Griffins & Sled Wings Sled Hockey Game Returns
Renewing one of the most unique events anywhere involving a pro sports team, the Grand Rapids Griffins and Grand Rapids Sled Wings will play their 16th annual sled hockey game presented by Meijer on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. at Griff’s IceHouse at Belknap Park (30 Coldbrook St. NE). The doors will open at […]
International Design Firm Selected for New Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids
The award-winning design firm SmithGroup has been chosen to design Michigan’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. The facility will be constructed on the Grand Rapids campus of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. SmithGroup has been honored with over 400 design awards in the past five years, and ranked 5th in Building Design + Construction’s Top Architecture/Engineering […]
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 […]
#SamStrong: A Village Rallies for Teen after his Traumatic Brain Injury
In September, 16-year-old Sam Smalldon was airlifted to Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital after a car crash. Sam was driving in his hometown of Holland, when he lost control of his Chevy Cruze, hit several trees and was thrown from the car. The impact was so violent, the car split in two. Sam suffered […]
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 […]
Mary Free Bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation Among Nation’s Best for Sixth Year in a Row
For the Sixth straight year, Mary Free Bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for Best Short-Term Rehabilitation. Ratings from U.S. News & World Report help individuals and families in their search for health care needs. More than 15,000 nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities and sub-acute care facilities were evaluated […]
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 Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics Goes Global with ROMP
For the second year in a row, members of the Mary Free Beds Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics team traveled from Michigan to Zacapa, Guatemala. Their mission? Restore hope and freedom … globally. The trip was made possible through philanthropic support from the Mary Free Bed Guild. Six O&P+B team members joined the Range of […]
Acts of Kindness: Brooklyn Zylstra Gives Back in a Big Way
Brooklyn Zylstra understands the assignment. But her project isn’t like that of many middle schoolers her age. This 13-year-old has been giving back to the Grand Rapids community in a very unique way. Brooklyn, an 8th grader at KPS Pinewood Middle School, has taken it upon herself to bring joy to kids who are on […]
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 […]
R.J.’s Sub-Acute Recovery: Getting by with a Little Help from Friends, Faith & Family
In June, Robert R.J. Myler was going about his normal workday driving a recycling truck for Arrowaste. The summer heat caused him to lose consciousness at the wheel. Then he crashed into a semi-truck. R.J. suffered severe injuries. Thanks to the help of two good Samaritans – a nurse and a retired marine – he […]
Mary Free Bed Adds New Cancer Rehabilitation Physician and Services
Mary Free Bed is expanding its levels of comprehensive cancer rehabilitation for patients as part of the Betty Bloomer Ford Cancer Rehabilitation Program. The program includes inpatient and outpatient physician-led treatment and specialized offerings for lymphedema care, interventional services, virtual visits and more. Cancer rehabilitation can help fight the debilitating effects of cancer at every […]
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, […]
Returning to Play after a Concussion: The Mary Free Bed Sports Concussion Program
Participating in sports is a great way to stay healthy – both physically and mentally. But physical activity can sometimes lead to injury. With sporting programs in full swing, there is no better time to bring awareness to concussions. Every year, millions of concussions occur due to sports-related injuries. Most concussions go undiagnosed, meaning […]
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 […]
Timmy Fanco Defies the Odds Following Car Crash
To say the Fancos are fighters is an understatement. On June 10, 2022, Liz Fanco of Alto, MI, received a phone call. Her children, Anna and Timmy, had just been in a broadside collision. Anna, 17, was driving and suffered a collapsed lung, broken leg and several broken ribs. Her younger brother, Timmy, 11 at […]
Mary Free Bed Brings Halloween to the Hospital for Patients and Families
This year’s Halloween event Mary Free Bed was an eerie-sistable success! The Mary Free Bed Kids inpatient team transformed the hospital’s outdoor therapy garden into the “Mary Cemetery.” The haunted “scare-apy” garden was filled with smiles and screams to those who dared to enter. In true trunk-or-treat style, staff and community members ‘dressed up’ over […]
Breathing Easier: Mary Free Bed Respiratory Therapy Program Celebrates 5 Years
The Mary Free Bed respiratory therapy team is celebrating its fifth year at the hospital. The respiratory therapy team is comprised of of 20 respiratory therapists who average of 15 years of acute care experience – having served patients from coast to coast across the U.S. In 2017, Mary Free Bed launched its ventilator and […]
Pickleball Legend Leads Clinic for Adaptive Athletes on World Pickleball Day
Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in the world, has made its way to wheelchair and adaptive athletes in Grand Rapids. October 10 was World Pickleball Day, and a legend of the sport paid Grand Rapids a visit to host an adaptive pickleball clinic with Mary Free Bed for athletes with disabilities. The legend was Seymour […]
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 […]
After His Spinal Cord Injury, Tom Maher’s Community Gives Back
Tom Maher is a problem solver. He has always taken great pride in being part of solutions for others. Now, his community is returning the favor. In July, Tom was driving his motorcycle to work when he was struck by a drunk driver. He suffered severe spinal cord injuries and was rushed to Bronson for […]
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 […]
Crossing Finish Lines Together: Hayley’s Making Strides in her Stroke Recovery
A single word can say it all. In Hayley’s case – it was two: “Alive” and “better.” Those were the words Hayley Zabik, of Kalamazoo, first communicated to her family in the ICU. Last February, 26-year-old Hayley’s parents got an early morning phone call. Hayley hadn’t arrived at work that day, which was unusual for […]
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 […]
MFB Camp Instructor Competes with Team USA in World Championship
Gabe Den Braber, a 22-year-old from Grand Rapids, is competing with Team USA at the Men’s U23 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Thailand. Gabe was born with spina bifida, a condition in which the spinal cord didn’t form properly and has affected his lower limbs and his ability to walk. In 2014, when Gabe was […]
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 […]