Hospital leadership and brain injury program staff celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the program’s newest unit on Aug. 3. The unit, located on the sixth floor of the Marcus-Woodruff Building, began serving patients and families on Aug. 4, as part of a phased opening.

"There's a lot of hope in what we do at Shepherd Center, and hope is certainly here on the sixth floor. We are so proud of the expanded access to allow patients with brain injuries to be well cared for," said Jamie Shepherd, MBA, MHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Shepherd Center.

In addition to having a new therapy gym and state-of-the-art equipment, the new unit enabled the conversion of all semi-private rooms throughout the hospital into private rooms, giving patients a space to call their own for the duration of their rehabilitation.

"It's amazing to be at Shepherd [and celebrate] all that we've been able to accomplish — to be able to have 35 new beds for ABI. Having the quality be consistent across all three units is really important to us, and I've had a great team of people who helped get this accomplished. It's super exciting,” said Katie Metzger, OTR, MBA, director of the Rollins Acquired Brain Injury Program.

The new unit brings the total capacity of the brain injury program to 85 beds, which means more patients with brain injuries will have access to the specialized care and expertise Shepherd Center’s clinicians offer. The new unit expands opportunities for patients with other diagnoses, too. The Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit (CRU) is equipped to care for patients with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic amputations, dual diagnoses of spinal cord and brain injuries, pulmonary complications, multiple orthopedic injuries, and pressure injuries, as well as other neurological conditions. With more beds available for patients with brain injuries on the sixth floor, CRU will be able to admit more patients with other conditions.

The opening of the new unit is the culmination of years of planning and fundraising. Much of the funding for the new unit comes from Pursuing Possible: The Campaign for Shepherd Center, which concluded this spring. The campaign raised an incredible $446 million, which made the renovations needed for the new unit possible. Additionally, staff played a huge role in preparing the new unit for patients. Team members spent months planning details like the unit design, equipment procurement, staffing models, workflow processes, and communication systems, and worked hard to ensure consistency across all ABI units.

The opening of the new unit represents a new chapter in Shepherd Center’s history. But this new chapter is not unlike the one that started it all: people seeing a need and working to make sure it is met with expertise and compassion.

Written by Erin Kenney

In October 2024, Ryan, then 30, had a hemorrhagic stroke. As he was getting ready for work one morning, he got lightheaded and lost his balance. After falling a few times over the next several minutes, he realized it was time to call 911.

“That took a lot of courage for me to do because before, I was never one to ask for any kind of help in any way,” he says.

Ryan dragged himself 45 feet to the front door and unlocked it for the paramedics before losing consciousness. In hindsight, he says things could’ve been worse, since 15 minutes earlier, he would’ve been asleep, and 15 minutes later, he would’ve been driving to work. “God's timing was shown in that situation,” he says. “So, I've come to terms, and I'm glad it happened when it did.”

He spent the next 20 days in Huntsville Hospital, 10 of them in the ICU. While there, he had surgery to remove part of his skull to reduce the pressure from the bleeding in his brain.

Ryan’s mom, Terri Edwards, remembers how overwhelmed she felt immediately following Ryan’s stroke.

“I had no idea what to do,” she recalls. “One of our friends in the ICU waiting room that night or the next day said, ‘Well, what's going to happen? Are they going to send him to Shepherd Center?’ And I go, ‘Oh my God, what is Shepherd Center? Where is it? I wanted to crawl under a chair, and I'm not kidding because … I could not see through the next day.”

Once Ryan transferred to Shepherd Center, it didn’t take long for Terri to feel certain they had made the right decision.

“So, we get there, and we're sitting outside of his room because the doctors are still assessing him and getting him settled. And we look like deer caught in headlights,” she recalls. “And I would say nine out of every 10 staff persons, from a janitor to a doctor, a tech, a nurse, whoever, walked by and they would say, ‘Are you okay? Do you need anything? Are you waiting on somebody?’ They would talk to us. And by the end of the first two hours … I knew we were in the right place.”

Terri stayed at the Arthur M. Blank Family Residences while Ryan was inpatient so she could support him throughout his rehabilitation. Her husband and Ryan’s siblings and friends came to visit many weekends and for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but often, it was just team Ryan and Terri, working through the fear and frustration and celebrating small victories with each other and Shepherd staff.

Terri says that it brought her closer to Ryan than ever. “I will take that to my grave as a special time with my son. But,” she jokes, “I do not recommend that kind of bonding.”

Therapy and Beyond

Ryan and his therapists got right to work to rebuild his physical strength and address his cognitive issues. Ryan was using a wheelchair and had weakness in his left side, especially his left arm.  

His long-term memory was intact, but his short-term memory was a challenge, as was fatigue from mental strain and difficulty with problem-solving.

“I had planning issues early on in the therapy exercises. I have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. I kind of breezed through high school, in a manner of speaking. And the type of worksheets I was working on in speech therapy, I knew they were easy for me to do, but at the time, it took a lot of mental strain, and that was one of the most frustrating parts,” he recalls.

Other tasks were also a challenge. “I had a very difficult time practicing filling my pillbox and working through my medications, especially during my time at Shepherd Center,” he says. “It took until 3 months after we got back home from Shepherd until I started doing it all by myself without any help.”

Ryan says that all his therapists were fantastic. But other parts of his time at Shepherd stood out as well. For one, he enjoyed getting to know other patients.

“We got to go out to a couple of the restaurants down the street with some other patients, and we got to meet up and make some friends with a couple of the other patients and share experiences with them,” he says. “I think that's really good — getting the patients together is really good.”

And he attended some of the Sunday services led by Shepherd Center’s chaplains, which he said offered “something that I needed to hear in that moment.” One example was a Bible verse from Ecclesiastes.

“’A time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance,’” he reads. “So, especially during that recovery process, there was times that it was perfectly fine to just let it out, cry it out, and then there was times to laugh and then grieve and then have fun and dance, you know.”

Celebrating Milestones

After six weeks as an inpatient in Shepherd’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, Ryan continued therapy at Pathways, Shepherd’s outpatient brain injury rehabilitation program.

When he discharged from inpatient, Ryan was walking with assistance. Terri recalls the day he was able to walk into Pathways independently and how it felt a little like she was sending him out into the world on his own for the first time.

“I dropped him off at Pathways, and they finally cleared him to take his [gait] belt off. Actually, they said, ‘Why do you still have your gait belt on? You don't need that.’ And I'm still holding it or getting ready to grab it. I'm not walking anywhere further than one inch away from him. And so he puts his little drawstring bag on his back, and he walks in. …. And he looked at me, and I said, ‘Bye, Ryan, have a good day. Stay on green,’” she laughs. On a more serious note, she says, “I still walk beside him. If I'm not walking beside him, I'm still looking out of the corner of my eye, watching him. I don't know if I'll ever let that go.”

