“I love everything about swimming,” says the senior on Georgia Tech’s swim team. “It’s just pure love, pure enjoyment. The competitive aspect is sopersonal. You have opponents and you want to win as a team. But it’s really just you against yourself. I love that.”

So, when swimming was taken away from MaryGrace — due to a pair of concussions she sustained in “freak accidents” in the water in 2025 — the pain wasn’t relegated to her brain alone. Thankfully, MaryGrace landed at Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). CCC offers fully integrated, multi-disciplinary treatment for patients whose concussions have produced more complicated, persistent symptoms. The clinic is led by founding director Russell Gore, M.D., an expert in neurotrauma who has significant experience in working with athletes specifically; in fact, this past summer, Dr. Gore served as concussion consultant and advisor for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket himself, he is an assistant professor in the Walter H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.

“Dr. Gore and the whole care team understood how frustrated I was with the symptoms and how hard it was to not be swimming,” MaryGrace says. “They shared it all with me and they really understood the love I have for the sport. I felt like I was really being taken care of, just fully supported.”

Her care included testing, treatments, and exercises to directly address symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, and light sensitivity. MaryGrace also participated in physical therapy and speech therapy to address cognitive issues that were making her academic life more difficult, as well.

“I was kind of re-learning how to do school,” MaryGrace says. “It was learning new study techniques — re-reading chapters before class, writing things down, charting what I knew and what I didn’t know to put markers in place that we could track. It was all about memory recall and retaining things again.”

For the better part of a year, she was fully away from the sport. The absence was painful, but her body was healing. Gradually, things improved. As she could get back in the water again and start training more, her mental health strengthened along with her physical health.

“Being at Shepherd Center and going through this, it sounds so cliché, but it really did make me so much more mentally strong,” MaryGrace shares. “And mentally strong in the water, specifically, as an athlete. Those mental exercises from the clinic carry over to the pool.”

Starting with her senior year this fall, she’ll have two seasons of eligibility left at Georgia Tech. She plans to get her master’s degree during that extra year and consider what comes next after college.

One thing she’s sure of: Swimming will always be part of her life.

“Oh, I’ll keep swimming forever!” MaryGrace says. “I’ve realized that all over again this past year. I’ve also learned more about resilience. This has all just reinforced for me that even the craziest setbacks can make you come back even stronger."

Written by Phillip Jordan

Christy Cogley knows what to expect with a concussion. She’s had 10 of them in her lifetime. 

Her past concussions were from sports injuries, car accidents, and other incidents. But the last one she sustained in June 2025 was different. Her memory of what happened is fuzzy. She believes she got out of bed to check on her dog. Christy only remembers feeling a painful hit to the back of her head then waking up on the floor. Over the next few hours, she felt nauseated and very sweaty. She went to the emergency department, where doctors confirmed a concussion. 

Unlike her past concussions, her symptoms lingered and worsened. Her headaches were more severe. She found herself stuttering, forgetting names and general information, and experiencing vision problems. A return trip to the emergency department showed nothing out of the ordinary. With no relief, Christy was beginning to feel despair. Completing everyday tasks was a challenge. 

Her primary care doctor recommended Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). In July 2025, she met with Russell Gore, M.D., the clinic’s medical director. She says that meeting changed everything. 

“Dr. Gore spent at least 45 minutes just listening and educating me about concussions” she says. “He saw me as a whole person, not just somebody with a concussion. He was so patient, so kind, and gave me science-based information. I left there feeling so much better.” 

Christy, who is the director of exam operations for a licensing association, spent the next few months in cognitive therapy to improve memory and daily task management, speech therapy to reduce stuttering and regain voice control, and physical therapy to regain her balance. She learned strategies to compensate for her symptoms. During her treatment, Dr. Gore also detected an unrelated vision problem and dysautonomia and referred her to specialists. 

“I felt like a weight was lifted off of me,” Christy says of her experience. “Everyone was so reassuring and compassionate. They never minimized what I was experiencing.” 

Christy says she has learned to give herself grace and honor the healing process and says she would advise others to do the same. Being a former collegiate and professional basketball player working harder was always her answer, but she now knows that “working harder doesn’t equal quicker healing. It sometimes prolongs it.” 

Now, almost a year later, Christy says she is “back on track.” Her headaches are less frequent, and her balance and vision have improved. She continues to visit the clinic to work with an occupational therapist and is forever grateful for her care at the CCC. 

“The Concussion Clinic is an amazing place,” Christy says. “The staff listens to you and shares their expertise with you. They are committed to everyone healing.” 

Written by Sara Baxter
 

Veronica Watts, 28, is a passionate communicator and advocate at heart.

After studying international affairs and human rights at the University of Georgia, she worked as a legislative assistant at the Georgia State Capitol and then as an assistant director of state affairs with Emory University. Her path has always involved advocating for healthcare and education through policy and bringing people together. 

On Saturday, Feb. 9, 2024, Veronica experienced something that would change her life and make her an even fiercer advocate for those who need it most. While walking home in Atlanta, she crossed a large intersection. 

“I started to walk while the pedestrian light was flashing, and a car crashed into me. I smashed my head on the windshield. The driver braked, and I was thrown 38 feet while my face skid across the concrete,” Veronica recalls. 

Eight hours later, Veronica woke up at Grady Memorial Hospital with a tube in her throat. Bones in her face and her teeth were broken, and she had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, commonly called a concussion.

When the head is hit hard enough, the brain can be shaken around inside the skull. This movement can cause changes to how brain cells function and communicate. In Veronica’s case, this led to general memory and word memory loss, migraines, sensitivity to light and sound, and motion sickness. The nerves that connect her eyes and ears to her brain were also impacted during the crash.

Veronica spent five days at Grady. Her mom, Laena Karnstedt, a doctor, recognized that she needed specialized care to continue to progress. After researching several programs, she decided the best place for Veronica was Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). 

