US-based Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has initiated the construction of Michigan's Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital.
The groundbreaking event, which took place on 15 August, was attended by government officials, community members, former patients, and hospital staff.
Construction partners from Granger Construction and Pure Architects were also present at the event, as revealed in a LinkedIn post by Mary Free Bed.
The first freestanding hospital is a collaborative effort between Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Both entities will jointly operate the hospital.
The facility, exclusively dedicated to the rehabilitation of infants, children, and teens, is expected to be completed in 2026.
It will be located across the street from Mary Free Bed’s main campus on Wealthy Street SE in Grand Rapids.
Fox17 West Michigan noted that the hospital will stand three floors tall and feature a sky bridge over Wealthy Street.
Designed to enhance collaboration, clinical outcomes, and medical treatment, the 67,000ft² fa cility will offer 24 private inpatient rooms and specialised services tailored for children's rehabilitation.
Officials have estimated that the Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital will serve approximately 2,500 children annually and help with their rehabilitation needs.
The project, which has a total cost of $70m, has received a significant contribution of $15m from the state of Michigan, as stated by Governor Gretchen Whitmer during the groundbreaking ceremony.
Whitmer said: “This is a collaborative effort, but I think that this really shows that we are going to do something for kids and health care that you cannot get everywhere. And so, it's really special, and I think Grand Rapids is a perfect place to so.”
Mary Free Bed, which serves as a statewide hub for children’s rehabilitation, provided care to 40,718 individual inpatients/outpatients and treated 1,313 children from out-of-state, including those with the most severe and complex conditions, between 2016 and 2023, WCSG reported.