One of Ryan’s biggest goals was to return to work at the family business, which he partners in with his uncles, so cognitive exercises to help him prepare for the work and build mental stamina were an integral part of his therapy at Pathways.

Ryan started gradually — working half days when he wasn’t doing therapy — and now he works close to 40 hours a week, sometimes taking a power nap in the middle of the day if he needs it.

“We're in manufacturing, and I do a lot of 3D modeling and project managing. And before my stroke, I was able to do a lot of the manual labor work, fill in, but I just do a lot more computer work now.”

Ryan lived with his parents for close to a year and a half after being discharged from Shepherd. Then he bought a house close to work and to his parents’ home. He and his mom both say that managing the process of selling his old house and buying a new one is a testament to how far he has come in his recovery.

“Really, what affected him most from the stroke, brain-wise, was his processing skills. But he's doing so much better,” Terri says.

Ryan moving into his own place was another moment when Terri felt like she had to let go a bit and let Ryan do things for himself.

“I knew once he got in his own house, I'm going to have to stay away. He's going to have to figure things out and ways to do things differently … But I think he's really enjoying his independence again, of course, and I am too. I feel independent again, too.”

It’s a milestone that Terri admits she had a hard time even imagining in the early days after Ryan’s stroke.

“His speech therapist at Shepherd Center said, the first time she met him, ‘What is your goal? … Is your goal to live independently again?’ And … I'm sitting there looking at him, going, ‘How is this going to happen,’ you know? And now it's happened. So, I'm very grateful.”

At this point in their journey, Terri reflects on the early days and what advice she'd give to others in a similar situation.

“Now that I look back, I feel like it's not that I didn't have hope. I just didn't know how to look past the next 24 hours. But always have hope. There's always hope.”

As for Ryan, he has his eye out for his next 5K — he walked the first one with his mom, but now, Terri’s proud to say, he’s doing it on his own, with friends.

Now that he’s gotten back to work and driving, he’d like to start dating. He says he’s put an emphasis on faith playing a central role in his life, and he’s hopeful for the future.

“I know that word [hope] had a lot of weight in the hospital. It is just the envisioning myself getting back to work, getting back to drive, and being back home, living by myself, and then working on finding a woman to be in a relationship with and build a family.”

Written by Ruth Underwood

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month. Over two million people in the U.S. live with the condition, which impacts comprehension as well as written and verbal communication. Amy Waite, CCC-SLP, has worked at Shepherd Center as a speech-language pathologist for over 20 years and regularly works with patients experiencing aphasia. Here, she answers some frequently asked questions about the condition. 

What is aphasia? 

Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the left side of the brain in 98% of people — there are the occasional people who develop language on the right side, but in most of us, it develops on the left. It can affect how well you understand, how well you talk, or both. It also affects reading and writing, because they're the “on paper” version of our comprehension and expression. 

Its impacts depend on the location and the size of the area of damage. You can see much more classic aphasia symptoms in stroke patients and less classic in patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), because the damage is more diffuse but not as deep with TBI. In stroke patients, it's very specific to an area, so it'll be much more textbook. 

There are different names to describe the different types of aphasia and its impacts: global aphasia is the most severe, impacting comprehension and communication. There’s also expressive aphasia, also called Broca’s aphasia, where people do have the comprehension piece but may struggle with spoken language. And Wernicke’s aphasia affects how well people understand what is being said. 

How do you work with patients who have aphasia? 

For many of my patients with global aphasia, they don’t enjoy coming to their speech therapy sessions. Sometimes people think I’m speaking in gibberish to them, because they don’t understand that they’re experiencing aphasia. So, you have to think outside of the box. Once, I was working with a woman who did not like speech therapy, but she liked country music, so we’d play country music. 

She could sometimes sing parts of songs, because that uses a different part of the brain. And then I'd start playing a song, and I'd write three artists on pieces of paper. And then I'd put them in front of her and I'd say, ‘Who's singing this song?’ And then I'd point to them and read them, so she heard me say it, she saw their names, and she was hearing the song, and then she could point to the person who she thought was singing it. So, we were working on reading and comprehension through something she enjoyed. And the only way I could even get in at first was by just playing country music and not asking any questions. But then after we got through that, and she realized she could sing a little word here and there, then it started to loosen her up, and then we went with it. 

People with expressive aphasia, they’re all about speech therapy. They’re going to sit down, and they’re going to work, and then they’ll want to do five more [drills]. They'll get frustrated, they'll make faces, they'll make noises, but then they're like, “Nope, nope, let's do it again.” And it's because they understand that something's wrong and they want to fix it. It’s unlike when people are experiencing the comprehension deficit, because the self-awareness isn’t there, and I think it can be more frustrating for them. 

If someone is experiencing aphasia, what are some strategies to assist with communication? 

Aphasia can be very frustrating. I encourage people to use humor — to laugh at themselves and try to find things that are funny, because if that’s even remotely a strategy they used in life before their injury, it can be helpful in therapy. But I do try to acknowledge the frustration and encourage people not to give up. 

But sometimes, it’s good for people to know when it’s time to take a break. If something isn’t highly important, it may be easier to talk about later. Factors like emotions can impact your ability to communicate — if you’re angry or sad or upset in any way, it’s going to be harder to communicate. 

I also encourage people to use gestures, draw pictures, and write. I’m horrible at drawing, but I use drawings to help communicate and also show my patients that it doesn’t matter what your drawings look like if they help you get your message across. And a lot of times we’ll laugh at my drawing, because if you can laugh at me, you can also laugh at yourself. 

How do I help a loved one experiencing aphasia? 

A big part of this is using less words and being direct in what you say. I'm not going to say, “Would you reach over there and pick up your shirt? I'm going to say, “Pick up the shirt.” And I'm going to make sure I use gestures, facial expression, and tone of voice to help also indicate my message, because those are all nonverbal cues that people with aphasia are still going to understand. 

So sometimes, you become an expert at acting things out or miming because people can understand what you mean. So, I'll say, “Do you want a drink?” [She acts out drinking from a cup]. Because then they'll understand, “Oh, she’s asking if I want a drink,” even if they don't understand the words. 

Again, aphasia is very frustrating. As a family member or friend, the worst thing you can do for them is finish their sentences, even if you have good intentions. Imagine if everything you want to ask me or say, I finished it for you and told you half of what you were trying to say. So, I encourage people to be patient and let their loved ones work on their communication. 

What if someone needs additional aphasia therapy after their rehabilitation at Shepherd? 