From the end of February through May 2024, Veronica attended occupational, speech, and physical therapy at the CCC. Among other goals, she wanted to be able to attend a loud live music show, hike, and use a bright computer screen or go to a grocery store without wearing sunglasses.

“I can go on and on about how grateful I am that my mom pushed me to go to the CCC,” Veronica says. “They were experts. It wasn't as much, ‘This is the plan and how we’re doing it,’ but more, ‘What do you need, and we'll go from there.’ They put lots of emphasis on you being your own person and not grouping everyone into one way of doing things.”

In speech therapy, Veronica worked on memory activities and communication. Occupational therapy focused on vision therapy. As she puts it, “We were literally exercising my eyeballs. Moving left to right to up and down.” Physical therapy was hands-on and offered some unique experiences.

“I was really impressed by some of the technology there. There was this balance machine. I remember being like, ‘What the heck is this giant circular thing in the corner? Woah!’” she laughs. “I've been in PT before, but not anything like this.”

As Veronica progressed, another unthinkable event happened. Tragically, her mom Laena passed away unexpectedly.

“I was in the bathroom at the CCC when I found out my mom died,” she recalls. “I was with three of my therapists and every single one of them was so understanding. We were able to work through both grief and rehabilitation therapy. That’s not their expertise, but in a way, it helped me not only heal in my injury, but also my grief. It was hard, but every time I went in the CCC, everybody was really so kind.”

Veronica graduated from Shepherd’s program and put her energy into healing from grief. Ever the advocate, she also engrossed herself in research on pedestrian and cyclist safety in Georgia.

“Every part of the system that was supposed to help me in cases like this let me down. This is still considered only a traffic violation,” she explains.

She decided to create a resolution in partnership with a Georgia senator and lawyers at the Georgia State Capitol. While the resolution was not prioritized during this cycle, Veronica plans to continue the conversation about pedestrian and cyclist safety so that it gains traction.

“My dream is to work with experts to create and run mental health programs where people can feel safe to be vulnerable,” she says. “Whether that’s through creating connections or helping enact policy, I want to improve people’s opportunities to grow and flourish.”

Today, Veronica says she’s fully healed from her traumatic injury symptoms. She is currently attending the University of Toronto, pursuing a master’s degree in social justice education and development, policy, and power.

“A lot of really life-changing things happened to me in a short time. It was a frustrating and hard process, but it was worth pushing through,” she says. “If I can use my story to help somebody who may not have the resources or the same mindset in a similar situation, that’s what I want to be doing.”  

Written by Damjana Alverson

Featured Photo by Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Eva Van De Water has been thrown from a horse, jostled while wave-jumping on a jet ski, rear-ended in a shuttle bus at a ski resort, and upended while kayaking. Each jolt to her head led her to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, first with a concussion, then with post-concussion syndrome. 

After the horseback-riding accident in September 2022, Eva felt dazed but never lost consciousness. She continued to work—as a teacher of environmental science and biology at DeKalb County’s Druid Hills High School — even though she felt nauseous, dizzy, and fatigued. She spent her daily planning period napping on a lab table. 

A surgeon friend connected Eva with a neurologist, who referred her to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, which provides concussion care for individuals who are experiencing longer-lasting or more severe symptoms that require additional evaluation and treatment. There, Jared Potter, M.D., diagnosed her concussion and performed a nerve block. Through Shepherd, she began an intensive therapy regimen that included exercises for her eyes, which were not tracking properly. Every staff member she encountered at Shepherd was warm and helpful, she says, from the support staff to Dr. Potter. “They prioritized my goals,” she says. “They validate what you’re feeling and make you an active partner in your treatment.”

Soon after the first concussion, Eva was back to her thrill-seeking ways — mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, and horseback riding. But her active lifestyle takes a toll. When her concussion symptoms return, she finds relief, encouragement, and support at Shepherd Center. “They’ve given me my life back four times,” she says. “I’m really glad Shepherd is so close. But if I had to travel a long way, it would be worth it. It’s the gold standard of service.”

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. 

Mandy Psiaki and her husband, David, have three children, ages two to 10. Right now, the family has five dogs, but since they foster for the Atlanta Humane Society, add one mama and her puppies, and that number could easily rise to more than a dozen.

Mandy, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq, works full-time at Chick-fil-A’s corporate headquarters. She oversees around 70 company-operated restaurants throughout the country, a job that requires her to travel regularly.

But when Mandy sustained a severe concussion in November of last year, her busy routine came to an abrupt halt. The night of her injury, Mandy got up in the middle of the night and tried to massage a severe pain in her neck. The next thing she remembers is waking up with her cheek against the floor of her bathroom and a bleeding cut on her head. She and her husband couldn’t fully piece together what had happened.

After a trip to her primary care physician, Mandy tried to resume her life but still wasn’t feeling quite like herself. A few days later, when she arrived at her dentist’s office, she made it only a short way from her car before she was so dizzy that she had to lie down in the parking deck and call 911. Over the next few weeks, doctors ran many tests on Mandy’s brain and heart — CT scans, a carotid artery ultrasound, an MRI scan of her brain, an electroencephalogram (EEG), an echocardiogram, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). Still, none of them revealed the cause of her fall or the symptoms she was experiencing.

“I was so dizzy,” Mandy recalls. “Extremely nauseous. I had a terrible time with light and noise sensitivity. I felt like my brain was just shaking. I had terrible tingling all over my body — I was in terrible shape. I couldn't do anything really. I didn't sleep. It was awful. “

A Turning Point

Finally, Mandy’s cardiologist suggested that her fall could have resulted from a vagal response — a reaction when the vagus nerve is stimulated, causing a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure.  When Mandy put a lot of pressure on the vagus nerve while rubbing her neck, it led her to faint and hit her head. Her cardiologist suspected the symptoms she was experiencing were due to a concussion she sustained in the fall.

