary Free Bed’s expertise as one of the leading rehabilitation […]
Tom and Andrea Yared honor their son’s memory
Research conducted by Mary Free Bed physical therapists Kirk Randall and Jennifer McWain has led to a groundbreaking discovery—and helped solidify a substantial donation from Tom and Andrea Yared in memory of their son, John. John Yared, a patient with brain cancer, worked with Kirk and Jenn on balance issues caused by chemotherapy-induced numbness in his […]
Kids enjoy success, teamwork at Mary Free Bed Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp
Campers, parents, staff and volunteers on Friday afternoon celebrated the conclusion to another successful Mary Free Bed Jr. Wheelchair Sports Camp. The free annual weeklong event, hosted at Grand Valley State University, offers kids of all ability levels and ages the opportunity to participate in 10 adaptive sports, ranging from kayaking and disc golf, to sled […]
5 health benefits of weight loss & management
Whether your weight loss goal is 20 pounds or 100 pounds, studies have shown that even a small reduction in weight, such as 5-10%, is likely to yield improvements in your health. Below, Kim Meeuwsen, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist with the Mary Free Bed Weight Management Program, offers 5 health benefits to losing weight and maintaining a healthy […]
Sled Wings’ Robert Thrailkill named to U.S. National Developmental sled hockey team
Forward Robert Thrailkill Jr. from the Grand Rapids Sled Wings adult sled hockey team has been named to the 2015-16 U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team. This marks the third consecutive year the 24-year-old Thrailkill has been selected for the squad. Moreover, this is the sixth time in the last 7 years that a member […]
Teens raise money for limb difference program
Recent Hudsonville High School graduate Bailey Gulch was all smiles when she handed a white envelope to Mary Free Bed Annual Fund Director Jocelyn Dettloff. It contained checks totaling $1,000, all made payable to Mary Free Bed. During her last semester of high school, 17-year-old Bailey spearheaded a fundraiser to help with the cost of […]
Mary Free Bed alum finds inspiration 12,000 feet above ground
Buddy Gargus, 50, has long been an adrenaline junkie. A paralyzing spinal cord injury, sustained in a July 2010 diving accident, didn’t diminish his bold spirit. Post-accident, Buddy spent two months in rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed where he focused on maximizing his strength and mobility. “Mary Free Bed for me was a wonderful experience,” Buddy […]
2015 Midwest Wheelchair Tennis Championships recap
Guest blog by Erin Fouty, Tournament Director of the 2015 Midwest Wheelchair Championships, and Alicia Hass, Coordinator, Mary Free Bed Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports The beautiful facilities at MVP-Crahen were once again host to the Midwest Wheelchair Tennis Championships held July 10-12, 2015. Nearly 80 athletes from around the world traveled to Grand Rapids, Mich., to participate in all […]
Music is medicine’ at mini music fest for patients [Video]
Creativity, teamwork and initiative recently helped a music-loving patient experience a bit of the summer festival life she’s been missing while at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. When physical therapy assistant Diane Capen discovered that inpatient Angelique Scott was bummed about not being able to attend live musical performances this summer, Diane asked her daughter […]
Growing network improves access across state
The Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network extends the reach of Mary Free Bed’s services and expertise far beyond Grand Rapids. The recent expansion of Mary Free Bed at Sparrow in Lansing is just one example of how Mary Free Bed’s reputation and name are growing statewide. Learn more about the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network by […]
It’s a girl! Recreational therapist helps father-to-be attend ultrasound
Marcus Fairfield, 27, didn’t think he’d get to attend the 18-week ultrasound for his first child. With a bit of creativity, teamwork and careful planning by Mary Free Bed Recreational Therapist Kaitlin Salowitz, Marcus was able to be in the room when he and his girlfriend, Liz, learned they would become parents to a baby girl this November. Kaitlin […]
Pre-wedding teamwork gets mom on her feet
Even though she’s been paralyzed from the waist down for more than 3 decades, Pat Shipley was able to “walk” her daughter, Lindsey Eickhoff, down the aisle thanks to the generosity of Mary Free Bed staff, patients and vendors. “It was the first time I really got to hug my mom standing up,” Lindsey says. For […]
Don’t take a vacation from weight management
For many, summer is the time to hit the road for family vacation. Below, Kim Meeuwsen, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist with the Mary Free Bed Weight Management Program, offers 5 tips to help you and your family keep active, eat healthy and stay on track while on the road: Load up on healthy car snacks! Try packing […]
MFB’s Jocelyn Dettloff feels the ‘need for speed’ at Berlin Raceway
Jocelyn Dettloff, Annual Fund Director for the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, isn’t one to shy away from a high-adrenaline adventure. When Jocelyn — who in 1997 was paralyzed in a sand sledding accident in Namibia, Africa — was recently given the chance to drive a race car on the Berlin Raceway, she embraced the […]
Have fun in the sun with these summer safety tips
Summer means the long-awaited return of time-honored activities, like weekend trips to the lake, family bike rides and other outdoor adventures. Unfortunately, the end of the school year also signals the start of trauma season, a period when medical facilities and physicians see a rise in serious and fatal unintentional injuries involving everything from motorcycle and lawn mowers to swimming […]
Mary Free Bed names Chief Nursing Officer
