Vandalia Health and Mary Free Bed break ground on new rehabilitation hospital in Charleston. October 8, 2026 New facility will expand access to specialized rehabilitation care for patients across West Virginia Vandalia Health and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation celebrated the groundbreaking of a new rehabilitation hospital in Charleston, West Virginia. The new facility marks the next chapter of a partnership designed to bring specialized rehabilitation closer to home. Known as Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Vandalia Health Charleston Area Medical Center, the new facility will be part of the CAMC General Hospital Campus. It will connect to the CAMC Outpatient Surgery Center via skywalk, streamlining access between multiple service lines. Community leaders, former patients, caregivers and representatives from Mary Free Bed and Vandalia Health gathered to recognize the milestone, celebrating a shared commitment to restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation. The groundbreaking comes nearly two years after Vandalia Health and Mary Free Bed announced a joint operating agreement to enhance the rehabilitation services at CAMC General Hospital. Since launching the partnership in January 2025, the organizations have worked together to align clinical expertise and operational best practices to provide patient-centered care across the region. The partnership combines Vandalia Health's deep roots in West Virginia with Mary Free Bed's nationally recognized expertise in rehabilitation. "This is an exciting opportunity for our patients, community and Vandalia Health," said Jeff Sandene, president and CEO of Vandalia Health. "This new rehabilitation hospital will continue to enhance the clinical expertise and patient experience begun by our partnership with Mary Free Bed while adding much-needed capacity, ensuring more patients can receive specialized rehabilitation services close to home." The new hospital will feature three stories and more than 93,000 square feet dedicated to comprehensive rehabilitation services. Plans include: * 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit spread across two floors * Outpatient therapy and rehabilitation services * Rehabilitation physician specialty clinics * Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics services * Advanced rehabilitation technology * Outdoor therapy garden * Additional patient, family and clinical support spaces The facility represents a significant investment in the future of rehabilitation care in West Virginia and will serve more patients from throughout the state and surrounding region. Rehabilitation is a critical step in recovery for people rebuilding their lives after stroke, amputation, spinal cord injury and other medically complex events. Expanding access to specialized rehabilitation care expands access to care itself, strengthening existing support systems for patients and families throughout the region. "Rehabilitation can be life-changing by helping people regain mobility, confidence and independence after some of life's greatest challenges," said Bruce Brasser, chief operating officer at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. "Through our partnership with Vandalia Health, we're expanding access to that care for more patients and families across West Virginia. This new hospital is about creating more opportunities for recovery, hope and freedom for the communities we serve." Patients all over West Virginia have already benefited from the partnership between Mary Free Bed and Vandalia Health. Marshall Murray is a 62-year-old teacher and stroke survivor from Beckley, WV. He shared his rehabilitation journey during the groundbreaking ceremony. Murray experienced his second stroke in August 2025 and was admitted to Mary Free Bed at Vandalia Health for inpatient rehabilitation after previously staying at a different facility for his first stroke. "Their knowledge helped me. I'm a self-starter, and they pushed me to keep striving to get better," said Murray. "This new building will be a hub for rehabilitation, and more people will be able to take advantage of their expertise." Today, Murray is back in the classroom working with his students, a living example of the power of rehabilitation. Construction is being led by BBL Carlton alongside design teams Diekema Hamann and Pickering. The project is expected to be completed in early 2029, with patient care anticipated to begin shortly thereafter. Once complete, the hospital will serve as a destination for comprehensive rehabilitation services while helping patients and families remain connected to their communities during recovery. About Vandalia Health. Vandalia Health, headquartered in Charleston, is a multi-state health system with locations across West Virginia as well as in Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Made up of CAMC Health System, Davis Health System and Mon Health System, 18 hospitals provide a variety of services, including the only kidney transplant center in southern West Virginia. The health system also functions as a Level I Trauma Center, a Level I pediatric intensive care unit and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. Outpatient services include 220 locations, employing more than 14,500 team members and more than 2,000 doctors and advanced practice providers. Additionally, the Institute for Academic Medicine provides education, outreach and research support to student physicians and other medical professionals hosting more than 1,000 students daily in programs leading to degrees or certifications in health professions. About Mary Free Bed. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit, internationally accredited and nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation. Guided by its mission of restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation, what started with a single bed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1891 has grown into a rehabilitation system with more than 2,500 team members across 70 locations in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia. Last year, Mary Free Bed served more than 120,000 children and adults through more than 120 specialized medical, pediatric and sports rehabilitation programs and is expanding access to care through the development of a new children's rehabilitation hospital. U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek named Mary Free Bed among the nation's Best Rehabilitation Hospitals for 2026-27. Learn more at maryfreebed.com.