There are some intensive aphasia programs around the country. Most people could still benefit from additional aphasia therapy when they’re leaving Shepherd Center. If patients go to our outpatient programs, they'll still get speech therapy at Pathways. But a fair number of patients still go on to one of the aphasia programs. 

One example is the University of Michigan Aphasia Program. That's like the granddaddy of all of them. But there are others, like The Aphasia Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. And I know the other speech therapists and many of our doctors [at Shepherd] recommend these facilities, too. They’re just more intensive, like six hours of aphasia therapy a day. And these programs have great outcomes, regardless of the time passed since injury. 

Usually, I introduce the topic to the patients while they're inpatient, because the programs can be very expensive and they're not covered by insurance. So, I’ll say, “Hey, if you want to do a fundraiser, if you want to do a GoFundMe, here is something that you could use it for, if your communication isn't where you want it to be.” 

Does aphasia go away or improve? 

Technically, if you read about it, there's no cure for aphasia. But you can see people recover well enough that they are able to function without any communication deficits at all. And you can see anything in between, from no change to partial recovery — people whose communication is functional, but maybe they still struggle a little bit with talking. So, while there is no “cure,” a person can recover enough to live a fully functional life without having to use any compensatory strategies. 


Responses have been edited for length and clarity. 

Interview by Erin Kenney

April 13, 2026

I’ve never been much for big birthday celebrations. Usually, they feel like arbitrary markers on a timeline I’m too busy living to scrutinize. But as my 38th birthday appears on the horizon, the gravity of 40 has started to pull at me. It’s that age people approach with a specific cocktail of dread and apprehension—the supposed peak of the hill where the climb ends, and the steep, accelerated descent begins.

Most men my age are just now starting to worry about their knees clicking when they stand up or their son finally beating them in a foot race. They are bracing for a midlife transition they feel entirely unequipped for. They look at the coming decade as a loss of agency, a slow-motion surrender of the vitality they took for granted in their twenties. But as I sat with that collective anxiety, I realized something unexpected: I’ve already been there. In fact, I’ve been living in that “next stage” for years.

When I was 30, my stroke thrust the physical and mental reality of aging upon me with absolutely no warning. There was no gradual decline, no slow fading of abilities. It was a pattern interrupt of the highest order. Overnight, the invincible version of myself was retired. Bending down to pick something up was no longer a given; getting back up was a calculated victory. My vision blurred, and for a long time, the simple independence of driving a car was a distant dream. I was a young man trapped in a body that had suddenly skipped multiple decades of wear and tear.

At the time, it felt like my life had been reset, similar to a massive construction project being suddenly demolished just before completion. I watched from the sidelines as my peers were still sprinting uphill, hitting career milestones and physical peaks. Meanwhile, I was forced to restart the foundation from scratch. I had to double down on occupational and physical therapy, treating my recovery like a grueling full-time job. I learned the humbling language of incremental progress—the kind of patience most people don’t have to face until their seventies.

But here is the “uncomfortable truth” I’ve discovered: that trauma gave me an unfair advantage. While others are just now packing their bags for the challenges of getting older, I am already well-equipped and incredibly prepared for that “second first step”. When that first colonoscopy rolls around, that procedure will be child’s play to me, who has had two open heart surgeries and was once a frequent flier around the Atlanta hospital system. I skipped the “uncomfortable part of life” where you slowly realize you aren’t invincible because that realization was forced on me in an instant. I have already mourned the loss of my “peak” self, and in that mourning, I found a much more resilient version of who I am.

By reframing this through a positive lens, I’ve gained a wealth of experience in handling the “tricky situations” that leave other dads reeling. I know what it’s like to lose control and, more importantly, I know how to claw it back. I’ve learned that recovery, like life, isn’t a straight line and there are no autosaves. You have to show up every day with a vulnerable posture, willing to fail in order to thrive eventually. This isn’t just about physical recovery; it’s about the psychological armor you build when you’ve already seen the “worst-case scenario” and realized you’re still standing.

So, when the anxiety of forty hits my friends, I won’t join in their panic. Instead, I’ll be the one waiting for them at the top of the hill, ready to show them the way down. I’ve navigated the fog, I’ve felt the knees click, and I’ve mastered the art of the “second first step.” I’ve been there, done that—just a little earlier than I hoped, and with a lot more wisdom than I would have had otherwise. The descent doesn’t scare me; I’ve been practicing my footing for over seven years.

The "Happiest Place on Earth" Is Actually a Rehab Hospital

March 9, 2026

In the chaotic, terrifying blur right after my stroke, I was a passenger in my own life. Mentally unfit, lucid only in fits and starts, I had no say in the torrent of decisions—hospitals, doctors, insurance, therapists. My recovery plan was being charted by others.

But looking back with the crystal clarity of 20/20 hindsight, I realize how profoundly fortunate I was that the worst day of my life happened just a few miles from a sanctuary:  Shepherd Center.
It’s no wonder people travel from every corner of the Earth, begging for one of the few available spots at this neuro and spinal rehabilitation facility. If you’ve done even surface-level research, you know Shepherd consistently ranks among the global elite.

But what truly inspires this post isn’t just their world-class ranking—it’s the deep debt of gratitude I owe to the people there, and the palpable, unforgettable feeling you get the moment you step inside.

The Most Optimistic Place on Earth

I’m grateful that my daily in-clinic therapy days are mostly behind me; doing rehab at home beats the Atlanta traffic. Yet, at least once a quarter, I still go to the main campus—or “Big Shepherd,” as we call it—for the Botox injections I receive to manage my spasticity and tone.

Every visit is a reminder of the atmosphere that makes this place unique.

You are instantly surrounded by huge, genuine smiles—from the person opening the parking garage gate to the sanitation staff, to the check-in person at the front desk. It honestly feels like the most optimistic place in the world.

Think about that for a moment. Nearly every patient walking those halls with their family is living through and actively overcoming one of life’s biggest, most unimaginable curveballs. They are in the belly of the beast—a hospital—yet the weight of that negativity is utterly absent. Instead, everyone there, patient and staff alike, is actively choosing to uplift and help.

It’s a bizarre comparison, but my interactions with the people there lead me to believe they might truly give Disneyland a run for its money for the title of “Happiest Place on Earth.”

Beyond the Brain Injury

The relationships I built at Shepherd—with doctors, nurses, and therapists—have extended far beyond the realm of my medical care.

From day one, these professionals saw me as a person, not just a guy with a brain injury. That fundamental respect and human connection are not just part of the care plan; they are the center’s soul. It’s the difference between merely recovering and truly beginning a new, post-stroke life. And for that, my debt to Shepherd Center is immeasurable.
 
Written by David Tillem, originally for his Substack, “The Second First Step.”
 