“He was the first doctor who ever brought up concussion — and that was when I decided, ‘I'm going to find a way to treat a concussion.’ I Googled and found the Shepherd Center’s concussion clinic,” Mandy says.

When Mandy arrived for her first appointment at the Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC), she immediately sensed a difference.

“Before then, I could barely make it through an appointment. It was just so hard to be anywhere — every place you go into, there is so much noise and stimulation in just a waiting room,” she explains. “And so, getting to Shepherd Center, there were no TVs, the lights were dimmer, and then Cheryl (Appleberry), I just remember, her voice was so soft and kind. She ran a bunch of tests, and I felt horrible when we started. And then, as we ran tests, somehow, I started feeling better. It was eye tests, memory tests — things that were stressing my brain. But as my brain got stressed, it didn't get worse; it actually got a bit better.”

The CCC team recommended that Mandy participate in physical, occupational, and speech therapy and meet with a psychologist.

“I left there feeling so hopeful,” she says. “Just, ‘Wow, someone knows what's wrong with me.’ I'd been in limbo — every time I’d go somewhere, I'd leave feeling like I’d gotten nothing accomplished. And now I finally had a sense of the next step and hope for improvement.”

Putting in the Work

Mandy had PT, OT, and speech therapy, often back-to-back, twice a week. When she wasn’t at the Complex Concussion Clinic, she was still using the exercises, tools, and strategies her therapists gave her.

“Nothing that they told me to do was easy. It was hard, and you have to push through the ‘This is uncomfortable, but I know this is helping me,’” she recalls. “There were incredible people who have knowledge and expertise in concussions, and they have a path forward and a plan and can help you through.”

In PT, Mandy’s therapist, Rachel Frank, helped her work on balance and treated the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) that had been so debilitating. Her occupational therapist, Bekah Odom, helped her address issues she was having with her right eye. Her speech therapist, Matthew Brown, focused on helping Mandy regain her cognitive abilities, including her memory, and develop strategies to get back to her life, even in activities where the high level of stimulation made the situation uncomfortable.

“Like going to my kids’ sporting events, making phone calls, walking in the grocery store — anything I enjoyed or needed to do for my family. He really helped me with all of that. So, not speech in the sense of, I couldn't speak, but cognitively, my brain wasn't able to process things in the way that it used to, and I needed help getting back to that,” she explains.

Mandy especially appreciates how her therapists worked together to determine the best ways to support her recovery.

“The fact that they all communicate with one another, I never had to go to an appointment and say, well, here's what I've been doing for the last four weeks with someone else in some other facility,” she explains. “Everyone is there. They're all talking about your treatment plan and how you can get better and working with one another.”

Getting Back to Life

After about three months of therapy, Mandy was able to return to work. She has started gradually and uses tools like a timer to remind her to take frequent breaks to step away from her computer screen and move. She says she still gets fatigued by the end of the workday, as she rebuilds her stamina, but she has learned to plan for situations that might be taxing.

“Matthew walked me through an exercise where you think ahead of time about what the stressors are going to be and what you need to plan for based on what you expect to experience. And do I perfectly walk through it written down every time? No. But it helps me mentally think through, ‘Okay, how do I prepare for a situation that I know could be hard?’ Maybe the first time, I just survive, and the second time, I can be more engaged, and then the third time, I can finally enjoy it and be myself. And maybe it's not perfectly one, two, three, but I’m getting to a place where it doesn't feel so hard to be there or to do the thing.”

Mandy has started swimming again, an activity she loves, and she and her family just took a trip for fun, which she says will help her prepare to return to travel for work.

As Mandy reflects on the months following her concussion, she underscores just how much the injury upended her life. “I’ve faced many tough challenges in my life,” she says, “But nothing was as difficult as recovering from my concussion.

“The suddenness and uncertainty made it incredibly challenging, but the hardest part was how it affected every aspect of my life. For the first time, I couldn’t simply ‘tough it out’ or push through with a ‘mind over matter’ mentality. I had never felt so physically and mentally incapable.”

Mandy relied on her faith as she worked to recover. She says she’s grateful for her family's unwavering support and Shepherd Center’s compassionate care.

“I love Shepherd Center so much. I truly am so appreciative, and gosh, I don't think I'd be where I am today. I know I wouldn't be — if it weren't for the amazing, amazing people I got to work with,” she says. “Every person I met had just such care and desire to help me get better and was so engaged and involved in my journey that I just felt like, ‘Man, I can't imagine doing this without this amazing team who is supporting me.’”

Written by Ruth Underwood

On Aug. 26, 2023, Elizabeth Newton fell, resulting in a shattered wrist, misaligned jaw, split open chin, and multiple bruises on her face. The broken wrist required surgery. As she recovered, she continued to experience dizziness, double vision, memory problems, and extreme fatigue. She chalked it up to side effects from the medications prescribed to her post-surgery. 

Things did not improve. She was sensitive to light and noise in a way she never had before. She felt like she was floating and wasn’t sure what was wrong. In her professional life, Elizabeth is a jewelry designer who founded enewton design, a popular jewelry company. But after her injury, she was unable to work.

When she went to see a doctor for ear pain due to her misaligned jaw, he told her she most likely had a concussion.

“I was surprised,” she says. “At the hospital, they did an MRI to rule out a brain bleed, but I didn’t know I had sustained a concussion.”

The doctor referred her to Shepherd Center's Complex Concussion Clinic, where she began therapy to address her symptoms. Right away, she was impressed with Shepherd Center. 

“The experience was very specialized to my needs,” Elizabeth says. “They took the time to listen to me and figure out what was going on, and then they tailored an individualized plan to get me where I was before the fall.”

Elizabeth worked with occupational, physical, and speech therapists on memory, balance, and strength issues and slowly began to see improvements.

