Rehabilitationships

Rehabilitationships is back looking at the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships. This next episode is another in a regular "Meet the Team" series and it's with Mary Free Bed at Home. Mary Free Bed at Home was just ranked among America’s Best Home Health Agencies by Newsweek for 2026. They ranked 5th in the state of Michigan, and were the only agency serving in West Michigan. For the episode I interviewed Trey Kubizna, VP of Operations, Abby Hescott, a Physical Therapist, and Jen Arroyo, a Registered Nurse. Together we talk about what sets our home health care apart, how we help patients regain independence, and why this recognition matters for both patients and clinicians. Enjoy the episode! #MaryFreeBed #HomeHealthCare #RehabilitationCare #ContinuumOfCare #PhysicalTherapy #NursingCare #NationalRecognition #NewsweekRanked #BestHomeHealthAgency #AwardWinningCare

Ten years ago, Marcus Fairfield survived a car crash that left him with a spinal cord injury and uncertain future. In this heartfelt conversation, Marcus reunites with his Mary Free Bed rehabilitation team, Kristen, Jamie, and Jess, to reflect on his incredible journey and express gratitude for the people who helped him during his recovery. It's a powerful reminder of what we can overcome when we have the right support and never give up hope. #WhereAreTheyNow #SpinalCordInjury #RehabilitationJourney #InspiringRecovery #MaryFreeBed #GratefulForCare #HopeAndFreedom

Five years after a life-changing illness and complex surgery, Brad Mathis shares his incredible journey of recovery at Mary Free Bed. From being dependent on a ventilator to regaining his independence, Brad reflects on the care, hope, and determination that helped him rebuild his life. Join us as he reunites with his rehabilitation team who supported him every step of the way. #RehabilitationJourney #PatientSuccessStory #MaryFreeBed #InspiringRecovery #WhereAreTheyNow #HealthcareHeroes

Welcome back to Rehabilitationships a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. This is the podcast we talk about the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships. In another segment of "Where Are They Now?" we catch up with Mary Free Bed graduate and handcycle team member, Kate Brim.She won a gold and bronze medal at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris in handcycling.Kate's been traveling the world competing the past few years and living with Team USA in Colorado Springs, CO.We are also joined by Christy VanHaver, she's a recreational therapist and a sport coordinator for Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports program.Enjoy the conversation!#Paralympics #Handcycling #TeamUSA #AdaptiveSports

Rehabilitationships is back with an inspiring conversation with Isaac Shapiro, co-founder of Cleanlogic, whose body care company is empowering the lives of individuals with disabilities. He’s joined by Tim Tuthill and Osman Koroma from the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) as they discuss their partnership during Blindness Awareness Month. Learn how Cleanlogic, inspired by Isaac's blind mother, is changing the beauty industry through inclusive employment practices, Braille packaging, and community support. Discover how this collaboration is creating meaningful employment opportunities and raising awareness for visual impairment across the United States.During this discussion you'll also learn more about the services of ABVI, which has been dedicated to serving West Michigan’s low-vision and blind community since 1913. Founded by Roberta Griffith, the first blind woman in the U.S. to graduate from a school for sighted students, ABVI offers a wide range of services including low-vision care, rehabilitation, education, and vision aids.In 2020, ABVI became an independent subsidiary of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, expanding services to benefit individuals across both organizations. Each year, ABVI’s team of experts supports more than 1,000 children and adults across Michigan, empowering them to thrive in a sighted world.Learn more about Cleanlogic at: www.cleanlogic.comLearn more about the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired at: www.abvimi.org

Respiratory Care Week is a great chance to highlight the important work of respiratory therapists and teams at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation and across the nation.In a special edition of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed, we are back with another episode of our “Meet the Team” series. Host Chris Mills is joined by Maria Gordon, Digital Marketing Coordinator at Mary Free Bed, and they share two conversations they had with members of the Respiratory Therapy Program.The first half of the episode highlights the origins of our ventilator program and respiratory team. It features Dr. Eric Geiser, who specializes in internal medicine and pulmonary critical care. He works with patients in Mary Free Bed’s Intensive Medical Rehabilitation Program.Dr. Geiser was joined by Rebecca Brower, a Registered Respiratory Therapist, who’s been a part of the Mary Free Bed team through its growth and expansion of services.In the second half of the episode, we look at the education within Mary Free Bed and our respiratory team. Guests for this conversation were Molly Bennett, Lead Respiratory Therapist, and Sharijo Taylor, a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Clinical Rehab Educator at Mary Free Bed.Listen to the episode to discover how this unique program is transforming ventilator and respiratory care and helping patients transition from survival to living fuller lives.  Want more? Learn about Mary Free Bed’s respiratory team and its Intensive Medical Rehabilitation Program. 

