The Gerber Foundation donates $1 million to new pediatric rehabilitation hospital.
In its latest effort to enhance the lives of infants and young children, The Gerber Foundation announced a $1 million donation on September 25, 2024, to the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, a joint partnership between Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation and Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. The Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital will be a state-of-the-art, freestanding children’s rehabilitation hospital dedicated to helping all kids achieve the best possible outcome through compassionate collaboration, innovation, and interdisciplinary care. The donation from The Gerber Foundation will help fund the construction of this new facility, particularly the space occupied by the Pediatric Feeding Programs.
“The Gerber Foundation is proud to support the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital,” Dr. William Bush, Trustee of The Gerber Foundation, said, “We will be directing our support to help build the Pediatric Intensive and Outpatient Feeding Program space. As a practicing pediatrician in the Grand Rapids area, I am thankful we have the experts from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital coming together to establish the first pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Michigan. The Trustees of The Gerber Foundation are grateful to be a part of the healing and rehabilitation of the children of the West Michigan community.”
In the Pediatric Feeding Program unit of the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, teams of specialists will assess and treat children who are experiencing a wide variety of feeding-related challenges. Challenges can include oral motor swallowing difficulties, tube feeding challenges, struggles with bottle or breastfeeding, concerns with not gaining weight, excessively selective eaters, and sensory issues. The new facility will expand the program’s capacity to serve children who need its services.
“It takes all of us to make health care better. We are proud to partner with The Gerber Foundation and grateful for their recent philanthropic investment in the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital,” said Tina Freese Decker, President & CEO of Corewell Health. “Their support of the Pediatric Intensive and Outpatient Feeding Program will help kids learn how to swallow, overcome sensory issues, and many more feeding challenges to help them thrive and get back to growing, playing, and learning.”
The Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital will be built across the street from the Mary Free Bed Grand Rapids Campus, with a sky bridge connecting the two hospitals. The 67,000-square-foot facility will have 24 private inpatient rooms and spaces for specialized services. Groundbreaking for the $70 million freestanding hospital occurred in August 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
“The generosity of our community continues to amaze me,” said Kent Riddle, President and CEO of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. “This gift from The Gerber Foundation will help provide vital feeding therapy for kids, creating a lasting impact for families across Michigan and beyond.”
About The Gerber Foundation: Established in 1952, The Gerber Foundation is a private foundation whose mission is to enhance the quality of life of infants and young children. The Foundation funds academic research grants focused on the health and nutrition of children aged 0-3. The Foundation also provides funding in West Michigan for youth programs and college scholarships. For more information, visit www.gerberfoundation.org
About Mary Free Bed: Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit, internationally accredited, and nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation. What started with a single bed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1891 has grown to a rehabilitation system with over 2,400 staff at over 60 locations in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. Last year, Mary Free Bed restored hope and freedom through rehabilitation for more than 100,000 children and adults. With more than 110 specialized medical and sports rehabilitation programs and an exclusive focus on rehabilitation, our specialized teams help patients achieve extraordinary clinical results. U.S. News & World Report rate Mary Free Bed as the ninth Best Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation for 2024-25. For more information, visit www.maryfreebed.com.
About Corewell Health: People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.3 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.
