GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for its new, 24-room children’s rehabilitation hospital that will be constructed across the street from its campus on Wealthy Street SE.

The Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, named after the widow of former Italian ambassador, businessman and philanthropist Peter Secchia, is expected to open in 2026. It will be the state’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital, according to Mary Free Bed.

Secchia, whose donation secured the naming rights for the hospital, said the care provided at the building will “transform health care for children and teens.” The amount of her gift has not been disclosed.

“Together, we have the opportunity to provide kids a springboard to a brighter future, ensuring every child receives the best care possible,” she said in a prepared statement.

Mary Free Bed serves adults and children whose illness or injuries, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes and more, require physical rehabilitation. The hospital has over 2,400 staff at more than 60 locations in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

Workers are expected to begin prepping the site of the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital for construction next week, with full construction set to start in October, said Chis Mills, a spokesperson for Mary Free Bed.

The hospital will be built at what’s now a parking lot across the street from Mary Free Bed’s main campus at 235 Wealthy St. SE in downtown Grand Rapids. Once complete, the 67,000-square-foot hospital will have three floors.

The first two floors will house outpatient therapy gyms, orthotics, prosthetics and bionics services, a pediatric medical clinic and an intensive feeding program. The third floor will host in-patient services, including 24 private rooms, inpatient therapy gyms, a family resource center, and an academic classroom with a dedicated teacher so children can keep up with their schoolwork.

The new hospital is being built in partnership with Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

“Our partnership with Mary Free Bed has helped so many children in our community receive compassionate and exceptional care,” Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health, said in a statement. “The Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital will reach thousands more kids and families across the state and beyond, helping them get back to being kids again.”

Mary Free Bed’s new hospital was first announced in summer 2022, when the venture received $10 million in the state budget. The fundraising effort for the hospital has since received a host of state, federal and private donations. As of today, hospital leaders have raised $67 million of the $70 million price tag, according to a news release.

Mary Free Bed President and CEO Kent Riddle said the Thursday, Aug. 15 groundbreaking lays “the foundation for hope and healing in our community.”

“We’re not just building a hospital, it’s a promise that every child will have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, no matter the challenges they face,” he said in a statement.

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