Shepherd Center Again Recognized as One of Atlanta's Best Places to Work

Shepherd Center has been named one of Atlanta’s “Best Places to Work” in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 15th annual ranking of 100 metro area companies. Shepherd Center was recognized as the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s #3 Best Place to Work in the extra-large company (500-plus employees) category. This exclusive list recognizes organizations for having created an exceptional workplace and culture that their employees’ value highly. Winners of the prestigious award were honored by Atlanta Business Chronicle at an event held on September 6, 2018.

Totaling more than 500 entries, award applicants were evaluated and ranked across four categories according to the number of Atlanta Area employees. This year’s results highlight Shepherd Center's employee satisfaction in six key engagement areas including: team dynamics, trust in leadership, communication and resources, manager effectiveness, and personal engagement.

Shepherd Center – ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation – is known for its specialized care for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions. It is also noted for its patient-centered culture and its origins as a hospital founded by an Atlanta family that saw a need for specialized rehabilitation care. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center has grown from a six-bed rehabilitation unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital that treats more than 900 inpatients, 575 day program patients and more than 7,100 outpatients each year.

The hospital employs more than 1,600 employees, and here’s a sampling of what some of them say makes Shepherd Center a Best Place to Work:

"Shepherd Center is a great place to work because of the wonderful patients and families who we come in contact with each day. We change lives on a daily basis. It is also a great place to work because staff understands the mission and work diligently in fulfilling the mission. Staff is dedicated and works well as a team to obtain excellent patient outcomes." 

Erma Freeman, MSW, LCSW, CCM, Case Manager, Spinal Cord Injury Unit

"Here at Shepherd Center we have a front row seat witnessing firsthand how awesome and inspiring the human spirit can be. That helps us to be the best we can be for our patients, visitors, and fellow staff and truly why we are the best of places to work."

Dan Poisson, Director, Facilities Management

"Shepherd Center is a great place to work because it has such compassion for our patients, as well as staff. Shepherd is the gift that keeps on giving."

Sue Kenner, Health Information Management Analyst

"It is amazing to have the honor to help our patients and their families through what is probably the toughest time of their lives and to work with people who all share the same goal and do everything in our power to achieve this goal every single time we walk through the door: help our patients get better."

Shannon Stroppel, MSW, Case Manager, Acquired Brain Injury Unit

"Shepherd Center is the best place to work because when you step through these doors you aren’t just “doing” a job. You get to “be.” You get to be someone that matters and makes a difference, and you are surrounded by others who care as much as you do. Every day I come to work proud, knowing that I am part of something bigger than myself. I am part of a company that embodies everything that matters to me and more importantly, to the patients and the families we serve."

Katie Kimball, MS-OT, OTR/L, Inpatient Occupational Therapist, Adolescent Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program

I have worked at Shepherd for nine years and have always thought it was a great place to work, but this past year Shepherd's greatness became even more apparent to me as I was battling breast cancer. During this trying year I was able to keep working between treatments and surgeries and never felt like I was an imposition or was in danger of losing my job. My coworkers took over parts of my job, my boss was amazing and Shepherd's human resources team made the disability/FMLA process easy and accessible. I am now classified as "no evidence of disease" and am back at work full force. Bottom line is that Shepherd not only heals our patients and allows them to return to their lives, but does it for our employees too."

Anna Berry, PT, DPT, Program Manager, Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center is a large company, but it feels like a tight knit community where you know everyone's names and everyone says hello. This culture starts from the top down with the Shepherd family being present and caring for the staff and patients on a personal level. I also feel supported by my direct manager and upper management in my day to day work as well as with my career aspirations. I have a voice in making Shepherd a better place each and every year. Shepherd has aspirations to be one of the top rehab hospitals in the country (and maybe the world) and keeps on the cutting edge of research and technology. We host pro bono events so we are able to reach out to the community with our knowledge, and therefore have a greater impact on the community as a whole.

Brian Maloney, PT, DPT, NCS, Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program

Shepherd is a great place to work because it is a place where everyone strives for excellence and takes pride in what we do. The culture is palpable. You feel it from the minute you walk in our doors. Everyone in the organization is approachable. You hear it said that organizations are like a family. We literally are.

Emily Cade, M.S., CCM, CRC, CLCP, Director of Outpatient Services

Shepherd Center has a culture of being patient and family focused through the whole continuum of care and beyond. I feel like anyone coming through Shepherd will always be a part of our family, even years beyond their injury. It's not uncommon for patients and staff to form lasting friendships, and I feel like that's due to a solid foundation of trust that was built at the beginning. I feel like everyone has a voice and the opportunity to express it. Our leadership has created a fun environment of solidarity and accountability."

Lisa Eagen, BS, ACSM-CPT, Lead Exercise Physiologist, ProMotion Fitness

Learn more about employment opportunities at Shepherd Center.