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A big blue ribbon was cut Wednesday to officially open the new University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Rehabilitation Center in Ionia. Pictured, from left, are Tammy Dickinson (partial image), Raymond Shippey, Dr. Michael Vaccariello, Jennifer Anderson, Linda Reetz, Jen Deibel, Dr. Marasimha Gundamrej, Connie O’Malley, Brandon Fewins and Shana Herman. — DN Photo | Tim McAllister
IONIA — Thanks to a $1 million federal grant, the former Sears appliance warehouse at 205 S. Dexter St. has been transformed into the new University of Michigan Health Sparrow Ionia Rehabilitation Center.
Construction finally completed, the new University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Rehabilitation Center at 205 S. Dexter St. in Ionia, formerly a Sears appliance warehouse, officially opened Wednesday morning. — DN Photo | Tim McAllister
The facility officially opened Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by approximately 75 involved parties, employees, local business people and area government officials. After the ribbon was successfully sliced, everybody marched inside to check out the new rehab center and all of its state-of-the-art features.
USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan Brandon Fewins was the featured speaker at the ceremony. Primarily through his efforts, the USDA provided a $1 million rural development grant for the project.
“As I travel throughout rural Michigan, I get asked by communities, ‘What’s the secret sauce?’ What is the secret ingredient to a project like this coming to fruition?” Fewins asked. “Honestly, it’s pretty basic. It’s partnerships and collaboration. I’ve never seen a project like this happen without that ingredient. It doesn’t happen, folks.
“It starts at the local level. It takes local leaders — whether it’s on behalf of a community or an organization — that have a vision of where they want their community to go, where they want their organization to go. They bring in the stakeholders and they share that vision. So we are a partner and a proud partner, but just one partner.”
Tammy Dickinson, a retired teacher who was a patient of U of M-Sparrow Ionia Rehab before the new building existed, toured the new facility and said its space and amenities would have made her post-stroke therapy much easier. Dickinson said she had to go to a separate facility for her speech therapy, and said the downtown Ionia location was more convenient and easier to find.
“I’m lucky I could drive, not everybody who needs therapy is going to be able to drive to another town,” Dickinson said. “So I think it’s really great that we have everything here where it’s all together.”
A look inside the new University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Ionia Rehabilitation Center in the pediatric sensory rooms. The new facility at 205 S. Dexter St. offers pediatric care, student-athlete rehabilitation, work injury rehabilitation, pain management, post-stroke care, post-injury care, outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. — DN Photo | Tim McAllister
Dr. Marasimha Gundamrej will be the pain management physician at the new facility. He said he was excited to start working in the new building.
“This is a great addition to the Ionia community,” Gundamrej said. “It’s a nice space, it’s got all the latest equipment and they have really done a great job. We’re excited to bring our services here to Ionia, right to your doorstep.”
U of M Health-Sparrow Ionia Hospital President Linda Reetz pointed out that at 7,524 square feet, the new building is much larger than the 1,400-square-foot Grand Rapids Ophthalmology building the center used to occupy.
“If you’ve ever been to our current rehab center, you would know that space is tight,” Reetz recalled. “We struggled during COVID, and we had to restrict access to care because it was really tough to keep that six foot barrier that we were trying to adhere to, so it’s remarkable that we have this wonderful additional space to expand our comprehensive services.”
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Vaccariello will be on the staff at the new facility.
“Especially during COVID and even after COVID we had gotten so much busier seeing more patients, we couldn’t provide the care we needed to in that limited space,” Vaccariello said. “This space will allow us to see many more patients and provide much more specialty care with physical therapy. It will also open up space for orthopedics at our office to see more patients and provide better care.”
Under one roof, the wide array of services this new rehab center offers includes pediatric care, student-athlete rehabilitation, work injury rehabilitation, pain management, post-stroke care, post-injury care, outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
The floor plan has a large, open procedure suite full of various imposing devices and a speech therapy treatment room, an occupational therapy room, a large pediatric gymnasium, a kitchen with laundry machines, a small pediatric gymnasium, another gymnasium, a pediatric sensory room and two treatment rooms.
The architects for the project were Paradigm Design of Grand Rapids and Gordon Construction Services of Portland handled the building.
For more information about the new facility, visit uofmhealthsparrow.org/departments-conditions/all-departments/rehabilitation/outpatient-rehabilitation/ionia-rehabilitation-center or call (616) 527-0558.