After her stroke, Denell, who lives in Atlanta, had brain surgery at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in Marietta, Georgia. Then she transferred to Shepherd Center’s inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Program. In addition to cognitive challenges, she had difficulty swallowing, weakness in her left arm, and had to re-learn how to stand, walk, and dress herself.   

“My left arm was totally contracted and could not move at all. And I remember being in the bed, just staring at my arm like, ‘Come on, come on,’” she says. “I was nervous because there was a big question mark. I didn't really quite understand what happened or what was going on.”

Shepherd staff helped put her at ease, though.

“The environment here at Shepherd was very warm. The first nurse that I met, I'm still in contact with her to this day. Everyone was very compassionate. It's like their heart goes out to you because they know you've been through this devastating, life-altering thing. It's not that they pity you, but they love you.

They didn't just treat me like a person with a brain injury. They treated me like an intelligent person with something to say,” she explains. “I appreciated that because a lot of times with a brain injury, people treat you like you're dumb, and I'm not dumb, and I don't want to be treated that way.”

And that support was important as she came to terms with her injury.

“Recognizing how much things had changed [was challenging]. I thought that if I could work really hard, I could just push past the barrier and, you know, once your brain is damaged, your brain is damaged — there's no pushing past certain things — you could work around things, but … some things are the way they are, and so that was a bit tricky.”

She recalls her first outing — a trip to a Chick-fil-A just down the street from the hospital.

“I remember being extremely emotional because I was deeply insecure about how the stroke had changed me,” she says. “[My recreation therapist] taught me how to cross the street and how to feel confident in my own body as I was out in the community as my new self. And so it was a small outing, but it meant a lot to me.”

In therapy, Denell worked on moving from sitting to standing position, walking, and learning to compensate for her visual-spatial challenges.

After graduating from inpatient rehabilitation, Denell went to Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd’s outpatient brain injury rehabilitation program, to continue therapy.

She says Shepherd prepared her well for life after discharge, giving her the tools she needed for success.

While at Shepherd Pathways, Denell learned about Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse, a day program for people who have sustained a brain injury. Her therapists urged her to give it a try.

“I'm so glad they recommended that to me because I find a lot of personal fulfillment at Side by Side,” she says.

Denell visits Side by Side twice a week, where she spends much of her time working in their business unit, which allows her to flex her marketing skills. She has also helped organize group gatherings — getting people together is another passion. And she returns to Shepherd in a peer support role for Side by Side’s game days at the hospital, playing board games with current patients with brain injuries.

“It's really important for me to share my experience with others because I feel like I was able to keep my voice for a reason,” she explains.

She has moved back into the home she lived in before her stroke. Now, her brother’s family lives with her, which means she gets lots of time with her baby nephew.

“He is just a joy. He's a ball of sunshine,” she says.

Denell is hoping to take a trip to Mexico City for her 40^th birthday, a trip she had planned to take when she turned 35.

“My plan was to be in Mexico City with a group of girlfriends and family to celebrate my 35th birthday. And I ended up celebrating that birthday at Shepherd Center, as I'd had my stroke a few weeks prior to my birthday,” she explains. “I was a bit disappointed not to be in Mexico City, but I was happy to be having a birthday. And so, when I turn 40, that will be my redemption trip in Mexico City. And I'll be eating all the delicious elote that my heart could desire.”

Written by Ruth Underwood 

On April 29, 2023, Avani was at dinner with her son, daughter, and in-laws, when she began to get dizzy and have slurred speech. She told her family the only way she could in the moment, a quick text message, that prompted them to take her to the emergency room, where she learned she had experienced two strokes. Afterward, an MRI showed she had a large aneurysm that needed to be fixed surgically.

“During surgery, blood clots formed and caused me to have multiple additional strokes that left me paralyzed. I couldn’t move or walk or project my voice,” Avani recalls.

Avani came to Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, where her team of inpatient therapists worked with her to improve her fine motor, gross motor, and cognitive skills.

“My therapists combined physical with cognitive therapies to test my body and my brain,” Avani explains. “They would have me walking and doing obstacle courses while counting or singing the ABCs to see if I could be occupied and multi-task.”

These therapies would help Avani with many goals, including returning to work as CFO of her home health business, Azalea Home Care, Inc.

"I'm the CFO of the company — billing and payroll. [I] have to be sharp with numbers. I didn't want to make mistakes when I went back.”

Near the end of her time in inpatient, Avani completed a neuropsychology evaluation to determine her capacity to return to work. It was advised she take a year off and practice work duties at home before going back full-time. For a woman who admittedly loves to stay busy, this was tough to hear, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

“I knew I needed to prioritize myself more and do the things I was told to do,” she says.

Avani completed inpatient therapy just in time to attend her son’s tenth birthday on Sept. 25. That following week, she began Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd’s outpatient and residential rehabilitation program for people recovering from brain injuries and strokes.

“Pathways was amazing,” Avani says. “They connected with my individual needs and geared all my therapies to returning to my daily routine. They made me at ease.”

Among the life skills that Avani wanted to practice was bracelet threading to participate in an important tradition in her faith that also taps into her passion for art.

“In Hinduism, we celebrate brother/sister day, or Rakhi. Sisters tie bracelets on brothers or brother figures in their lives telling them that we are here to protect them and give them good blessings, and in return, they protect us back,” Avani explains. “You can buy them, but I think it’s special to make them for loved ones.”

While it takes her longer than it did pre-stroke, she has now returned to making up to 14 of these intricate, hand beaded bracelets each year.

Today, Avani continues to have regular check-ins with her doctors and psychologist at Shepherd Center. After taking a year off work, she is back to the job she loves.

“I love helping people, hence why I'm in the healthcare field. When I went to school, I studied pharmacy, but I didn't pursue it. Even though I do finance for a healthcare company now, I'm still helping people in my own way.”

And, she remains a committed mom to her two kids, who are in high school and middle school.

“I have an amazing support system,” Avani says. “My husband and family have been my rock throughout this. And I appreciate every single person at Shepherd. Shepherd will always be part of my life, and I’m grateful for that.”

By Damjana Alverson

“I lobbied to start working while still inpatient,” Trawick says with a laugh. “To Shepherd Center’s credit, they allowed me to do it.”

Her vocational, physical, and speech therapists observed her in the process — communicating on Zoom, writing on her computer, researching grant proposals — and identified the cognitive gaps she was still experiencing.

“It was very helpful,” Trawick says. “By watching me work, they figured out what I needed to work on the most based on the type of work I do. There probably aren’t many places that would do that!”

Once it was time for Trawick to leave Shepherd Center and return to campus, her vocational rehabilitation specialist — Zac Bradley, MS, CRC, NCC, CVE — got on the phone with her boss, as well as Morehouse’s HR director and facilities director. Together, they mapped out a plan for her return, which would eventually include a more accessible office.

