Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised a public-private partnership that to date raised $66.5 million toward Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s $70 million pediatric center.

The state provided $15 million for the project across two years of budget allocations, and Mary Free Bed secured another $3 million in federal funding. The rest of the money raised so far comes from private donors to a capital campaign on behalf of the three-story, 67,000-square-foot Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital.

“Like so many things, this was a community that’s come together, public sector, private sector. That’s how we solve big challenges,” Whitmer said prior to a Thursday afternoon ceremonial groundbreaking for the project.

“This was something that looked like there was potential opportunity to build on something that was already happening on the ground, and it made sense for us a state to make that investment,” Whitmer said. “We are capable of accomplishing big things, but often it’s not one vantage point. It’s collaboration and, I think, the best of the best.”

Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, a joint venture with Corewell Health’s Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, will rise along Wealthy Street, across from Mary Free Bed’s main campus. When completed and opened in late 2026, the rehab facility will become the first of its kind in Michigan dedicated to treating children and adolescent patients.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the state of Michigan,” Whitmer said.

Mary Free Bed unveiled plans two years ago for the new facility that would double pediatric inpatient capacity to 24 beds and include extensive outpatient space. The project also will serve children born with malformations and defects, as well as children recovering from diseases, chronic pain or traumatic injuries.  

Mary Free Bed currently treats 6,500 to 7,000 pediatric patients annually, mostly through outpatient care. The new hospital will enable Mary Free Bed to increase pediatric capacity by about 2,000 to 2,500 patients.  

Thursday’s groundbreaking marked the launch of the public phase of the capital campaign to raise the remainder of the funding needed to build the pediatric rehab center.

“Our job is almost done,” said Joan Secchia, who’s helped to the capital campaign and is confident of reach the final goal.

“I’m convinced we can do it. I know this community well. We can do it,” she said.

Mary Free Bed named the new rehab hospital after Secchia is recognition of family’s contribution to the project.

Capital campaign leaders also have several major requests outstanding to prospective donors, said Tim Pietryga, Mary Free Bed’s vice president for advancement.

Mary Free Bed CEO Kent Riddle expects the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital to draw young patients from around the state and across the Midwest to Grand Rapids for rehabilitation.

“They’ll arrive here from every single county in Michigan, the Upper and Lower Peninsula. This is a destination,” Riddle said. “No Michigan child who can benefit from the over 100 programs here will be turned away, regardless of the seriousness or the type of their disability, or the means to pay. There will be nothing that we can’t handle here that will cause a family to have to go out of state. That’s why this place is so special. And they’re going to come from surrounding states.”

Grand Rapids-based Granger Construction Co. serves as the contractor for the project. Pure Architects in Grand Rapids is the architect for the facility.

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