Mission Moment: Shepherd’s Secret Caregivers—Behind the Scenes

Sabrina English is not a nurse, a physician, or a therapist, but she is a Shepherd Center caregiver. She cleans patient rooms as a member of the environmental services staff. “She is the sweetest lady I’ve ever met in my life,” says Wendy Hodge, who stayed at Shepherd for more than two months with her son, Tyler, after a car wreck. “We love her dearly.” 

Wendy looked forward to Sabrina’s arrival each day as she sat with Tyler in Shepherd’s Disorders of Consciousness Program. Tyler’s transfer to Shepherd from acute care had been delayed by a series of medical complications, and Wendy’s time in hospital rooms dragged on. By January 2024, when Tyler was discharged to return to East Tennessee, Wendy had been away from home for more than eight months. It was all made more bearable with Sabrina’s presence. “Miss Sabrina got us through some very emotional hard times,” Wendy says. 

Sabrina is a good example of the difference an employee can make, says Debra Johnson, manager of environmental services at Shepherd. “Everybody loves Sabrina.” 

The primary role of every Shepherd worker, whatever their job title, is to make a stressful time easier for people whose lives have been upended. With patients and their families often staying at Shepherd for months, that makes for a lot of interaction with staff, and a lot of meals prepared and consumed in Shepherd’s cafeteria. “We hope the café will be an oasis for families and patients,” says Joycelyn Saxon, director of food services. 

Joycelyn and her team provide almost 2,000 fresh, healthy meals each day, but they also believe in giving people what they want. And what people want is bacon, she says, laughing. “There’s bacon everywhere.” Sometimes the bacon and other food is served up by a cafeteria line that sounds like a party. “We like to have fun,” Joycelyn says. Holidays—even some ordinary days— bring out festive hats or T-shirts, all in the interest of cheering up patients and their families. 

Yonnett Jackson, who has served meals to folks at Shepherd for more than 25 years, enjoys the exchanges with customers. “We try to make them smile a little bit and get them out of their own heads,” she says. The primary role of every Shepherd worker, whatever their job title, is to make a stressful time easier for people whose lives have been upended. As patients and their families draw strength from staff, employees are inspired by the determination of patients. 

Ronald Lowe has less direct interaction with patients and families than staff members who clean patient rooms or who serve food in the cafeteria, but that doesn’t stop him from forming connections as he cleans public areas, takes trash to the loading dock, looks after bed linens, and replenishes supplies. “I get to know the patients in the hallways more than anything, like when they’re going to therapy or going to lunch,” Ronald says. “I speak to them. I communicate with them, give them a high-five.”

As patients and their families draw strength from staff, employees are inspired by the determination of the patients. The best part of his job, Ronald says, is seeing patients improve. “Shepherd has a way of turning their lives around, making them feel a whole lot better,” he says.

At 66 years old and after nearly 30 years at Shepherd, he is approaching his planned retirement age, but he’s not counting down the days. “This is such a great environment,” he says, “and it’s such a pleasure to work here, I may go past 67.”

Written by Gayle White

This story is an excerpt from “Mission Moments: 50 Years of Rebuilding Lives One Moment at a Time,” a book celebrating Shepherd’s 50th anniversary in 2025. You can explore the full eBook or purchase a hardcover copy here.