Michigan's first pediatric rehabilitation hospital is set to be built in Grand Rapids through a partnership between two West Michigan hospital systems.

The hospital will be operated by Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, according to a Tuesday news release.

The hospital will be built on Wealthy Street, across from Mary Free Bed's main campus. The two-story building is planned to be 67,000 square feet and connect to the main campus via a skywalk.

"This new pediatric rehabilitation facility brings together highly specialized, integrated programs with exceptional physicians and caregivers to help children receive the treatment and therapies they need, when they need it," Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of BHSH System, said in the release.

The facility will have 24 private inpatient rooms, outpatient treatment areas, specialized service areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spots and a classroom for a certified teacher to help kids with schoolwork. More than 40 specialized rehabilitation programs will be offered.

Total construction costs are estimated at $60 million; the state allotted $10 million in appropriations earlier this month, according to the release. Construction is expected to begin in the spring and take two years to complete.

"We believe there are kids who would greatly benefit from rehabilitation who aren't receiving it," Kent Riddle, president and CEO of Mary Free Bed, said in the release. "The new hospital is projected to serve 20% more patients by the third year of operation."

Since 2016, the number of children Mary Free Bed treated across Michigan increased by 73 percent, according to the release. Last year, the hospital cared for 57 percent of children who needed inpatient rehabilitation in the state.

This will be the ninth free-standing children's rehabilitation hospital in the country, according to the release.

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