“Zac was awesome in advocating for me,” Trawick recalls. “Everyone at Shepherd Center, what they do for patients just shows how much they care. They make you feel confident, and it’s such a holistic approach. I have so much respect for what they do.”

“I know we’re talking about work,” Bradley says, “but my role is really to assist folks in getting back to life. Because our lives revolve around our work. My goal is to make the path clearer, less confusing. To ease people’s minds and clear the hurdles between where they are and where they want to be.”

And where Trawick is today is far, far removed from the Atlanta tennis court where she collapsed that winter afternoon. Literally, far. When reached for an interview for this story, Trawick was on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, helping lead a group of Upward Bound pre-college students on a cultural tour of the islands. She secured the grant that funded the trip, too.

“This is what I love,” Trawick says. “These are first-generation college students who have never been on a flight before. Now, they’re being exposed to experiences that let them know there’s a whole world beyond their home communities.

“I’m so thankful to still be doing this. I may be a work in progress, but I know I wouldn’t be here right now if not for Shepherd Center.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Vision Clinic Coordinator Helen Burke, OT, works alongside Janna Iyer, FCOVD, to conduct weekly consultations with patients with brain injuries. “For a lot of our brain injury or stroke patients, their awareness of where their ‘middle’ is can be off,” Helen says. “Instead of sitting or standing up straight, they feel like their middle is back here,” she says, tilting dramatically in her chair. This “pusher syndrome” presents serious issues with balance and increases risk of falls. 

The Vision Clinic is working with Kemtai, an artificial intelligence platform, to develop a more precise tool for assessing patients’ posture and then evaluating in real time their improvement after wearing the prism glasses. The standalone web application can be used on a smartphone and doesn’t require any bulky or expensive equipment. Ultimately, Kemtai and Shepherd aim to co-develop rehabilitation exercises, using this innovative technology to improve patients’ quality of life. 

Katherine Thurber’s stroke in August 2024 affected the right side of her body, so her visual center was one foot to the right and back of where it should be. After wearing the prism eyeglasses, she began to see improvement immediately. “From Day One, they started working,” Katherine says. “I wore them religiously for three or four weeks. And when I left Shepherd, the glasses had done what they were supposed to do. You have to trick the brain to be right again.”

After six weeks in therapy at Shepherd, Katherine returned home to Mobile with her daughter, Mary Esther Elliott, who has seen firsthand the improvements in her mother’s posture and balance. Mary Esther recalls going to visit her mother at Shepherd Center on Labor Day weekend but finding that Katherine was on an outing to a nearby Chick-fil-A. Mary Esther hurried to the restaurant, where she found Katherine sitting in a booth enjoying her lunch. “She turned to me, wearing the prism glasses, and it was really emotional,” Mary Esther says. “That was the first time I had seen her sitting in anything but a wheelchair in a month, and the glasses helped her get there.”

Written by Teresa Weaver

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. 

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Black men, and 60% of Black men have some form of cardiovascular disease,” Jason says. “Running is a great way to improve heart health and develop camaraderie with fellow runners. My father never had anyone to run with who looked like him when he was growing up in Memphis, Tennessee. I wanted to create an organization where Black men could train together but also have an avenue to fellowship.” 

In 2013, Jason and Edward Walton started Black Men Run, a nonprofit that encourages health and wellness among Black men. 

“The camaraderie feels good. You can see it in the guys’ faces,” Jason says. “It just lights you up and keeps you motivated." 

In 2017, Jason had first-hand experience with the statistics he was so familiar with. While sitting at his office desk in Atlanta, he had a stroke and a ruptured brain aneurysm. Luckily, his co-workers acted quickly, and he was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. 

Jason came to Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program in early 2018 as an inpatient and later graduated to the outpatient program, Shepherd Pathways. 

“My experience at Shepherd was amazing, and I still remember the faces of my care staff because they helped me walk, talk, and run again. What surprised me most was how accommodating and patient they were with me throughout my time there,” Jason says. “Running is my passion. Getting back to that was so important to me,” 

Since returning home, Jason has made steady strides toward his goals. While he still experiences some speech impediments and a stutter as a result of the stroke, he hasn’t let that stop him from spreading the message about Black Men Run, which has now grown to 10,000 members globally. 

Last year, he ran his first 10K race since his stroke, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, which happens to pass by Shepherd Center. 

“To run past Shepherd Center made the accomplishment more impactful for me and I was overwhelmed with emotion,” Jason says. 

Looking ahead, Jason hopes to run a half marathon in 2025 and continue to grow his nonprofit. He leaves this message to fellow stroke survivors: “Be a shining example in your community because the term ‘survivor’ is very significant. It's up to us to uphold that you can recover and never give up. 

“I hope to be an inspiration to others who might have fallen, thinking that they can never get back up again. They can think, ‘If Jason Russell can do it, so can I!’" 

By Damjana Alverson

This story first appeared in the special 50th anniversary issue of Spinal Column magazine.

Adapting to the Unexpected

“I was in a wheelchair for about a year after my stroke. So, it was a lot of work for Tammy and a lot of learning, a lot of new stuff, and a lot of frustration. We both lived in the fast lane. I worked a lot, played a lot, and didn't sit around much, so slow life really was a stinker for both of us. But you know, you don't have any choice but to adapt, right?
So that's what we tried to do,” Price explains.

Immediately after the stroke, Price spent two weeks in the ICU at a hospital near his home in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by inpatient rehabilitation. After two months, he transferred to Shepherd Pathways, a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program in Decatur, Georgia, for people recovering from brain injury.

That was 10 years ago, and when Price reflects on those early days, he remembers how Tammy advocated, researched, and learned everything she could to help him regain his independence.  

“She proactively advocated for me, and she proactively sought out things that could assist me in gaining independence — for both of our sakes,” Price recalls.

Tammy remembers how overwhelming those early days were as she adjusted to the role of caregiver.

“It was a pretty traumatic time for us. We could always talk to someone there [at Shepherd] about things, but you don't know what you don't know, and there were things available, but it was challenging trying to navigate everything,” she says.

And while she wanted Price to regain as much independence as possible, she was also scared that something might go wrong.

“We had one of the therapists come to our condominium and walk through a routine with us there in the condo because I was still very fearful. You know, it's hard. It's like when you have a child, and as they're getting older, they're becoming more and more independent. And I almost felt like when Price had a stroke, he went back to being like a very dependent child, and it was hard to know when I could release him and stop doing everything for him, you know? And so, we had to take it step by step. And they helped us come up with all kinds of safety measures,” Tammy explains.

Caring for the Caregiver

A good friend of Price’s, a caregiver himself, reminded Price to be mindful of Tammy’s needs.

