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Easy recipe ideas for a healthier autumn: What to eat this fall

Fall is in the air and it’s the perfect time to enjoy Michigan’s tasty seasonal produce. Shopping at your local farmers markets is a great way to savor fruits and veggies at peak freshness, and meet the people who grow your food. Plus, shopping local has environmental benefits, too. What types of food are hopping […]

Heroes Bash to celebrate Mary Free Bed pediatric patients

Updated Oct. 24 with the above images from the Oct. 20 event. Click here for additional photos  Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital will celebrate its youngest patients and their families at “Heroes Bash 2017.” Current Pediatric Program patients and many who graduated this year are among more than 120 people expected to attend tonight’s superhero-themed […]

Ryan Podvin honored as a ‘40 Under 40’ Business Leader

Congratulations to Ryan Podvin, manager of Decision Support for Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, who’s been named one of the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Business Leaders. He is among the 2017 class of honorees selected for the honor based on business and career goals and achievements; industry expertise and leadership; and community […]

Kalamazoo bus driver who lost leg in crash ‘grateful to still be here’

La Shon Diallo was working overtime at her long-time job as a Kalamazoo Metro Transit bus driver to earn extra money for a new roof on her home. She remembers the traffic light turning green. Then she remembers waking up in the hospital. La Shon, 47, was seriously injured when a suspected drunken driver traveling […]

East Michigan resident chooses Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation after double amputation

UPDATE: Since Ken graduated from the inpatient Amputee Program, he’s returned to Mary Free Bed for outpatient therapy. His rehabilitation includes recreational therapy, which caters to each patient’s interests to improve their physical, social and emotional well-being, and to get them back to doing what they love. In Ken’s case, that’s being outside. Rachel Morse, […]

Patient continues rehabilitation journey at home

Trula Schutt came to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation after back surgery to treat spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that causes pain. She eventually gained enough strength to walk with a walker, then on her own before graduating from the inpatient program. But Trula still needed a little help, so she transitioned […]

Mary Free Bed wins Studer Group Excellence in Patient Care Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has been honored by Studer Group®, a Huron solution, with an Excellence in Patient Care Award for employee engagement. Excellence in Patient Care Awards are presented annually to a select group of organizations from Studer Group’s partner base of hospitals, health systems and physician organizations. “Mary […]

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation gives $10,000 to Mary Free Bed

Grant adds bike to fleet, creates state’s only off-road adaptive handcycle program GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has received a $10,000 Quality of Life grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to help people with disabilities go places that, until now, have been inaccessible.   The grant was used to purchase […]

Mary Free Bed welcomes inaugural class of PM&R residents

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Four physicians from across the country have begun their post-graduate training in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation as Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital launches its first medical residency program. The rigorous training program, approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, encompasses clinical, educational and research opportunities in all […]

Stay healthy and hydrated with infused water recipes

Welcome to summer! Rising temps, humidity and sun exposure can make you break a sweat. When that happens, it’s important to replace the water you’ve lost. Water is a key nutrient and is essential for your body to function at its best. It is vital for most bodily functions, including digestion. It also helps transport […]

Road to recovery comes ‘full circle’ for Kalamazoo bike crash survivor

It’s been nearly a year since Paul Gobble graduated from Mary Free Bed. A survivor of the June 7, 2016 bicycle collision in Kalamazoo County that killed five others, Paul has been recovering from a head injury, multiple spinal cord injuries and a fractured fibula. “When I left Mary Free Bed, I was wearing three […]

Pitcher Bryce Baker credits Pain Center with restoring hope

UPDATE: Bryce Baker is continuing to pursue his dream of playing baseball professionally, and he credits Mary Free Bed’s Pain Center with providing him with the tools to do it. Bryce recently paid a visit to the Pain Center to see his team and to share that he’s off all pain medication. In the video […]

Lids for Kids and the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet

At Mary Free Bed, we treat hundreds of people each year in our brain injury programs with a focus on helping each patient reach his or her maximum potential. Helmet use while riding a bicycle has been estimated to reduce the odds of head injury by 50 percent according to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. […]

Mary Free Bed stroke study aims to improve outcomes

Researchers and clinicians from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Indiana University, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, are collaborating to provide greater independence and mobility for people who are recovering from stroke. A five-year, multi-center research study, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, is […]

