Mary Free Bed Partnering with Virginia Hospital to Bring Expert Rehabilitation to Region
Mary Free Bed is expanding its rehabilitation services to a new region with the announcement of a partnership with Valley Health. Valley Health is a not-for-profit health system based in Winchester, Virginia, serving communities in northern Virginia and parts of West Virginia and Maryland. The Valley Health system includes six hospitals and more than 70 […]
GRPS Students “Gear Up” for Careers in Health Care with Mary Free Bed
High school students from Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) took a break from the classroom to learn about careers in physical rehabilitation health care. The Mary Free Bed Grand Rapids Campus welcomed GRPS students as the first participants of its Pathways to Mary program – a new initiative that invites local students into the hospital […]
Ms. Wheelchair Michigan Crowning: Championing Advocacy and Leadership
This weekend, a new winner will be crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan. Contestants will be competing for the state title in an event hosted and sponsored by Mary Free Bed. Organizers are still accepting applications for the state competition that’s anything but a “beauty pageant.” Ms. Wheelchair Michigan is an advocacy-based competition that gives women opportunities […]
Mary Free Bed and GRCC Partnership to Help Cover Tuition for Nursing Students
Grand Rapids Community College Nursing students are receiving an opportunity to have their final semester of tuition paid for by Mary Free Bed. Tuition will be covered for nursing students with a one-year commitment to working for the hospital after graduation. Students in GRCC’s Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs are eligible for this new […]
Celebrating National Rehabilitation Awareness Week
September 18 – 24 was National Rehabilitation Awareness Week 2023. Every year, the third week in September gives us a special opportunity raise awareness about the benefits of rehabilitation to the overall health of our community. The week also serves as a platform to honor and recognize the outstanding efforts and hard work by our […]
A Winner is Crowned Ms. Wheelchair America During National Competition in Grand Rapids
This year’s national, week-long competition wrapped up with the crowning of Ms. Wheelchair America 2024, presented by the Mary Free Bed Guild. The title was awarded to Ms. Wheelchair Maryland, Chandra Smith, who competed alongside a group of 18 outstanding women. This was the 52nd year of Ms. Wheelchair America. The competition doesn’t focus on […]
Run for Sight Along Michigan’s Lakeshore
This Labor Day weekend you can run along Michigan’s lakeshore and help raise funds for those who are blind or visually impaired. Saturday marks the 17th annual Run for Sight 5K held at the beautiful Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon. The Run for Sight 5K benefits the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. For […]
National Ms. Wheelchair America Competition Returns to Grand Rapids
Competitors from across the nation are heading to Grand Rapids to contend for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America. Unlike traditional beauty pageants, Ms. Wheelchair America doesn’t focus on physical attributes. The competition highlights participant achievements, disability advocacy and presentation skills. In the 52nd year of this annual event, 18 women will compete for the […]
Mary Free Bed Joins Top 10 Rehabilitation Hospitals in Nation
For ten years, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has been ranked within the top 50 Best Rehabilitation Hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. This year, we’re pleased to share our hospital is ranked among the nation’s top ten leaders. U.S. News & World Report ranks Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital as […]
National Disability Independence Day: Celebrating 33 Years of Progress
July 26, 2023, marks the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. It’s commemorated as National Disability Independence Day. The landmark civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life – including employment, education, transportation, and public accommodations. The goal is to […]
Next Level Rehab: Mary Free Bed Expands 6th Floor to Serve More Patients
Mary Free Bed is taking rehabilitation to the next level with its newest expansion in Grand Rapids. The hospital is building out its 6th floor in order to serve more patients. The nine-month expansion project will add a total of 28 private inpatient bedrooms; 20 of the new beds will be licensed, while the other […]
Mary Free Bed Celebrates Retirement of Three Long-Time Leaders
This month, three long-time leaders and clinicians celebrated their retirement from Mary Free Bed. Ingrid Cheslek, RN, chief operating officer Michael Jakubowski, MD, chief medical officer Richard Ball, MD, medical director of the Mary Free Bed PM&R Residency program Through their leadership, mentorship and dedication to the Mary Free Bed mission, these exemplary team members […]
Polio Survivor Returns to Mary Free Bed Six Decades Later
In April, James Sloan returned to Mary Free Bed for the first time since he was a child. At 7 years old, James was diagnosed with polio. He spent a week at Mary Free Bed recovering and getting fitted for custom leg braces and crutches. Returning to Mary Free Bed 60 years later inspired James […]
Grand Rapids Mayor Honors Mary Free Bed Nurses with Proclamation
Every year, May 6 – 12 marks National Nurses Week. It’s a time to recognize and celebrate the exemplary contributions nurses make to our community. This week, Grand Rapids Mayor, Rosalynn Bliss, issued a written proclamation thanking nurses at Mary Free Bed and across the Grand Rapids community. Nurses make up the nation’s largest health […]
Experiencing the Great Outdoors in Michigan: An Accessible Resource Guide
Guest blog: With the guidance of the Mary Free Bed Recreational Therapy team, Kelsey Heller, recreational therapy intern, has created an Accessible Nature Resource Guide for our patients, their families, and other health care professionals.