“He said, ‘Look here. I'm just gonna tell you straight up. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Caregivers need loving, too.’ It was a great message for me to hear,” Price recalls. “It's like, look, you're not the only one going through hard times. Caregiving is not easy. It's full of trauma, of waking up in the middle of the night and worrying about stuff and feeling guilty about trying to go on and living your life.”

Looking to the Future

As Price grew stronger, the Woodwards began to think about what was next. Tammy is from Georgia, and they had planned to retire in the state, so they moved to Atlanta. Price’s path to independence included enrolling in Beyond Therapy®, a rigorous, activity-based therapy program at Shepherd focused on maximizing muscle and neural return and promoting lifelong wellness.

“That was an environment where he thrived,” says Tammy. “It was an athletic setting, and that worked out very well. And all the therapists there were wonderful. They’d talk to me anytime I wanted to ask questions, and if I wanted to stay and watch, I could. If I wanted to leave, I left.”

While Price was participating in Beyond Therapy, one of his daughters got engaged. Even though he had difficulty standing at the time, Price remembers telling exercise physiologist, Taylor Jones, MBA, MS, NSCA-CSCS, “Taylor, you need to get me out of this wheelchair because I want to walk her down the aisle.” Jones told Price if he was willing to work at it, they could try.

He also remembers feeling comforted when Chelsea Day, Psy.D., his neuropsychologist at Shepherd, reminded him that whether he walked or used a wheelchair, his daughter would be glad he was there for her wedding.

A Focus on Blessings

Months later, Price did walk his daughter down the aisle and even joined her for a traditional father-daughter dance. Price called it “joy in the midst of tragedy and struggles.”

That perspective, Price says, has helped him tremendously over the past 10 years. He and Tammy have always relied on their faith, and they have found it beneficial to focus on what they have instead of what they don’t have. Price considers himself a “stroke survivor” rather than a “stroke victim.” He reflects on the milestone moments he has gotten to be part of since his stroke — his youngest daughter’s college graduation, his middle daughter’s wedding, and enjoying time with his seven grandchildren. He says that because of his rehabilitation at Shepherd, he built the confidence to return to doing things he enjoys. He drives independently, plays one-handed golf, and hunts. Tammy notes that with support and education from Shepherd, they’ve also gained enough experience and confidence to travel again — something they both enjoy.

Lessons Learned

Price also says he and his family have a heightened awareness of others who are going through difficult times and look for ways to be a source of comfort and encouragement.

“After my stroke, our entire family realized that pre-stroke, we really did a poor job of mourning with others who were mourning. Now our antennas are up high, and we are proactive in trying to lean into others who are going through difficult times in hopes of comforting and encouraging others,” he explains.

“My stroke was a big stinker and not fun but learning this last lesson and being more intentional about loving on and encouraging others who are going through difficult times is a benefit that makes our journey worth it and more of a blessing than a curse.”
 

Written by Ruth Underwood
 

The next day, Clara traveled cross-country to Shepherd Center and stayed throughout Erina’s inpatient rehabilitation and time at Shepherd Pathways. Throughout it all, Clara — along with her friend, Jan Beach, and Erina’s sister, Allison Kozel — lived in one of Shepherd Center’s family residences. 

“I don’t know what we would have done otherwise,” Clara says. “We couldn’t go back and forth to California, and we didn’t have family in Atlanta. We were very thankful for those accommodations.” 

The proximity allowed Clara to come over most mornings before Erina’s therapy began — to braid her daughter’s hair and get her ready for the day. COVID restrictions were still firmly in place in 2021, so the family spent lots of time outside enjoying the Anna and Hays Mershon Secret Garden. Clara and Jan both play the ukulele, and the two soon had a small group of players together for informal garden sessions — with other patients and families enjoying the music. 

Care-wise, Clara credits Erina’s team with helping the family learn how to best assist Erina before she re-learned to walk. But Clara also notes that what they learned went far beyond wheelchairs and transfers. 

“They were always thinking ahead about what would be helpful for her in the future,” Clara says. “Giving us tricks for compression garments, showing us how to use new equipment. Helping us navigate the insurance and social security side of things, too. They just helped us through the maze of it all. And there was a sweetness and a caring in everything. We felt it from everyone.” 

Erina was 44 when she had her stroke. A mother with two young children, the California native had been a longtime reporter and anchor on different TV stations. She settled in Savannah, where she began working at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The year before her stroke, she had been named SCAD’s new executive director of inclusion. 

Now 48, Erina’s speech is still returning, but she’s already living a vibrant, independent life once again. She’s involved in her children’s lives, has taken up golf, loves Savannah Bananas baseball games, and attends the Savannah Film Festival. Erina has also participated in a pair of Adventure Skills Workshops through Shepherd Center, picking up a love of watersports. And she’s driving again with adaptive technology — including roundtrips between Savannah and Atlanta when she has follow-up appointments at Shepherd Center. 

As Clara puts it with a laugh: “Her determination is crazy — her tenacity. I would have been whining every day through rehab. But she was just relentless.” 

Last year, Clara and other family members celebrated Erina’s progress with a trip to Ireland, Clara’s homeland. They visited with family members in County Cork, took a ferry to France, and even visited the Louvre. 

“It’s amazing to see where she is now,” Clara says of her daughter. “When we first took Erina back to Savannah, I was always worried about her falling. She would tell me: ‘So what if I do? I’ll just get back up.’ That’s Erina. She’s going to make it work no matter what.” 

By Phillip Jordan

While at Shepherd Center, Skylar became proficient in using his new wheelchair. And his employer became proficient in supporting Skylar.

Ten days before the injury, Skylar had gotten a new position at PDI Kitchen, Bath, and Lighting that was a perfect fit. But the job required a great deal of mobility — he was a showroom manager at PDI’s Atlanta location, overseeing sales of bathroom, kitchen, and lighting fixtures.

Thanks to Shepherd Center’s expertise, the job remained a perfect fit post-injury.

“My counselors had great conversations with my employers to come up with a game plan for my return,” Skylar says. “And my boss was on board. He said, ‘I didn’t hire you to do this job because you could walk. I hired you because you could do the job.’”

By his first day back, Skylar’s company had moved his desk to a spot that was easier to get in and out of, rearranged floor items to make it easier for Skyler to navigate the showroom, and even ripped out a vanity sink in the bathroom to install a wall-hung sink that Skylar could get his wheelchair underneath.

 “It was a brand-new job with a brand-new body, essentially, but it went as smoothly as possible,” Skylar says.

Less than two years after returning to work, Skylar was assigned to PDI’s Alpharetta location — a higher-volume store and one of the company’s top showrooms. He also now volunteers as a guest speaker in Shepherd Center’s return-to-work classes, sharing his journey with current patients.

