Shepherd Center Co-Founder Alana Shepherd Honored with Global Health Award
Awards dinner recognizes people and organizations who contribute substantially to the progress of global health.
Alana Shepherd is the 2018 recipient of the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Hero of Global Health Award for her contributions to securing Atlanta’s spot as the global health center. Shepherd was recognized at the Bill Foege Global Health Awards, presented by MAP International, on May 9 at the Delta Flight Museum. The event honored Mrs. Shepherd, as well as President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter for their work in global health.
Mrs. Shepherd – along with her son James and husband Harold – co-founded Shepherd Center in Atlanta in 1975 to treat patients with spinal cord injuries after James sustained a paralyzing spinal cord injury. Through the years, Shepherd Center has grown from a six-bed unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed rehabilitation hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions. Now, Shepherd Center treats about 900 inpatients, 575 day program patients and more than 7,700 outpatients each year. Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation.
The Bill Foege Global Health Awards, named for Bill Foege, M.D., M.P.H., a global hero best known for eradicating smallpox, also highlighted the launch of the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Global Health ATL campaign, which will position Atlanta as the world leader in global health. Not only are Shepherd Center and Carter Center in Atlanta, but other world class global health providers also call the city home, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CARE, the Task Force for Global Health, MAP International, the American Red Cross and MedShare, among others.
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, and Martha Brooks, chair of CARE USA, served as co-chairs of the Bill Foege Global Health Awards. Honorary co-chairs include Billye and Hank Aaron, Ted Turner and Ambassador Andrew J. Young. Sanjay Gupta, M.D., award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN, emceed the event.
Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.