Partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation on $75 million project
~ Press release provided by Valley Health
WINCHESTER, April 8 — Valley Health, in partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Rehabilitation Tower at Winchester Medical Center (WMC) on April 8. This milestone marks a significant step in expanding access to high-quality acute rehabilitation services in the region.
In March 2024, Valley Health and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, one of the nation’s most comprehensive and largest not-for-profit, independent rehabilitation hospital systems, announced their partnership. This collaboration aims to enhance the delivery of acute rehabilitation services. As part of this partnership, 60 Valley Health team members transitioned to Mary Free Bed employees, and the Mary Free Bed leadership team took over the management of day-to-day operations, performance, processes, and procedures at Valley Health Winchester Rehabilitation Center, located at 333 W. Cork Street, Winchester.
“This partnership will allow Valley Health to care for a more specialized and complex patient population and ultimately grow our rehabilitation program,” said Mark Nantz, president and chief executive officer at Valley Health. “Our community deserves to receive the advanced inpatient rehabilitation care that Mary Free Bed so wonderfully delivers. We are excited to see what this new rehabilitation tower will bring to patients in our community.”
Last month, site preparations began for the new $75 million rehabilitation tower on the WMC campus. This state-of-the-art facility will offer a range of services, including acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as Orthotics and Prosthetics plus Bionics.
The services currently provided at 333 W. Cork Street, including acute inpatient rehabilitation for adults and outpatient pediatric therapy, will be relocated to the new facility upon its opening in 2026. Additionally, outpatient rehabilitation services currently offered at the Valley Health Wellness Center will be centralized in the new tower, bringing the full spectrum of rehabilitation services under one roof.
Valley Health is a not-for-profit health system serving a population of more than 500,000 in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, and western Maryland. As a healthcare provider, employer, and community partner, Valley Health is committed to improving the health of the region. The system includes six hospitals, more than 70 medical practices and Urgent Care centers, outpatient rehabilitation, medical transport, long-term care, and home health.
The new Rehabilitation Tower will be connected to the main hospital via a climate-controlled skywalk, facilitating efficient transfer of patients and staff between the two areas. This connection will be particularly beneficial for medically complex patients and those requiring additional services such as medical imaging and other testing available at the hospital.
The groundbreaking event signifies the beginning of the next phase of Valley Health’s partnership with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, who will continue to manage acute rehabilitation operations in the new facility.
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 2,300 staff at over 60 locations in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia.
Last year, Mary Free Bed restored hope and freedom through rehabilitation for 100,000 children and adults. With more than 110 specialized medical and sports rehabilitation programs and an exclusive focus on rehabilitation, their specialized teams help patients achieve extraordinary clinical results. U.S. News & World Report rated Mary Free Bed as the ninth Best Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation for 2024-25.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership that’s letting us create the kind of destination rehabilitation center our communities have needed for so long,” said Kent Riddle, Mary Free Bed president and CEO. “Together, we’re building an expanded facility where our teams find purpose, and where every person’s rehabilitation journey and future success becomes part of our shared story.”
For more information, visit www.maryfreebed.com
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