Mary Free Bed, Spectrum Health sign agreement for collaboration

Mary Free Bed, Spectrum Health sign agreement for collaboration
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital CEO Kent Riddle and Spectrum Health President and CEO Tina Freese Decker.

 

Spectrum Health and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital are forming a “deeper relationship” to work together on research and coordinating patient care.

This week the two signed an agreement that took effect today for a “forum for hospital collaboration.” Under the agreement, Mary Free Bed and Spectrum Health will initially focus on coordinating pediatric research and tracking outcomes for patients. The two will also team up on ways to refine the process for coordinating intensive rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed and Spectrum Health’s 15 hospitals.

“For years we have worked closely with clinicians at Mary Free Bed to coordinate care for patients who can benefit from the highly specialized technology and expertise they provide,” said Tina Freese Decker, President and CEO of Spectrum Health. “We are excited to formalize processes that will benefit our patients and our community.”

The agreement brings together two leaders in the fields to work more collaboratively. By working closer together the two can improve access to care for their patients, said Mary Free Bed CEO Kent Riddle.

“They have specialties and expertise and things that no one else does, and we have specialties that no one else has, and so it’s giving all patients access to some of these specialties and really critical things that are needed,” Riddle said. “It’s making sure that Mary Free Bed’s patients get access to the kind of things that Spectrum can do that they’re the best at, and helps open the doors for Spectrum patients to get access to the best rehabilitation possible.

“We’re all on the same page here trying to do the same thing. Regardless of whose system the patient may be in at the time, or whose hospital they’re associated with or who their physician are, it’s more important to get them to the best care.”
Through the agreement, Spectrum and Mary Free Bed set up a steering committee that will look at others areas of collaboration and “continue to put meat on these bones,” Riddle said.
“We have a number of things in front of us we’re going to assess,” he said.