“Shepherd Center just prepares you so well to return to daily life,” Skylar says. “I remember Laura (McDowell) was such a great advocate and so good at taking my anxiety away. She would say, ‘Hey, you’re still you. It’s about what’s up here, not anything else. Your mind, your abilities will shine through.’”

***

The Genuine Parts Company Vocational Rehabilitation Program at Shepherd Center is unique in a couple of ways. First of all, in addition to GPC’s philanthropic support, the company also hosts tours for Shepherd Center patients to give them in-person experiences navigating office, retail, and warehouse environments. Secondly, vocational services at Shepherd Center are offered early in each patient’s stay — within the rehabilitation setting. This approach allows Shepherd Center staff to collaborate closely with other members of a patient’s treatment team and clearly communicate the paths forward for each patient.

“I think the most important thing we do is demystify the process of returning to work after a catastrophic injury,” says McDowell. “Many patients, especially early on, think there is no way they will be able to work again. But our process helps to open their eyes to new ways of approaching the work.”

And, sometimes, it works the other way around – with patients initiating the fresh approaches.

Cynthia Trawick is the director of TRIO and public health programs at Morehouse College. In January 2023, Trawick sustained a hemorrhagic stroke while playing tennis. After just four days in the intensive care unit at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, she began Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program. As Trawick’s speech and motor skills returned, she found herself itching to work again.

“I lobbied to start working while still inpatient,” Trawick says with a laugh. “To Shepherd Center’s credit, they allowed me to do it.”

Her vocational, physical, and speech therapists observed her in the process — communicating on Zoom, writing on her computer, researching grant proposals — and identified the cognitive gaps she was still experiencing.

“It was very helpful,” Trawick says. “By watching me work, they figured out what I needed to work on the most based on the type of work I do. There probably aren’t many places that would do that!”

Once it was time for her to leave Shepherd Center and return to campus, Trawick received the same type of support that Dominique Ross did when returning to school. Trawick’s vocational rehabilitation specialist — Zac Bradley, MS, CRC, NCC, CVE — got on the phone with her boss, as well as Morehouse’s HR director and facilities director. Together, they mapped out a plan for her return, which would eventually include a more accessible office.

“Zac was awesome in advocating for me,” Trawick recalls. “Everyone at Shepherd Center, what they do for patients just shows how much they care. They make you feel confident, and it’s such a holistic approach. I have so much respect for what they do.”

“I know we’re talking about work,” Bradley says, “but my role is really to assist folks in getting back to life. Because our lives revolve around our work. My goal is to make the path clearer, less confusing. To ease people’s minds and clear the hurdles between where they are and where they want to be.”

And where Trawick is today is far, far removed from the Atlanta tennis court where she collapsed that winter afternoon. Literally, far. When reached for an interview for this story, Trawick was on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, helping lead a group of Upward Bound pre-college students on a cultural tour of the islands. She secured the grant that funded the trip, too.

“This is what I love,” Trawick says. “These are first-generation college students who have never been on a flight before. Now, they’re being exposed to experiences that let them know there’s a whole world beyond their home communities.

“I’m so thankful to still be doing this. I may be a work in progress, but I know I wouldn’t be here right now if not for Shepherd Center.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Because he had struggled with breathing during that period, doctors placed him in a medically induced coma and put him on a ventilator to give his lungs some relief. During that time, Raymond also had a stroke.

“I woke up at Shepherd Center a month later, still on the ventilator, and I was only able to move my head from side to side,” Raymond remembers.

He spent the next three months in the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit (CRU), receiving many forms of therapy, including physical, speech, and occupational therapy, among others. He learned to walk again and to perform activities like feeding and dressing himself.

His progress was slow but steady. He started using a power wheelchair, and by the time he returned home just before Thanksgiving, he was using a manual wheelchair. He continued in outpatient therapy, practicing walking on the Lokomat®. He eventually moved to a walker and set a goal of walking up the stairs with only the aid of a cane.

“I was motivated by setting incremental goals,” Raymond says. “That really helped because I could see progress.”

Raymond, who has spent his career in education, set another goal for himself: to return to Factory Shoals Middle School in Douglasville, Georgia, where he serves as principal.

Again, he had to take it slowly. Raymond and his doctors decided he should begin by returning to work for two hours a day, twice a week. In April, he increased that to eight hours a week through the end of the school year. He continued therapy throughout that summer, and in August 2022, he walked into the school unassisted and returned to work full-time.

When looking at the milestones he’s achieved, Raymond credits his family for their unwavering support — as well as the “family” at Shepherd Center.       

“When you are in a mobility crisis, they give you a lifeline, and they give you hope,” Raymond says. “They were motivational and inspirational. It’s like a family. Three years later, I still have connections there.”

Written by Sara Baxter

• Helius Medical and Shepherd Center partner on a study that aims at rehabilitating walking mobility in people recovering from stroke 
• Shepherd Center, a top neurorehabilitation hospital, is the third site in the registrational program in stroke
• The single-arm study will evaluate the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS®) in treating gait and balance deficits in chronic stroke survivors 
• Regulatory submission and marketing authorization for stroke expected in 2025

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSDT) (“Helius” or the “Company”), a neurotech company focused on delivering a novel therapeutic neuromodulation approach for balance and gait deficits, today announced the expansion of its registrational program in stroke with the participation of Shepherd Center, under the direction of Michael Yochelson, M.D., MBA, FAAN, FAAPMR, chief medical officer. Shepherd Center joins Brooks Rehabilitation as a second site to the company-sponsored single-arm clinical study. As one of the nation’s top neurorehabilitation hospitals, Shepherd Center is known for its innovation, patient outcomes exceeding national averages, and expertise in providing world-class clinical care for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including stroke, spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, multiple sclerosis, and pain.

The study aims to evaluate the benefit of PoNS Therapy^® in treating gait and balance deficits in chronic stroke survivors. Shepherd Center has been an impactful participant in the PoNS Therapeutic Experience Program (“PoNSTEP”), a company-sponsored outcome research clinical trial designed to evaluate the impact of subjects’ adherence to PoNS Therapy in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a trial led by Deborah Backus, PT, Ph.D., FACRM, vice president of research and innovation.

“Shepherd Center has been a valuable partner to Helius for almost two years. We are delighted Dr. Yochelson has agreed to contribute to the implementation of our registrational program and undertake the study at Shepherd Center,” said Antonella Favit-Van Pelt, M.D., Ph.D., Helius' chief medical officer. “Shepherd Center’s earlier involvement with the MS program is a testament to the strength of our clinical program. Dr. Backus and her research team have significantly contributed to further demonstrate PoNS Therapy’s ability to induce significant and clinically meaningful improvements in gait rehabilitation. Clinical evidence with PoNS Therapy in stroke patients, has led to a new indication for gait in Canada as well as highlighted the importance of this therapy in reducing the risk of falling in stroke survivors with gait and/or balance deficits. This study, as part of the broader registrational program, is an important step forward toward obtaining authorization in the U.S.”

