Posted on February 19, 2024
Major Area Health Care Partners Announce $50 Million Gift to Advance Children’s Medical, Rehabilitative and Mental Health Care
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 19, 2024 – Today, leadership from Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services came together to announce a landmark $50 million gift from the DeVos Family. This gift furthers the DeVos Family’s longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of children and fosters continued partnerships between the three health care organizations.
“Our Family is incredibly grateful for the compassionate pediatric experts who are devoted to transforming the lives of children in remarkable ways,” said Doug DeVos. “We hope this gift will increase further collaboration between these individuals and organizations to advance medical, rehabilitative and mental health care for kids.”
Each organization will use the gift to support and advance specific programs that enable a world-class ecosystem of care for the health needs of children.
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
A $40 million gift will be utilized to expand the Comprehensive Care Program and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, providing complex care to children without having to transfer them far from their homes.
The gift also will benefit patients at the new 12-bed inpatient medical psychiatry unit, where a dedicated team of professionals will provide compassionate care and behavioral health interventions tailored to each patient’s needs. Additionally, a breast milk donation and distribution station will support infants in the Gerber Foundation Neonatal Center, located in the children’s hospital, which will help enhance the donation and distribution of lifesaving milk for NICU babies.
Funding for the Center for Nursing Career Development will recruit and retain nurses at all levels of certification and provide a pathway for current team members interested in the nursing profession.
“This generous gift will propel our mission of providing exceptional care and unwavering support of families and we are profoundly grateful to the DeVos Family for their continued support of our teams,” said Dr. Robert Fitzgerald, president, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “This gift will allow us to continue to do the extraordinary, compassionate care which happens every day at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.”
$20 million of the children’s hospital gift creates a permanent endowment for the Child and Family Life Team. Gifted from the late Richard and Helen DeVos, this investment will support nearly 40 certified professionals, including child life specialists and assistants, music and art therapists, and teachers to ensure that children and families have many of the comforts of home and receive special support while in the hospital.
“The DeVos Family’s incredible gift will have a transformative impact on the lives of children and their families for generations to come,” said Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO, Corewell Health. “We are humbled by the generosity of the entire DeVos Family. Our continued partnership with Mary Free Bed and Pine Rest is a testament to our collective vision of ensuring children and families in our communities receive exceptional, coordinated and compassionate care.”
Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital
The DeVos Family’s $5 million gift to Mary Free Bed will help build Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, a venture created by Mary Free Bed and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. The state-of-the-art, freestanding children’s rehabilitation hospital will be 100% dedicated to helping all kids achieve the best possible outcome thanks to compassionate collaboration, innovation and interdisciplinary care. Planned for completion in 2026, the hospital will help serve 2,000 to 2,500 additional children each year and increase capacity for outpatient visits by 20 percent.
“West Michigan is daring to dream differently about health care for kids,” said Kent Riddle, president and CEO of Mary Free Bed. “With the DeVos Family’s support, we’re fulfilling a big-hearted promise to our youngest patients and their families. This gift will help bring to life Michigan’s first, freestanding children’s rehabilitation hospital – an extraordinary step in giving every child the opportunity to reach their greatest potential.”
Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Michigan has experienced a behavioral health crisis as demand for pediatric behavioral health care continues to greatly exceed available services. The DeVos Family’s $5 million gift to Pine Rest will support the construction of the Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health, opening in 2026, which will dramatically expand access to inpatient and partial hospitalization, outpatient care, and behavioral health testing services for children and teens throughout the state.
“Currently, many children and families in Michigan face weeks, months, or even years-long wait times for access to behavioral health care,” said Dr. Heide Rollings, medical director, Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavior Health. “These services could significantly improve a child’s performance in school, relationships with family and friends, and overall emotional well-being. With this transformational gift from the DeVos Family, the Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health will truly change lives by expanding access to care, developing innovative treatment models and continuing our commitment to the community Pine Rest has served for over 110 years.”
Members of the DeVos Family have a long-standing tradition of supporting children’s health. Their work dates back to the late Richard and Helen DeVos, who left a legacy of investing in health care institutions and forging partnerships to better serve children and families.
“Mom and Dad always believed that buildings were merely platforms for people to do great things,” said Cheri DeVos, daughter of Rich and Helen. “There are many amazing things that will occur at these great medical facilities, yet we know it is really about the special people who inhabit these spaces. We couldn’t be more appreciative of all that the area medical professionals do every single day to support kids and families.”
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About Corewell Health: People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 65,000+ dedicated people—including more than 12,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,500 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.3 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit www.corewellhealth.org.
About Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital: Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit, internationally accredited, and nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation. What started with a single bed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1891 has grown to a rehabilitation system with over 2,400 staff at over 60 locations in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. Last year, Mary Free Bed restored hope and freedom through rehabilitation for more than 90,000 children and adults. With more than 110 specialized medical and sports rehabilitation programs and an exclusive focus on rehabilitation, our specialized teams help patients achieve extraordinary clinical results. U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek rate Mary Free Bed as a national Best Rehabilitation Hospital for 2023-24. For more information, visit www.maryfreebed.com.
About Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services: Pine Rest, the single largest freestanding behavioral health provider in Michigan and the third largest in the country, has been the proven leader and preeminent behavioral health partner in West Michigan for decades. It offers a full continuum of services including inpatient and partial hospitalization, psychiatric urgent care, residential and outpatient services, addiction treatment and recovery, extensive child and adolescent programs, senior care services, as well as specialized assessment and treatment clinics. In addition to the main campus in Grand Rapids, Pine Rest has 21 outpatient locations throughout West and Northern Michigan. With over 450 world-class physicians, clinicians, and advanced practice professionals, Pine Rest has the most expertise and experience to serve Michigan’s behavioral health care needs. For more information, go to www.pinerest.org.
About the DeVos Family Foundation: The DeVos Family Foundation supports strategic projects and initiatives that impact the community, empower individuals to reach their full potential, and catalyze change primarily in West Michigan and Central Florida. The Foundation is a collaborative effort between the DeVos Family’s second and third generations. Learn more at www.devosfamilyfoundation.org.