Mary Free Bed Joins West Michigan Hospitals in Mask Policy Updates
As the COVID-19 pandemic heads toward endemic status, hospital systems across the U.S. are revisiting mask requirements within their facilities. These changes follow September 2022 guidance from the CDC announcing masking in health care settings is no longer needed unless transmission rates were high. Earlier this month, Michigan hospital systems – including Sparrow Health System […]
Sean Campbell is Getting “Back” to What He Loves with Chiropractic Care
Last May, Sean Campbell and his wife, Amanda, were excited to pick up their new motorcycle and drive it home. A few hours after buying it, the experience took a dangerous turn. Sean and Amanda, of Norton Shores, were riding in southeast Michigan on I-94 when a mechanical issue with the vehicle caused Sean to […]
Mary Free Bed Welcomes New Vice President of Human Resources
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation is excited to welcome Cynthia Springer as the new Vice President of Human Resources. With more than 20 years of executive leadership, Springer brings experience in organizational development; diversity, equity and inclusion; and leading human resources in highly regulated, complex organizations. Before coming to Mary Free Bed, she held human resource […]
Looking Back: The Mary-est Moments of 2022
It’s been another year full of Mary-aculous possibilities. And while it’s tough to capture every moment and team member who inspired us in photos, we celebrate them all. Take a look back at some of the patients, families, team members and events that powered our recoveries in 2022. From all of us at Mary […]
Rehabilitation Hospital Celebrates One Year Anniversary Treating Patients in Region
The new Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Covenant HealthCare hospital is celebrating one year of restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Opening its doors in December 2021, this state-of-the-art facility was the first major hospital construction in Saginaw in decades. Located on the main Covenant campus, the $41 million […]
Mary Free Bed Hosts 4th Annual Mary & Brite Celebration
This week, the team at Mary Free Bed brought the joy of the holiday season to patients in rehabilitation. The fourth annual Mary & Brite holiday event returned to the Main Campus in Grand Rapids for patients and their families. Inspired by the Christmas Lite Show at LMCU Ballpark, patients were invited to walk or […]
ABVI Announces New CEO to Lead Historic Organization
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) has been serving the low vision and blind community in West Michigan since 1913. This month, the organization took a new step in supporting their clients by announcing Timothy Tuthill as its new president and CEO. ABVI helps clients by providing low vision services, rehabilitation, education, […]
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: Tips from an Audiologist
Are the new over-the-counter hearing aids right for you? Read on for some helpful answers to today’s commonly asked questions. The FDA recently made some types of hearing aids available for purchase over the counter (OTC). That’s great news for millions of Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss. Now they can buy hearing aids […]
Championing Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals through Blindness Awareness Month
Cleanlogic, the inclusive and socially conscious beauty brand that has pioneered the use of functional braille across all its product packaging since 2001, announces its campaign to shine a light on Blindness Awareness Month this October. The goal of this partnership is to recognize and support the over 25 million people in the U.S. who […]
We Have a Little Faith! Mary Free Bed Welcomes Second Animal-Assisted Therapy Dog
Our newest team member gives patients a gentle nudge on their road to recovery Faith, a 3-year-old golden retriever is joining Vandy, Mary Free Bed’s current facility dog, to help restore hope and freedom through rehabilitation. Both Vandy and Faith are trained Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) dogs who work to help patients meet rehabilitation goals and […]
3 Kids, 12 Helmets, Globetrotting Family Makes Cranial Remolding Journey Fun
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in one family’s case, cranial remolding helmets. The Anderson family has been making the most out of a condition they’re all too familiar with. They have four children – Emily, 14, Lydia, 12, James 3, and Jeven, 18 months, and three of them were born with craniosynostosis. […]
National Rehabilitation Awareness Week: Recognizing Rehabilitation Care
This week is National Rehabilitation Awareness Week. The first ever National Rehabilitation Awareness week started in 1976, and it’s grown into a national initiative dedicated to: Highlighting the positive impact rehabilitation has on the lives of patients Educating others on of the benefits that rehabilitation program can provide Recognizing everyone deserves to live their life […]
Help Us Bloom: Growing the Healing Journey at Mary Free Bed
Horticulture therapy is among the many recreational therapy interventions offered at Mary Free Bed. Our outdoor therapy garden provides patients the opportunity to focus on functional skills, learn and explore gardening, practice getting back to their favorite hobby at home and take time to connect with nature. Following an injury or illness, our rehabilitation teams […]
World PT Day Spotlights Osteoarthritis
September 8th is World Physical Therapy (PT) Day, giving us another opportunity to recognize the work of physical therapists and their positive impact on patients in pain. This year, World PT Day sheds education and light on osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis. It’s a joint condition affecting millions of people worldwide, and […]
Mary Free Bed Named Top Rehabilitation Hospital by Newsweek for 3rd Year
For the third straight year, Mary Free Bed has been recognized as one of America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers by Newsweek health care analysts. The rankings are based on scores for quality of care, service, follow-up treatment and accommodations/amenities. Clinician recommendations were also included in the calculations. Newsweek looked at all 50 states and spotlighted […]