“I liked how they measured my progress. Some weeks it was hard for me to feel a difference. Being able to see measured progress helped me stay positive throughout my concussion," Elizabeth says. “It was also nice to be in a clinic where they were focused on one thing — getting me better.”

Now, more than a year later, Elizabeth has nearly fully recovered and is back at the helm of her company full time.

“I’m a fifth-generation Atlantan ,” Elizabeth says. “I knew Shepherd Center was here, but I didn’t really know what it was about. We are so blessed to have a place like Shepherd Center in Atlanta.” 

By Sara Baxter

In September 2022, Eva fell during a horseback riding lesson. She left the ring saying she was fine, but a few days later, she began experiencing nausea, light sensitivity, and headaches. After a trip to the emergency room, she learned she had a concussion. She made an appointment with a specialist, but there was a two-month wait for an appointment.

She continued to experience dizziness, headaches, and extreme fatigue. An incredibly active person, Eva had to put all activities on hold as she recovered. Her symptoms also affected her job as a high school science teacher. When she heard about the Complex Concussion Clinic at Shepherd Center, she got an appointment within a week.

After an initial assessment, Eva’s care team prescribed medication, and she began working with physical, occupational, and speech therapists weekly.

She worked on eye tracking for the dizziness and did exercises for balance and strength. Learning to organize tasks minimized her fatigue.

“It was helpful for me to know I was working toward something,” she says. “I was motivated to get my life back.”

She had a goal of joining her friends on a ski trip in Colorado that February.

“The therapists worked with me on all the pieces,” she says. “And I was able to go and ski.”

Competing in a whitewater kayak slalom race as part of the Alabama Cup Races was next.

In July, when Eva was back on track, she bumped her head on a window sill. Again, at first, she seemed fine. But two weeks later, after an afternoon of jet skiing on a lake, she felt those familiar symptoms. She believes it was a combination of both incidents that landed her back at the CCC, where she was once again diagnosed with a concussion. She spent the next six weeks working with therapists and, once again, was able to return to her active lifestyle.

“Both times, the team at Shepherd was dedicated to making me better,” Eva says. “I was in a partnership with each of the therapists. I am really grateful to all of them for getting me in a good spot to return to life.”

Written by Sara Baxter 

He next went to Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, where he spent the next five months working on regaining his strength and balance and addressing memory issues.

The staff reviewed his medications and recommended he stop taking them since they can mask symptoms.

“Things got worse before they got better,” Peter admits. “I had ringing in my ears and a lot of pain.”

He spent three days a week at Shepherd Center, participating in various forms of therapy. When he wasn’t in therapy, he worked on exercises at home.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Peter says of his recovery. “But I was committed to getting better. The staff was so supportive, and they motivated me to keep working. I didn’t want to let them down.”

Slowly, he saw progress. His short-term memory improved. He could walk in a straight line. Strength returned to his right side. He tapered off his therapy sessions to weekly visits to Shepherd Center.

The most significant victory was when Peter was cleared to drive. At first, he was allowed to drive only short distances, and his wife had to be in the car. As he built up the hours, he could eventually drive part of the way on a trip to Florida. Then, he was cleared to return to work — once again in small increments.

Peter says life has returned to normal and credits his family, his faith, and Shepherd Center.

“Shepherd Center saved my mind and quality of life,” he says. “The people there care about you and show that in everything they do. I would recommend it to anybody going through what I did. I thank them for the support and what they did for me.”

Written by Sara Baxter

Soon after her surgery, Jana began training to be a yoga teacher. She finds significant meaning in sharing yoga with others.

“I can't fully smile on the outside, but I don't feel it anymore. Helping others grow and be stronger helped me love myself in a different way,” she explains.

Last year, during a bout with Covid, Jana got up in the middle of the night and fainted, hitting her head near where part of her skull had been removed years earlier. She sustained a concussion which resulted in severe vertigo.

Her neighbor, a neurologist, recommended the Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC) at Shepherd Center. The team at the CCC began planning how to treat her vertigo, using infrared videonystagmography (VNG) goggles to detect Jana’s eye movements and measure central motor function.

Jana visited the CCC two to three times a week for physical therapy.

“We did tons of exercises, and it was neat because I had such good balance from practicing yoga, they had to put me on a big foam block to challenge me more,” she explains.

Russell Gore, M.D., medical director of the CCC, also gave her a series of nerve blocks to reduce the pain in the back of her head.

Finally, she was able to return to teaching yoga. Unfortunately, vertigo returned, so Jana returned to the CCC for more physical therapy. Her physical therapist taught her exercises she could do at home. Now Jana’s feeling better and back to doing what she loves. And she continues to share her story.

“It's amazing to think back to what a long way I've come. I don't know what I would have done without everyone at the CCC. With all the different things that have happened to me, I try to teach people that you can overcome obstacles and get stronger.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign. Click here to learn more.

WHAT IS A CONCUSSION? 

Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head and can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion, and light sensitivity, among others. Typically, concussions resolve within a few weeks as headaches, and other symptoms subside. People return to work, school, and/or athletic activities, often feeling as capable as they did before their injury. For individuals with complicated co-occurring conditions or risk factors for a more protracted recovery, a specialized assessment and treatment with rehabilitation may speed and improve recovery. 

HOW DOES SHEPHERD CENTER’S CCC TREAT PATIENTS WITH COMPLEX CONCUSSIONS? 

Shepherd Center takes a wholistic approach so patients can receive an individualized treatment plan in one centralized location. 

“We have a multi-disciplinary approach to care,” says Russell Gore, M.D., medical director of the CCC. “All our disciplines, including neurology, neuropsychology, physiatry, sports psychology, athletic training, speech, occupational, and physical therapy, are under one roof working as a team. That is unique in the neurorehabilitation field.” 