For our next episode of Rehabilitationships, we share a conversation for October's Blindness Awareness Month with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Discover the unique challenges and triumphs of individuals living with low vision, and learn about the essential services ABVI provides to empower their community.Hear from Tim Tuthill, Executive Director for ABVI, Teresa Weakley, Morning Anchor at WOOD TV8, and Tanis Hooker, a client at ABVI. They share about two events occurring in October: the Crafting Vision fundraiser on October 10th, and the White Cane Awareness Day walk on October 11th. Plus, find out about a special partnership with Cleanlogic that allows you to support ABVI while shopping at Meijer. Listen in to gain insights into the world of visual impairment and learn how you can make a difference in the lives of those with low vision or blindness. Please share this episode with others, as well as rate, review, and subscribe. Have any feedback you can email us at podcast@maryfreebed.com If you'd like more info on our Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired visit www.ABVImi.org. 

In this episode of Rehabilitationships, we share the inspiring story of LaSonya Alhasan, a COVID-19 survivor who found hope and healing at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation.After a battle with the virus that left her in a coma for weeks and paralyzed her vocal cords, LaSonya embarked on a remarkable journey of recovery, that brought her to Mary Free Bed at two separate times.Listeners will hear firsthand about her experiences, from fear and uncertainty to the triumphs of regaining her voice and more independence. This episode also serves as a heartfelt tribute to Monica Vaughn. Monica, who worked at Mary Free Bed for nearly 40 years, was LaSonya's dedicated occupational therapist who passed away unexpectedly this year.Through the conversation with LaSonya, some of her family, Monica, and other team members, we explore the deep bonds formed between patients and caregivers at Mary Free Bed.Listen to the power of perseverance, the importance of family support, and the transformative impact of compassionate rehabilitation care as LaSonya navigates her new reality and finds strength in vulnerability. This story of resilience and hope shows how the human spirit has the capacity to deal with life’s challenges.Learn more about Rehabilitationships and make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this. If you or your family member is in need of rehabilitation, find out how you can Ask for Mary. 

We're back with another episode of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed. For this episode, we are sharing some conversations from the Rhoades McKee Reeds Lake Triathlon. Amputees from Mary Free Bed were joining their prosthetists and therapists to race together in a mixed relay. Five different teams split up the swim, bike and run portions of the race between the patients and clinicians, and four individuals did the whole triathlon themselves.This was the fourth year that patients and staff from Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics raced. Other clinicians and patients from the hospital volunteered with the adaptive athletes to help with gear during transitions between the swim, bike and run portions of the race.We recorded these conversations at the start line right before the triathlon began. Enjoy!We’d love to hear your feedback and any story ideas you might have for future episodes. Send us a note at podcast@maryfreebed.com.Find out more about our Orthotics and Prosthetics services.

We’re shining a spotlight on the amazing team of speech-language pathologists at Mary Free Bed.Welcome back to Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. This is the podcast where we talk about the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships. Whether it’s learning to navigate speech difficulties like aphasia, managing communication challenges, building cognition skills, or strengthening muscles to swallow safely, this is our go-to team of experts! Speech-language pathologists work hard to help restore hope, freedom and independence.For this next episode, we are doing another in our meet the team series. We are featuring a recent conversation I had for National Speech Language Hearing Month. I talked with two speech-language pathologists at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation about their field of speech-language pathology and their great work with patients. In this discussion you’ll hear from Trisha Martinez, MS, CCC-SLP, who works on spinal cord injury team, and Cara Ramirez, MA, CCC-SLP, who works on our medically complex team.Enjoy the conversation!

Have you ever wondered how speech-language pathologists help patients improve their communication?Welcome back to Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. This is the podcast where we talk about the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships. For this next episode, we are doing another in our meet the team series. We are featuring a recent conversation I had for National Speech Language Hearing Month. I talked with three speech-language pathologists at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation about their field of speech-language pathology and their great work with patients. In this discussion you’ll hear from Kate Armstrong, MA, CCC-SLP, Kristen Smith, MS, CCC-SLP and Danielle Vander Horst, MS, CCC-SLP.Enjoy the conversation!