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Nursing executive Ingrid Cheslek has joined Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital as Chief Nursing Officer. Cheslek spent more than three decades at Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming, Mich., serving in a number of capacities, most recently as Vice President of Patient Services/Chief Nursing Officer. “We’re impressed with Ingrid’s track record of career accomplishments, […]
Leading-edge technology helps patients & therapists ‘use every tool in the box’ [Video]
Technology is a vital part of the rehabilitation process at Mary Free Bed. Care team members like occupational therapist Jennifer Mazurkiewicz routinely use leading-edge equipment to help patients regain as much function and independence as possible. The RT300 Arm Cycle, for instance, uses “smart stimulation” to help strengthen and improve muscles affected by injury or illness. Jennifer recently used […]
Taking on tennis after a 20-year break
As a teenager, Steve Draft-Peppin played wheelchair tennis at Riverview Athletic Club in Grand Rapids. And he was pretty good, finishing at or near the top in his singles and doubles divisions in 1992. But a few years later, Steve left wheelchair tennis behind in favor of other pursuits. Then there was college and career […]
In sickness and in health: Mary Free Bed alums celebrate 50th anniversary
John and Linda Pincumbe plan to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in a big way this summer. The event will be quite a milestone, considering that an October 2013 car crash nearly killed them both. After the accident, the Pincumbes spent 9 months in hospitals and rehabilitation centers before returning home to Schoolcraft last summer. […]
Bob and Cyndi Kamps thrive & give back while living their ‘New Normal’
“Instead of putting alarms on everything and giving him a bed that is pretty much on the floor, they make sure an actual human is watching him all the time. It’s hard to describe how wonderful that is. Bob deserves the best and he’s getting the best at MFB.” – Excerpt from “Our New Normal” […]
Drivers with physical challenges remaining behind the wheel
The Driver Rehabilitation Program at Mary Free Bed offers patients the opportunity to safely return to the driver’s seat. Learn more about Driver Rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed by reading the story — published Sunday, June 14, 2015, in the Grand Rapids Press — below. [Click the image for a larger view, or click to […]
Rehabilitation engineer receives fellowship
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Amy L. Lenz, a research engineer with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s John F. Butzer Center for Research & Innovation, has been named a Future Academic Scholar in Teaching (FAST) Fellow at Michigan State University. The year-long fellowship trains doctoral students to become better teachers. So in addition to their research […]
Mary Free Bed at Sparrow: See the grand opening & new facilities [Video & Photos]
The first phase of renovations and expansion of the Mary Free Bed at Sparrow rehabilitation unit is complete, with 30 private patient rooms now open. This joint venture of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Sparrow Hospital eventually will expand the inpatient rehabilitation unit at Sparrow to 40 private patient rooms and two state-of-the-art therapy […]
Mary Free Bed wins Chamber’s Excellence in Business Award
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital received the Excellence in Business Award from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce during the sixth annual EPIC Awards on June 1, 2015 at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Mary Free Bed Chief Operating Officer Kent Riddle, who accepted the award, thanked the community and […]
Mary Free Bed at Sparrow rehabilitation unit debuts renovations, private patient rooms
Lansing, Mich. – The first phase of renovations and expansion of the Mary Free Bed at Sparrow rehabilitation unit is complete, with 30 private patient rooms open today. Mary Free Bed at Sparrow is a joint venture between Sparrow Hospital and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. The project will eventually expand the inpatient rehabilitation unit […]
General Motors donates SUV to Mary Free Bed at Sparrow rehabilitation unit
Guest blog by Sparrow Hospital Communications Staff Patients at the Mary Free Bed at Sparrow rehabilitation unit will now be able to practice getting in and out of a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) donated by General Motors and time and supplies given by mid-Michigan businesses. “We are thrilled to be able to donate a Lansing-built Chevrolet […]
New pink helmet elicits lots of smiles [Photo Gallery]
Violet Pratt is a spunky 4-year-old. With big brown eyes and a wide smile, she twirls and laughs as she waits with her family in an Orthotics & Prosthetics examination room at Mary Free Bed. On this May afternoon, Violet is here to receive a helmet – “a pink one,” she tells Kim Nequist, the […]
One-year-old girl defies the odds in outpatient therapy
At Mary Free Bed, we’re daily witnesses to our patients’ determination, grit and strength. This is particularly true of our youngest (and most vulnerable) patients. Aubry Maronek, who recently celebrated her first birthday, embodies this spirit of hope and resolve. After being diagnosed with hemimegalencephaly — a rare neurological condition in which one half of the brain is […]
People + technology = a winning combo for patient with spinal cord injury [Video]
Dean McClellan, a patient of the Mary Free Bed Spinal Cord Injury Program, has made great strides in his journey to once again walk. Leading-edge technology — like the LokomatPro and ZeroG — plays an important role in physical rehabilitation. But the human factor is just as crucial for a meaningful recovery. The videos below demonstrate […]
More than 60 years later, vintage photo leads former patient to revisit Mary Free Bed
An online gallery of vintage photos sparked a reunion of sorts for Mary Free Bed alumna Mary Jane Millard. Mary Jane, 70, was diagnosed with polio as a child and received rehabilitation twice at Mary Free Bed’s former Cherry Street facility. On Thursday, May 14, 2015, Mary Jane toured the hospital’s new state-of-the-art building on Wealthy Street and visited […]