The various disciplines communicate regularly to ensure the highest quality of care. 

“We have patient-centered goals,” says Cheryl Appleberry, MS, ATC, clinic coordinator for the CCC, who has worked there with Dr. Gore since its inception in 2016. “We meet several times each week to keep those goals at the forefront and discuss whether changes need to be made to the plan of care. We’re looking at all factors, including return to activity and play, return to school and work, and return to driving.” 

All patients receive an initial evaluation. Because impairments in specific areas tend to respond best to certain types of treatment, these tests help determine what the treatment team should focus on with each patient. Based on that information, the team develops a plan to aid the patient’s recovery. This can include cognitive rehabilitation, vision services, vestibular physical therapy, psychological counseling, advanced neurological diagnostics, and more. 

Treatment duration varies but may include outpatient visits ranging from four to 12 weeks. The CCC performs regular evaluations throughout to measure how the patient is improving. 

WHAT’S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT CONCUSSIONS? 

According to Dr. Gore, one of the most common misconceptions about concussions is something that is a relatively new concept. 

“Not too long ago, we thought that the only treatment for concussion was rest,” Dr. Gore says. “We now know that long periods of rest are not an appropriate treatment for concussion, especially among high functioning, active adolescents and adults. Immediately following a concussion, we strictly rest folks for only 48 to 72 hours, and then we want to start doing light activity. That’s where our team can help the most. Our team of therapists help people get back to school or work and physical activity as soon as possible with accommodations and treatment because getting back to activity predicts a faster, more complete recovery.” 

HOW CAN YOU SET AN APPOINTMENT? 

For most concussions, people should rely on their primary care providers and/or athletic trainers. For injuries that have occurred in the past six months with ongoing or complex symptoms, or with risk factors for a longer recovery, an assessment at Shepherd Center’s CCC is appropriate for diagnosis and treatment. 

Patients can either be referred to the CCC by their primary care provider or contact the office directly at cccadmissions@shepherd.org. Contact Dina Forehand, MS, CCM at 404-603-4314 or Cheryl Appleberry, MS, ATC, at 404-603-4980. 

Written by Damjana Alverson

So, she admits it’s “a little embarrassing” to recount the day in July 2017 when she decided to try a kick scooter for the first time.

“I’d never ridden one before, and it started going so fast,” she recalls. “A little bit of a decline down my front driveway, and I ended up in the road in front of my house, having landed basically on my face.”

Catherine didn’t lose consciousness – she picked herself up and went inside to get cleaned up. It wasn’t until almost a week later that she decided to seek treatment.

“I began not to think as clearly. Something wasn’t right, and I knew it,” she says.

Catherine was taken to the emergency room and found out she had sustained a concussion, along with several complications. She was immediately admitted to the ICU.

“I began to learn a lot about what can happen under the umbrella of concussions – migraines, disequilibrium, and a variety of ocular-vestibular symptoms,” she explains. “I had a real eye-opener about how much more injured I could have been by not wearing a helmet that day.”

Catherine was discharged after a week of hospitalization. Then, a friend, a patient advocate and nurse, recommended Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC). The clinic, led by Russell Gore, M.D., works with clients experiencing symptoms from a concussion that don’t resolve within a few weeks after their injury. It provides comprehensive care, addressing each client’s specific physical, emotional, cognitive, and sleep symptoms, some of which can be hard to detect without specialized diagnostic equipment and expertise.

In her initial assessment at the CCC, Catherine says she scored poorly on balance, memory, and organizational capacity. So, her care team got to work, setting up a program to aid Catherine in her recovery.

“The amount of time and attention to subtle signs and symptoms was impressive,” she says. “They were able to bridge the gap between where I was and what they know to take me further toward recovery.”

In addition to the Shepherd team, Catherine credits her recovery to her partner, Debbie Mosure’s, unwavering support, advocacy, and team-based philosophy. Debbie established a team and coordinated between physicians, nurses, and loved ones. Catherine recalls how friends and neighbors each had a role, checking on her, driving her to appointments, and helping her maintain exercise routines, all focused on her health and recovery.

“We have an unbelievable community of friends and loved ones, near and far, who were difference-makers, each one of them,” Catherine reflects.

Debbie was equally impressed with the care the CCC provided.

“This wasn’t just about getting better so she could function. It was really practical skill-building, teaching us about new ways to live our lives even more fully and successfully.”

Catherine resumed work at the CDC almost four months after sustaining the concussion.

“I am so grateful each day to have a level of function, as well as self-awareness and mental health, well above where I was before the concussion. I am even more committed to my work at the CDC and federal public service. I don’t want to waste a minute of what I almost lost,” Catherine says.

Recently, she returned to the clinic after some of her symptoms began recurring.

“They did an assessment, and Dr. Gore said, ‘This is not surprising in the era of COVID when we have all retreated some.’ He said, ‘We just need to plug you back into structured therapy,’” she explains.

Now, as the world begins to open, Catherine can enjoy activities, like attending an Atlanta Braves game with friends, that might have felt overstimulating and uncomfortable before therapy.

“With the CCC, it's about the scientific knowledge Dr. Gore and his team are advancing. They are making services accessible to more people and in real-time,” she says. “My hope is that people the country over can have access to this kind of high-quality care from an extraordinary team.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

It was diving that stuck. After being accepted to the biomedical engineering program at Georgia Tech, she made the diving team.

“I was so grateful to make the team,” Jordyn says. “I could transfer skills I learned in gymnastics like flipping and twisting into a new sport!”

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jordyn pursued school and sport with determination. During a diving practice in the spring semester of her sophomore year, she jumped from the diving platform and, as Jordyn puts it, “hit the water wrong.”

“I got really nauseous, had trouble with lights and sounds, and couldn’t hold a conversation,” Jordyn recalls.