We’re back with another episode of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. Every episode we are highlighting the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships.   In this episode, we meet Jill and Sam Smalldon, a mother and son whose lives were forever changed by a devastating car accident. Sam suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent 100 days at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation.This episode is a story of resilience, perseverance, and the incredible power of family. Hear Jill describe her move from grieving to advocacy, and how she found the strength to help push Sam forward in his recovery.Riley Frens, Sam's speech-language pathologist, shares her experience working with Sam and the moment she knew he could overcome the challenges ahead. Sam reflects on his journey back to health and what the future holds for him.This episode is a testament of the power of family, rehabilitation, and a never-give-up attitude. Within the conversation, you'll also hear tips for navigating the difficult path of recovery and how to find hope even in the darkest moments.Learn more about Rehabilitationships and make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this. If you or your family member is in need of rehabilitation, find out how you can Ask for Mary. 

In our next episode of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed, we keep up with the “Meet the Team” series. For this podcast, we talked with clinicians from the Great Lakes Bay Region who work at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Covenant HealthCare. Our discussions include a nurse, a therapist, and a prosthetist, all who share their motivation for working in rehabilitation and the special connections they form with patients. Those interviews include:Tracy Brettrager, RN, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Covenant HealthCare – (1:16)Tracy is a registered nurse who works on the inpatient rehabilitation team at Mary Free Bed at Covenant. She started her nursing career in long-term care and recently moved into rehabilitation. Tracy shares a story about one of her patients taking their first steps after a brain injury.Jacqueline Kareus, PT, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Covenant HealthCare – (8:49)Jacqueline works in the outpatient team as a physical therapist. She has 12 years’ experience in orthopedic therapy. Jacqueline tells how she saw therapists help her grandmother regain mobility after a broken hip, and how that inspired her to work in health care.Ben Hogan, CPO, Mary Free Bed at Covenant Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics – (19:18)Ben is a Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist at Mary Free Bed at Covenant. Before getting into prosthetics, Ben worked as a bicycle mechanic. During our conversation he shares some similarities between the two.We’ll be back with more conversations from the team at Mary Free Bed in our next episode. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback. Send us a note at podcast@maryfreebed.com. If you, a family member, or friend are looking to make an impact in your career, come join our team. Visit Mary Free Bed.com/careers to find our job postings.

We’re back with another episode of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. We are usually digging into the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships by pairing up a patient with their clinician for a great conversation.For the next couple episodes, we are going to break from that format to get to know some of the team at Mary Free Bed. We will be talking with health care professionals across our rehabilitation system.In these discussions, we’ll learn about the different types of clinicians we have helping patients in their recovery. They’ll also share what makes them tick and why they keep coming back day after day to serve others.In this episode, we feature three of the team from Grand Rapids. They are:Andrew Young, PT, DPT, physical therapist at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital - (1:40)Andrew works as an inpatient physical therapist and has seven years’ experience in outpatient therapy. He talks about his work as part of Mary Free Bed’s medically complex team and how he got into rehabilitation.Rebecca Brower, RRT, respiratory therapist at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital - (14:28)Next, we shine the spotlight on respiratory therapy and how it’s included in rehabilitation. We talk with Rebecca who works in the Intensive Medical Rehabilitation Unit at Mary Free Bed, and how she’s seen her team grow at the hospital. Adam Lamm, MD, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital - (27:59)Teaching the future of rehabilitation is vital to Adam Lamm, MD, at Mary Free Bed. When Dr. Lamm isn’t seeing patients on the outpatient side, he’s leading the hospital’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency program. Learn more about his work as a physiatrist and why it’s important to the hospital to host its residency program. We’ll be back in our next episode with conversations from the team at Mary Free Bed at Covenant HealthCare. Keep an eye on your feed for that, and in the meantime, make sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback and any story ideas you might have for future episodes. Send us a note at podcast@maryfreebed.com. If you, a family member or friend are looking to make a move and make an impact in your career, come join our team. Visit MaryFreeBed.com/careers to find our job postings.

Here’s the conclusion to our story with Spencer Cobb. Spencer was in his senior year of high school when a diving accident changed his life. He spent four months at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital going through inpatient rehabilitation.For the podcast we sat down with him, his mom Allison, and his occupational therapist Sydney Krol, on the day before Spencer returned home from the hospital. In the first episode, we talked about Spencer’s life before the accident, how the injury happened and what the initial recovery was like. If you missed that episode, jump back in your podcast feed and give it a listen.In this second episode, we’ll hear about the relationships Spencer made during his rehabilitation, a few fun and unique experiences he had at Mary Free Bed and what he learned through it all.After that, I called Spencer up and touched base with him on how he’s been since leaving the hospital. We hear about his progress in outpatient therapy and what’s next for him.It’s a great story, so enjoy this episode of Rehabilitationships!Learn more about Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. Every episode we are highlighting the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships. Make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this. If you or your family member is in need of rehabilitation, find out how you can Ask for Mary.

