Who is Mary Free Bed?

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital began in 1891 when a small group of Grand Rapids women launched a fundraising campaign to secure an available or “free” bed in a local hospital out of growing concern for the medical care needs of patients with limited financial means. But this was no ordinary campaign – the ladies specifically asked for contributions from everyone named Mary and from those who had friends or relatives with the name.

Soon, they raised enough money to endow a free bed, which became known as the “Mary Free Bed.” As the fund (and community need) grew, other women joined the group. It became incorporated in 1911 as the Mary Free Bed Guild of Grand Rapids. Today the Mary Free Bed Guild governs the most comprehensive rehabilitation hospital in Michigan, restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation for children and adults with amputations, brain injuries, cancer, complex medical conditions, multiple trauma, spinal cord injuries and strokes and other diagnoses.

The combination of more than 110 specialized medical and sports rehabilitation programs and an exclusive focus on rehabilitation enables specialty physicians and staff to help patients achieve extraordinary clinical results. Additionally, the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network includes more than three dozen acute-care hospitals across Michigan and Indiana. For more information, visit maryfreebed.com.