Jordyn had sustained a concussion. As her symptoms persisted, she decided to sit out of competitive diving until the end of that season. A study-abroad trip that summer gave her a break and time to recover. She returned to diving in the fall of her junior year, ready to start anew, but unfortunately, she would meet a similar fate.

“It was right before Thanksgiving in 2018,” Jordyn says. “I hit the water wrong again and was not feeling well. I had some trouble with visual tracking with my eyes, some vestibular symptoms and headaches that persisted too long. This is when I decided to go to the Complex Concussion Clinic.”

Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic (CCC) serves patients ages 12 and up who are experiencing symptoms from a concussion or mild brain injury. Typically, concussions resolve within a week or two as headaches and other symptoms subside, but about 20% of cases present a more complex scenario with complications that fall beyond the scope of primary care physicians. In Jordyn’s case, she needed specialized care to handle the lingering symptoms she experienced.

“I received therapy for about two and a half months in early 2019,” Jordyn says. “I would go twice a week every week – once for physical therapy and the other for occupational therapy. They worked on tackling both my visual tracking and balance issues.”

At first, Jordyn had doubts about whether she was overthinking her symptoms. The results from her testing helped provide clarity.

“It’s like a light bulb went off,” Jordyn says. “They printed out my testing results and talked me through them. Now, I could understand my symptoms and have a plan of action to address them. By the time my treatments were done, I was feeling good, and my symptoms subsided.”

Jordyn was able to finish out her diving career at school by slowly easing back into it.

“I took a semester off from diving to pursue a co-op working on medical devices with Johnson & Johnson for my major,” Jordyn says. “When I came back, I wasn’t sure how my diving would be, so I got back into it slowly. I ended up having the best season of my career!”

She has also funneled her experience with concussion into several worthy pursuits. For her capstone project in biomedical engineering, she was accepted to a special project for the U.S. Army Rangers.

“Broadly, the project’s goal was to help mitigate traumatic brain injury among the Rangers,” Jordyn says. “I thought, hey, I have some familiarity with mild concussions, so that inspired me. It was nice to relate to the Rangers with my experience and work on how I can help service members prevent injury.”

Jordyn also became involved with Shepherd Center again, not as a patient, but as a mentor through the hospital’s SUCCESS program. SUCCESS, or Success in College after Concussion with Effective Student Supports, is a research and development project to develop a peer mentoring program for college students recovering from concussions. The program pairs newly injured college students (mentees) with students who have sustained concussions and successfully recovered like Jordyn.

“It’s been so rewarding to turn a negative of getting two concussions into a positive by mentoring,” Jordyn says. “I know I would have enjoyed having someone to talk to during that time in my life.”

Jordyn graduated from Georgia Tech in December 2020. Now, she’s pursuing her next challenge — hiking the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail for six months.

“At first, I thought, oh, maybe I’m crazy!” Jordyn says jokingly. “But the more I looked into it, the more I fell in love with the challenge. I want to take time to enjoy every moment and every day.”

Written by Damjana Alverson

Telehealth visits will make it possible for medical providers and patients alike to virtually see and hear each other, providing better interaction and enhancing care.

“We believe it is important to facilitate federal guidelines encouraging our patients to stay home during this time of heightened risk,” said Angela Beninga, D.O., chief medical informatics officer. “To continue to provide that special Shepherd Center touch, our team has worked with Atlanta-based telehealth provider ExamMed to allow our patients face-to-face access to their medical providers during the pandemic.”

Using ExamMed’s HIPAA-compliant platform, Shepherd Center’s outpatient medical providers can continue to serve current outpatients while most of the hospital’s outpatient services are closed to minimize exposure to and spread of the virus.

“For months before the pandemic, Shepherd Center had been working to launch telehealth service so we could extend the excellent outpatient care we have been providing in the hospital for decades,” said Chet Bhasin, FACHE, MBA, MS, chief strategy officer for Shepherd Center. “The pandemic, coupled with recent regulatory changes, allowed us to accelerate our launch of the service. Telehealth will provide our patients – many of whom have mobility challenges – with an option to receive care remotely, making it more convenient and accessible.”

This week, Shepherd Center outpatient clinical staff members began calling outpatients who are currently scheduled for telephone visits with their Shepherd providers. Clinical staff members are offering the telehealth option to patients who have an email address and their own computer with a camera and speakers (built-in or external), or a smartphone or tablet computer with a built-in camera. The telehealth system will work on most types of mobile devices. ExamMed also offers a free mobile app – available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android – for telehealth visits via a smartphone or tablet.

If a patient chooses the telehealth option for the visit with their Shepherd Center medical or psychology provider, they will receive an email from ExamMed. It will contain a link the patient will use to launch the telehealth visit on the scheduled date and time. If a patient prefers to keep their telephone visit instead of switching to telehealth, they will be allowed to do so during the pandemic.

This new telehealth program will continue throughout the pandemic. In the future, Shepherd Center plans to expand telehealth to additional programs.

If you have questions, you may call 404-425-7234 and leave a message. We will respond to you as soon as possible.

In a new podcast with Shepherd Radio, Russell Gore, MD, director of Shepherd Center’s Complex Concussion Clinic, discusses sports related concussions and the rehabilitation process.

Download the podcast as an audio file above, or access it at shepherd.org/radio.

Russell Gore, MD is the medical director of vestibular neurology and joined the medical staff of Shepherd Center in December 2015. As director of vestibular neurology at Shepherd Center, Dr. Gore cares for patients who have dizziness and balance challenges resulting from spinal cord or brain injury. Dr. Gore sees patients on an outpatient basis in Shepherd Center's Multi-Specialty Clinic and also does inpatient consultations. In addition, Dr. Gore is the medical director of Shepherd Center's SHARE Military Initiative.

“It was the third one that TKO’d me,” he says.

The explosion rocked the armored vehicle he was in.

