Published: July 25, 2012
Sparrow Hospital in Lansing and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids have formalized an agreement that will strengthen and expand a long-standing practice of working together to provide rehabilitation care.
The pact provides for the joint creation of Patient care protocols and increased collaboration between the two medical staffs to ensure Patients receive the most appropriate level of rehabilitation services in a timely manner. In addition, the organizations have signed a letter of intent to begin studying a potential joint venture with the goal of opening a new Lansing-based rehabilitation unit to replace and expand the inpatient unit at Sparrow Hospital.
"Sparrow Hospital and Mary Free Bed have worked together to benefit our rehabilitation Patients for years, and we are pleased to formalize this relationship," said Tom Ostrander, Sparrow Vice President of Professional Services. "This agreement will help us expand our inpatient rehabilitation services to benefit the mid-Michigan region. It continues a long-standing practice of providing exceptional rehabilitation care for Patients."
Mary Free Bed is the premier provider of hospital-based physical rehabilitation services in Michigan, and Sparrow is the largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services in the mid-Michigan region.
"As an acute care hospital that focuses solely on physical rehabilitation, we have staff, technology, and services that reflect the most advanced levels of rehabilitation expertise," said Mary Free Bed Chief Executive Officer Kent Riddle. "When it is determined that Patients will benefit from this highly specialized care, they can be treated at Mary Free Bed and then return to Sparrow for post-acute care. We are proud to have Sparrow be the fourth hospital to join the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network."
Both organizations are committed to working with other recognized quality leaders to continuously improve the quality of care and to ensure memorable Patient experiences. Last month, Sparrow became the first health system in Michigan and one of the first five in the nation to join the prestigious Mayo Clinic Care Network. Last fall, Mary Free Bed affiliated with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago - the nation's top rated rehabilitation hospital.
About Sparrow
Sparrow, Michigan's first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, has the only Level 1 Trauma Center in mid-Michigan and is formally affiliated with Michigan State University's three human health colleges. Sparrow was recently named a top health system in the United States by Thomson Reuters and is also one of only 6 percent of hospitals nationally to have earned the Nurse Magnet Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
About Mary Free Bed
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital has served the needs of children and adults for more than a century. Comprehensive services and an exclusive focus on rehabilitation enable specialty physicians and staff to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes. Mary Free Bed is a not-for-profit, nationally accredited, acute care rehabilitation hospital with 80 inpatient beds and numerous outpatient specialty programs at its Grand Rapids location. In 2011, The Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network was established. This consortium of collaborative, independent organizations expands the availability of Mary Free Bed services, which restore hope and freedom through rehabilitation. For additional information, visit www.maryfreebed.com.