We are back with a new season of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. Every episode we are highlighting the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships.  To start off our second season, we are meeting an all-state high school athlete from Spring Lake, Michigan. Spencer Cobb was just starting his senior year and really coming into his own on the swim team. His life was changed forever when he sustained a spinal cord injury, taking away his ability to walk and swim.In the next two podcast episodes, we recorded on Spencer’s last day of inpatient rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed. Spencer was joined by his mother, Allison Cobb, and his occupational therapist, Sydney Krol.Despite it being a tough journey, our conversation was filled with smiles and laughs.In this first episode, we learn more about Spencer. We hear about the injury, his initial recovery and the beginning of his rehabilitation.Next week, we’ll be back in your podcast feeds for the rest of the story. We also include a recent update with Spencer, to see how he’s doing after leaving the hospital.It’s a great start to our new season, I hope you enjoy!Learn more about Rehabilitationships and make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this. If you or your family member is in need of rehabilitation, find out how you can Ask for Mary. 

We are excited to start a new season of Rehabilitationships, a podcast from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation.This is the show where we pair real patients with their real clinicians to hear real stories of recovery. We are just finishing our first year of the podcast, so we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate and look back at the past stories we’ve shared. Then, we wanted to look forward to all the great upcoming stories we have on the horizon!Stay tuned for our next full episode as we start season two!

We are back and wrapping up the 2nd part of our newest Rehabilitationships story, a real story of recovery, from real patients and real clinicians. This is the conclusion to the story featuring Peggy Maniates, executive director of the USS Silverside Submarine Museum. In the first episode, we heard from Peggy about her work at the museum and how complications following a surgery led to nerve damage and the loss of function and feeling in one of her legs.Not being able to walk made it difficult for Peggy to share her love of the museum and get inside the submarine.Fortunately for Peggy, she heard about Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation and got connected with the team and physical therapist Mark Stevens.If you missed the first part of their story, jump back in your podcast feed and give it a listen. Now for this episode, we pick up when Mark and Peggy started to work together with therapy goals, including a big one of getting back into the submarine.Read more about Peggy and see photos of her on the submarine.And since we’ve recorded this episode, Peggy taken a new opportunity to lead the Wright Museum of World War II in New Hampshire. Congrats Peggy!Learn more about Rehabilitationships and make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this.If you or your family member is in need of physical therapy, just Ask for Mary. No matter where it hurts, we can help. Make an appointment or get more information here.

For our next episodes of Rehabilitationships, we took a dive and recorded on location. Our guest for this episode is a history expert and what a better way to relive history than seeing it firsthand.Our guest for this episode of podcast is Peggy Maniates. She’s the former executive director of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, a submarine from World War II.Peggy shares her story of when she had hip replacement surgery and then developed femoral neuropathy. Weakness and loss of feeling in her leg significantly affected her ability to move, limiting her to using a walker and wheelchair.She’s joined on the show by Mark Stevens, a physical therapist at Mary Free Bed. He met Peggy and began working with her, when she was looking for help to regain some strength and ability. All with the hopes of getting back into the submarine.For this two-part story, we journeyed into the submarine to record and tell this special story.Read more about Peggy and see photos of her on the submarine. Learn more about Rehabilitationships and make sure to rate, review and subscribe for more stories like this. If you or your family member is in need of physical therapy, just Ask for Mary. No matter where it hurts, we can help. Make an appointment or get more information here.

Rehabilitationships is back with the conclusion of a two-part episode. How does a recovery from a brain injury lead to a new leader at a hospital?We are talking with the CEO of Mary Free Bed, Kent Riddle, and his wife Susan, as they share about their car crash from 20 years ago, and how that experience led him to his leadership role at the hospital.Back again for these episodes is our special guest host, Phil Tower. He’s a longtime radio broadcaster, turned podcast host and consultant. If you missed the first episode, jump back into your podcast feed to give it a listen. We’re going to pick up after the accident, when Susan is back home after her rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed, and Kent is on the board of hospital.In this episode, Kent will share about when he was asked to lead the hospital as CEO. He also shares about the early days of his leadership as the hospital was faced with big decisions about its future.Susan will talk about her decision to go back to school and get her occupational therapy assistant degree. She shared about what giving back to others meant to her.Both Kent and Susan talk about the importance of the Mary Free Bed Guild, and how it impacts all aspects of the hospital.Susan and Kent also reflect on how this whole experience effected their relationship and their family. It’s a great episode that truly highlights the intersection of rehabilitation and relationships.We’d love to hear your feedback and any story ideas you might have for future episodes. Send us a note at podcast@maryfreebed.com.Learn more about Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation.Learn more about Rehabilitationships.