“Back, shoulder, internal injuries, legs, ankles, feet. It got me just about everywhere,” Shawn says.

The injury that would prove most long-lasting, though, was a grade-three concussion and a traumatic brain injury.

Shawn went through physical therapy and re-entry programs after returning home. Eventually, though, his post-traumatic stress issues came to the forefront in a big way.

“I went to a dark place,” Shawn says now. “I lost my job. My wife and I divorced. I was emotionally, spiritually, physically and financially drained. It was life-threatening.”

By New Year’s 2016, he had committed to trying Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, a comprehensive rehabilitation program for service members who have sustained traumatic brain injuries and other mental health concerns from their time in the service.

“I owe my life to the program,” Shawn says. “The care and attention they provide, along with being able to pinpoint the issues at the root of everything, it’s just incredible.”

Since graduating from SHARE, Shawn served a stint as a coordinator with the Wounded Warrior Internship Program, helping military service members see what’s possible as they transition from the military back to civilian life. While there, Shawn began a paid internship program for disabled veterans. He has also served as a veterans’ liaison with the Combat Wounded Coalition, a nonprofit assisting veterans who earned Purple Hearts on the battlefield.

“What I want to try and do is take care of others because I remember everything I went through,” Shawn says. “If I can do something to make other veterans’ lives easier, I damn sure will.”

Today, Shawn is a network communications technician for the Airman & Family Readiness Center at MacDill Air Force Base. One of the best parts of the job? It’s in Tampa — close to where his two children – Shawn Jr., 9, and Mia, 5 – live with their mother.

To make a gift in support of the SHARE Military Initiative, contact Jon Roxland at 404-350-7314 or jon_roxland@shepherd.org, or visit shepherd.org/share. 

Written by Phillip Jordan

Q: What has struck you the most during your first year at Shepherd Center?

A: Everything is super personalized for each patient. We recently treated a brain injury patient whose passion is playing the cello. So we incorporated the cello directly into her vestibular physical therapy. That’s the belief here: Get the tools of our patients’ trades into their hands again right away. If we’re not incorporating our patients’ passions into their therapy, we’re probably not doing it right.

Q: How unique is your role here as a neurologist?

A: In a traditional hospital setting, it’s not typical for a neurologist to work with brain or spinal cord injuries from the start – that’s usually only the neurosurgeon – even though we often see those patients later if they have prolonged symptoms. Here, though, I see patients with brain injuries right away, so both patients and doctors experience the full spectrum of care. It’s a collaborative approach that helps fill the voids that have existed in traditional care.

Q: What’s your hope for the new Complex Concussion Clinic?

A: The concussion cases that fall through the cracks usually have long-term symptoms, but they don’t require surgical interventions. That’s where this program comes in. We bring in a complete team of experts working together across a variety of fields – doctors, physiatrists, brain injury experts and therapists. Our therapists are the strength of this clinic, and they operate from a model based on the patient’s goals. We ask them, “Where do you want to be?”

Q: What inspired your eight-year service in the Air Force as a flight surgeon and weapon systems officer?

A: My father was an F-4 pilot at the end of the Vietnam War and was part of the initial cadre of the first F-15 fighter pilots in the 1970s. My uncles served in Korea and Vietnam, and my grandfathers served in World War II. I always knew I would serve. I was deployed often in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in places like England, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and Israel. It was a natural progression for me, working with pilots for whom spatial orientation is paramount, to then become interested in vestibular neurology. Today, it’s an honor to keep working with veterans through Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative.

EDUCATION

Vanderbilt University

B.S. in Biomedical Engineering

Emory University

M.D.

FUN FACTS

• Dr. Gore is an adjunct associate professor at Georgia Tech and Emory University.

• Favorite hobbies: triathlons, long-distance trail running and flying a Cessna 172 around Atlanta.

• His wife, Jane, has a doctoral degree and is an assistant professor of physical therapy at Georgia State University.

• Son William, 14, plays cello and saxophone in the Woodward Academy marching band. Daughter Elizabeth, 9, is into theater and ballet, and debuted recently as a snow fairy in the Atlanta Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Fox Theatre.

Interviewed by Phillip Jordan
Photos by Louie Favorite
 

Now, Shepherd Center’s new Complex Concussion Clinic is bringing together an interdisciplinary team of specialists to address complications and provide a streamlined path to full recovery.

This isn’t the first time Shepherd Center has forayed into care for people with complex concussions. For nearly 10 years, Shepherd Center has treated complicated concussions among service men and women through its SHARE Military Initiative.

Like SHARE, the Complex Concussion Clinic offers a comprehensive approach to evaluation and treatment, so patients no longer have to seek out multiple clinicians for their range of symptoms. The clinic, the only one of its kind in the Atlanta region, provides a one-stop resource with specialists in neurology, vestibular and balance disorders, athletic training, rehabilitation medicine, neuropsychology and neurosurgery. Assessments include cognitive, ocular-motor, vestibular and balance testing, and, when needed, advanced imaging using three-dimensional and high-resolution technology.

“Every injury is different, and the injury can affect different parts of the brain,” said Russell Gore, M.D., a vestibular neurologist who is medical director of Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative and director of the new Complex Concussion Clinic. “Impairments in specific areas tend to respond best to certain types of treatment.”

For example, a concussion may affect the vestibular system, causing dizziness and balance problems. Patients may have difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light or noise, trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, headaches and mood changes. The ocular-motor system encompasses a large portion of the brain, and impairment there also can cause balance problems.

Concussions pose unique issues for athletes in youth, collegiate and professional sports, and the Complex Concussion Clinic provides expertise, including telemedicine symptom checks and advice about how to engage in light activity before making a full return to a sport or activity.

“The return-to-play protocol is very complicated for parents and coaches,” said Cheryl Appleberry, lead athletic trainer for the Complex Concussion Clinic. “We’ll guide them through their recovery program.”