‘Stroke Bloke’ Dale Lamps looks to future with optimism after rehabilitation

Guest blog: Dale Lamps is a graduate of both Mary Free Bed’s Inpatient and Outpatient Stroke Programs.  These are my thoughts on the future. The future doesn’t come from nowhere. The future has its anchor in the past … My hemorrhagic stroke happened on Sept. 24, 2016. I had mowed the lawn that afternoon, and […]

Fine Arts Exhibition showcases works by artists with disabilities

More than 80 works of art, from paintings to photographs and drawings, will be featured in the Mary Free Bed Fine Arts Exhibition, which opens Monday and runs through June 27. The 35th annual event, sponsored by the Mary Free Bed Guild, will spotlight pieces by 31 artists with disabilities. The exhibition kicks off with […]

Bikes for the Rest of Us draws dozens of participants, volunteers

More than 75 children and adults with physical disabilities were introduced to adaptive bicycling during Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s annual Bikes for the Rest of Us event on Saturday. Each participant was paired with a therapist to determine the necessary adaptations that will enable them to pedal alongside their able-bodied friends. “This event helps […]

Grand Rapids Sled Wings capture national championship

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Sled Wings clinched its first sled hockey national championship during the 2017 USA Hockey Disabled Festival April 6-9 in San Jose, Calif. The Sled Wings defeated the Colorado Warrior Avalanche, 5-2, in the title game. The Sled Wings, a team of Michigan athletes with physical disabilities, are sponsored […]

Bronson South Haven Hospital joins Mary Free Bed Network

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Bronson South Haven Hospital is the newest member to join the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network, an innovative alliance of hospitals and providers dedicated to enhancing patient care and rehabilitation services throughout Michigan. The network was established in 2011 to extend Mary Free Bed’s expertise and specialized services to other settings, […]

‘Put Your Best Fork Forward’ for National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, and Mary Free Bed’s nutrition team is excited to celebrate all things wellness. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has selected “Put Your Best Fork Forward” as this year’s theme. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about putting your best fork forward? Bites of food! […]

New Bone Health Program at Mary Free Bed designed to fight, manage osteoporosis

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has launched a Bone Health Program focused on the prevention and treatment of bone diseases, particularly osteoporosis, that affect millions of Americans every year. Osteoporosis is a startlingly common condition that can affect overall wellness and longevity. About 54 million Americans have osteoporosis or low bone […]

Legacy lives on in artwork donated to Mary Free Bed

Pat Seanor met Larry O’Toole in 1969, when they were students at Grand Rapids Junior College. The young, aspiring artists struck up a friendship that continued until Larry’s death in 1986 following a lifelong struggle with rheumatoid arthritis. Larry was just 34 when he died, but his legacy is preserved in his large scope of […]

Gerber Foundation board members visit outpatient pediatric gym

Members of the Gerber Foundation Board of Trustees visited Mary Free Bed for a first-hand look at its new and renovated facilities, including the Pediatric Therapy Gym, where a plaque is displayed in recognition of the foundation’s generous $250,000 gift to the “Join the Movement” capital campaign. “We have the great fortune as a foundation […]

Arlee Rodgers tackles cerebral palsy with determination and a lot of spunk

Guest blog: Jynel Rodgers shares her daughter, Arlee’s, story and how Mary Free Bed’s pediatric rehabilitation specialists have helped put her on the path to independence following Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery to treat cerebral palsy. Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch her heartwarming video story.  Arlee is 7 1/2 years old. She […]

Creativity in the kitchen can inspire healthy eating

Have your 2017 wellness resolutions stalled? Creativity in the kitchen can rekindle and refocus your nutrition goals. Mary Free Bed registered dietitians Jessi Boehme and Joanna Gritter (pictured below, right to left) are doing their part to keep hospital staff motivated with healthy, on-site cooking and recipe demos. Here, Jessi shares guidelines for healthy dishes recently shared […]

Mary Free Bed to offer specialized orthopedic residency program

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital will begin an Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency in September. Graduates from an accredited physical therapy program will have the unique opportunity to perform a post-professional residency in outpatient clinical orthopedics at the fifth-largest, independent rehabilitation hospital in the country. “Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital is pleased […]

Mary Free Bed research team awarded $400,000 Neilsen Grant

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The John F. Butzer Center for Research & Innovation at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has received a $400,000 grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to compare the effectiveness of two exercise and social engagement programs intended to enhance quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries. “This award […]