Posted on February 24, 2017
Gerber Foundation board members visit outpatient pediatric gym
Members of the Gerber Foundation Board of Trustees visited Mary Free Bed for a first-hand look at its new and renovated facilities, including the Pediatric Therapy Gym, where a plaque is displayed in recognition of the foundation’s generous $250,000 gift to the “Join the Movement” capital campaign.
“We have the great fortune as a foundation to determine how we can impact our community, particularly to enhance the lives of the children who live here,” said trustee Dr. Bill Bush, pediatrician-in chief at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, who was instrumental in securing the donation from the Fremont-based foundation.
“This is one of the rare capital campaigns we have donated to.”
The Gerber Foundation typically focuses on initiatives in Lake, Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana counties, he said. During Mary Free Bed’s 2016 fiscal year, 463 pediatric patients from that four-county area were treated in either the inpatient or outpatient programs or in Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics.
“What Mary Free Bed can do for kids is so impactful,” said Bush, noting he refers many patients from his Forest Hills Pediatrics practice as well as from Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation.
Bush was joined by fellow trustees Randall Dyk, Nancy Nevin-Folino, Steve Poole, Randy Puff and President Barbara Ivens on the tour. The full board later held its quarterly meeting on campus.