To be evaluated by the Complex Concussion Clinic, potential patients should seek a referral through their frontline provider, which could be a sports medicine, emergency room or primary care physician or athletic trainer. Referral is appropriate for patients who have dizziness, balance problems and nausea lasting more than a few days after the injury, or symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, difficulty sleeping or concentrating that persist two to three weeks after injury.

People with a history of migraines, learning challenges, or a previous concussion that required an extended recovery should obtain a comprehensive assessment soon after their injury, Dr. Gore said.

Based on their needs, patients receive recreational therapy, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, vestibular therapy and athletic training. The treatment duration varies but typically involves outpatient visits for eight to 12 weeks, and it is usually covered by insurance.

The Complex Concussion Clinic treats patients in the first-floor multispecialty clinic at Shepherd Center’s main campus at 2020 Peachtree Road Northwest in Atlanta. In the first half of 2017, it will move into a new center nearby at 80 Peachtree Park Drive, which will include a 4,000-square-foot therapy space with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Patients who need rehabilitation for moderate to severe traumatic brain injury will continue to be seen at Shepherd Pathways in Decatur.

The Complex Concussion Clinic’s focused treatment plans minimize the use of medication while speeding recovery.

“As a rehabilitation center, we’re very goal-directed,” Dr. Gore said. “We want to maximize the performance and recovery of every patient.”

Bu Michele Cohen Marill
 

In February of 2012, I walked away from a car accident unscathed except for a bad headache – or so I thought. It wasn’t until days later the pain became debilitating, and my friends realized something more was wrong. I will never forget standing in the CNN control room looking down at a phone and not remembering how to dial a call. I was subsequently diagnosed with a concussion and told I would be fine in a few weeks, but they were wrong.

The smallest hits in life can sometimes have the greatest effects. By the end of 2012, I lived in chronic pain, suffered from several cognitive deficits and could only read a few sentences at a time. A neurologist told me I wouldn’t recover any further. I was working part-time at CNN, but my co-workers were picking up the slack when I had trouble concentrating or would get sick from the pain. I felt hopeless. In a chance encounter, I ran into Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the hallway. His recommendation was to seek treatment at Shepherd Center.

I describe my experience at Shepherd Center as going from surviving to thriving. Last year, the idea of living most days pain free and without meds felt like a dream, but now it's reality. After a lot of trial and error, the staff at Shepherd Pain Institute found that Botox worked for me. (Yes, the same stuff that removes wrinkles.) I have 31 injections of Botox every three months to “turn off” the muscles causing the post-concussive pain. Botox isn’t a cure, and it doesn’t heal. Now two and a half years after injury, my physician at Shepherd Pain Institute doesn't believe the pain will ever go away. I live in the “not yet” – the tension between accepting present circumstances and the possibilities of the future.

I celebrate where I am now and how far I have come. With help from therapy at Shepherd Pathways, I can now read a chapter or two and have even completed a few books! I have gotten so much back in terms of memory and concentration, and I am still making improvements.

Doctors recently discovered my vision was affected by the accident. Since so much time has passed, I thought that any treatment would be in vain. To my surprise, after a lot of hard work and special prism glasses to help with double vision, my eyesight has improved. I have learned there is always hope, yet it often involves letting go of preconceived outcomes.

Everyone’s “not yet” is different:  It could be the journey of healing from a catastrophic event, a seemingly minor hit or just waiting for change. In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Victor Frankel writes, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” So I learned to change – to stop over-functioning and pace myself. In 2013, I left a hospital chaplain residency mid-year after coming to terms with my own limitations.

When we come to the end of our own resources, we are forced to embrace limits. Endurance athletes train at 80 percent so they have the stamina to exercise day after day. The goal is to complete the race, not be the person who burns out after the first challenge. I have learned, slowly and imperfectly, to pace myself and work for endurance in daily life. It is sometimes frustrating, but it has made all the difference. My future career path is still unclear, but I continue to work with a greater understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.

Shepherd Center is my bridge from walking away from an accident to running again in life. I am training to complete my first triathlon in August. I love a challenge and view living in the “not yet” as an invitation for gratitude, hope and a lot of perseverance.

LINDSAY CORLEY is an award-winning journalist with more than seven years experience producing CNN’s daily newscasts and documentaries. She has also served as a chaplain, caring for patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Northside Hospital. Lindsay has worked for several non-profits in Atlanta and Lesotho, Africa. In her free time, she enjoys training for triathlons, traveling and hiking with her rescue golden retriever, Jonah. You can connect with Lindsay via LinkedIn at linked.com/in/lcorley.

Through Oct. 5, Gas South will provide a $50 credit to Buckhead residents and businesses that select Gas South as their natural gas provider. In addition, enrollees are eligible for a discount off Gas South’s published rates for as long as they remain customers. And Gas South will waive its $60 connection fee for establishing service at a new residence. Under Georgia’s deregulation provisions, Atlanta Gas Light will deliver the natural gas and maintain the lines.

The Buckhead Coalition will serve as a pass-through of Gas South commissions that will benefit Shepherd Center. Initially, the organizations expect that the hospital will receive $5,000, and that amount will increase annually based on program participation.

Gas South and the Buckhead Coalition hope funding for Shepherd Center through this program will eventually reach $25,000 a year. Buckhead Coalition founding president Sam Massell, a former mayor of Atlanta, spearheaded efforts to offer the fundraising and discount program in partnership with Gas South.

Gas South will fund all marketing efforts and contributions made under the program. All natural gas consumers in the Buckhead community have the option of selecting Gas South as their natural gas provider and opting in to the discount program. Buckhead residents and businesses can visit www.gas-south.com/buckhead and sign up using the promo code “BUCKHEAD” or call 1-855-281-1688 to opt in.