Vandalia Health, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation break ground on $50 million hospital in Charleston. October 7, 2026 - 2:50 pm CHARLESTON, W.Va. - CAMC/Vandalia Health is expanding its footprint in the Capital City with a new $50 million rehabilitation hospital. The organization is collaborating with Michigan-based Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation for the project, a partnership launched in January last year. Local leaders joined Vandalia Health and Mary Free Bed officials on Wednesday to officially break ground on the project at the corner of Washington Street and Morris Street in Charleston. The site is located just across the street from the CAMC General Hospital. The 93,000 square foot facility will be dedicated towards providing comprehensive rehabilitation care. CAMC/Vandalia Health General Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Heidi Edwards said while they currently offer such services throughout the Vandalia system, this new facility will meet a growing demand. "You never know when you're going to need inpatient rehab," Edwards said. "It could be a car wreck; it could be many of the different scenarios that happen in life that you don't expect. Our current inpatient rehab has served many patients over the last 40 years. The issue is it only has 25 beds. We have a greater need in this community." Edwards said it's all about centralizing the care. She said this facility will do just that. "To be able to provide both inpatient and outpatient services in one facility and keep our patients here in this community is going to be huge," Edwards said. "With state-of-the-art technology, innovative care, and outstanding clinicians, it's just the right time to do the right thing for our community." Mary Free Bed began in Grand Rapids, Michigan 138 years ago, founded by a group of women. Current Chief Operating Officer Bruce Brasser said the founding women launched a fundraiser calling upon families to donate 10 cents if they had a family member named Mary. From there, those women created a guild that serves as the community representatives for the modern-day Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Brasser expressed optimism for the expansion into the Capital City. 'We are going to be expanding access to rehabilitation care for patients here in Charleston and surrounding communities," Brasser explained. "Mary Free Bed is a rehabilitation hospital only. We're passionate about caring for patients that have these needs, and we are very pleased to be partnering with Vandalia to make that happen." Brasser said he's spent a quarter century working with Mary Free Bed and had a unique first experience with their services. "My background is a nurse, and my first experience with Mary Free Bed and a rehabilitation hospital was as a parent whose child needed care," Brasser said. "25 years ago this week, I joined Mary Free Bed and have been able to see us grow tremendously and serve more patients." Edwards pointed out that sometimes, West Virginians may have to go out of state to receive care. This is a dedicated effort to keep those people in West Virginia with more healthcare offerings. "When you're talking about spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, those types of injuries, and being able to have the comprehensive care, a lot of people, we don't have the level of access that's needed," Edwards said. "So, a lot of people do go out of state for that care. But that's a very a huge stress for families. It's an out-of-pocket expense to stay somewhere. So, being able to be right here at home in the community, with people that they know and people that they trust, that makes a difference." Also at the groundbreaking celebration, two-time stroke survivor Marshall Murray gave a speech. He serves as the director for the local Martin Luther King Jr. Male Chorus. He received care within the CAMC/Vandalia system for his second stroke and said it was a night-and-day difference from the first stroke care. "I've got friendships with a lot of the staff and stuff now that I didn't have with the first one," Murray said. "I couldn't tell you one name of the first one. So, I'm tickled to death. I stop by every now and then to try to see patients and tell them, 'Hey, I was you, and I'm up.' If you do what they tell you, you'll make it." Construction on the facility is set to be complete in 2029.

Brave the Shave celebrates Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Mary Free Bed. Posted: Aug 27, 2026 / 11:49 AM EDT Updated: Aug 27, 2026 / 11:49 AM EDT GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (ABC 4) - At a recent golf fundraiser near Grand Rapids, local nonprofit Brave the Shave awarded checks to two of their partners for helping provide support for child patients: Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation. Resources that Brave the Shave offers to patients and their families include funding for travel expenses, mortgages, utilities and more. "We help families and pay for things that insurance doesn't," said Pat Schrager, founder of Brave the Shave. Through its partnerships with Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, Brave the Shave helps take part of the financial burden away from patients and their families. "(Brave the Shave) provides our patients and their families with financial relief during their cancer journey," said Melissa Wittlinger, pediatric cancer and blood disorders coordinator with Corewell Health. To celebrate these partnerships, Brave the Shave awarded $25,000 to Mary Free Bed and $40,000 to Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.