“Innovation is at the core of what we do, and strategic collaboration is critical to advancing rehabilitation medicine and discovering better, more effective ways to deliver care,” said Dr. Backus. “From my experience with the therapy, PoNS has the potential to improve the lives of patients suffering from MS, and we believe it can have a meaningful therapeutic effect on chronic stroke survivors as well. I’m excited to bring this innovative treatment to Shepherd Center, where we take a patient-centric approach designed to promote the highest level of functioning possible.”

With recruitment starting in May 2024, Dr. Yochelson anticipates enrolling approximately 8-10 participants into the trial by the end of the year.

 “I started each of those as little seeds in cups on my windowsill there,” Kendall says. “It was through gardening as recreational therapy. When I came home, I brought those seeds in a planter with me and transferred them to my garden. Watching them grow throughout the season reminds me of how far I’ve come.”

On February 23, Kendall, 30, had a hemorrhagic stroke at the elementary school where she is a librarian. She spent 10 days in the ICU at Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, where she had a craniotomy to relieve pressure and pain from brain swelling.

Kendall arrived at Shepherd Center shaken by the sudden events, desperately missing her two young daughters, and devastated by the loss of function in her left hand and arm.

Her turning point came when she learned Shepherd Center had an arts and crafts space.

A self-described “Jill of all trades,” Kendall says crafting is a core part of her lifelong identity, from sewing and knitting to jewelry and art. It’s why she prioritized anything that would help her regain mobility in her hand.

Kendall’s therapists emphasized recreational therapy to improve her motor skills and uplift her spirits. She made mosaic tiles. She painted. She made bracelets she would give her daughters, Cara, 5, and Gwen, 2, when they visited each weekend. And, yes, she gardened.

“Getting down to that arts and crafts room and seeing what I was capable of was really good for me,” Kendall says. “All the recreational therapy was mentally what I needed to make it through a really hard time.”

She also grew her love for beading while at Shepherd Center. The craft proved painstaking at first, stringing one tiny bead at a time. Eventually, as her hand function returned, her beadwork blossomed. She’s carried her new passion home, too. This summer, she began selling handmade beaded earrings — initially to friends and family, but now they’re available in a local hair salon.

Better yet, beading is another activity she and her kids do together, along with watercolor painting and sewing.

“I’m so thankful to be with my kids again,” Kendall says. “Being away from them was the most painful thing of all.”

She’s also reunited with her “other” kids. Kendall returned to some of her library duties at the end of the last school year. This August, she’ll take on a full load of classes as the school librarian, doing the things she’s passionate about with her students — teaching about different genres, talking about how to evaluate reliable sources, and reading the graphic novels many kids love these days.

It’s something Shepherd helped prepare her for, too. Her recreational therapists organized an outing to a local bookstore to practice scenarios she’d eventually encounter back at school.

“That outing made me aware of how things would be different to some degree when I went back to work,” Kendall says. “It helped me anticipate some of the challenges I might face.

“Of course, it also was nice just being around books again. I’d missed that. I remember I bought quite a few books for me and my kids! That was a really nice outing for this librarian’s soul.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Below are resources and information to help make sure your family is prepared in case of an emergency. 

Important Things to Consider When Creating an Emergency Preparedness Plan and Supply Kit:

• Have enough food and water to last at least three days (per person). Non-perishable and can foods are best in case of a loss of electricity. An average person needs about one gallon of water per day. And don’t forget to have three days’ worth of food and water for your pets.
• Have enough prescription medication on hand to last a minimum of three days.
• Make sure you have necessities like a manual can opener, battery-operated light sources, portable weather radio, a first aid kit, and hygiene products.
• Keep cell phones and electronic devices charged (and have portable battery devices charged) in case there is a loss of electricity.
• Make a family plan that includes how to evacuate and/or reach/assist family members who may need additional assistance such as older family members or family members with disabilities/access and functional needs.
• Discuss and practice your family communication and evacuation plan with all of your family members (including children).
• If you have to evacuate, make sure to take your emergency supply kit with you, and don’t forget to include flares, physical maps, jumper cables, extra cans of gas, and blankets.
• Keep all trees and shrubs well-trimmed to make them more wind-resistant.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans, and anything else that is not tied down.
• Know your area’s flood risk.
• Make sure your homeowners' insurance is up to date and includes the necessary protections, like flood insurance.
• Remember if there is a loss of electricity, ATM machines and debit/credit cards will not work. If possible, have an emergency cash fund that you can access during an emergency or prior to evacuating.
• Secure your windows/doors and know how to shut off the gas or power to your home if it becomes necessary.
• Stay on top of the latest news.

For more emergency preparedness and planning tips and how to stay safe during a hurricane, please visit Ready Georgia.

For emergency preparedness and planning tips for individuals with disabilities/access and functional needs, please visit: http://ready.ga.gov/make-a-plan/georgians-with-access-functional-needs/ 

For tips on driving smart, please visit the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Resource links to help you plan and prepare in the case of a weather emergency: 

For Georgia weather-related mobile alerts, please download the Ready Georgia app, which can be found here: http://ready.ga.gov/

For customized Emergency Preparedness supply checklists for families, pet owners, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and businesses, please visit Federal Emergency Management Agency’s webpage.

On the day a stroke turned his life upside down, he was on the go as usual, but he didn’t feel right when he got home. “I got dizzy, and I couldn't stand up straight,” JR recalls.

His wife rushed him to Northside Hospital in Cumming, Georgia, where doctors discovered he had experienced a hemorrhagic stroke, which caused paralysis on his left side. After 10 days in the hospital, JR’s team at Northside recommended Shepherd Center, where he spent 10 weeks in the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Unit (CRU).

“It was very intense,” he recalls. “But I see now how critical it was for me to be there because when I got to Shepherd, I couldn’t even sit up straight. I couldn't find my center.”

After graduating from inpatient rehabilitation, JR completed the Day Program at Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd Center’s comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for people recovering from brain injury.

JR says his wife helped him stay focused on recovery, and the whole experience brought them closer.

“Thank God for her; she coached me through my bad moments.”

And his team at Shepherd provided the tools he needed as well. 

“It was very comprehensive, having the different therapists all working on getting you back into your daily activities and teaching you compensatory strategies to be self-sufficient again,” he explains. “It gave me a sense of self, a sense of being independent.”

JR embraced both the high and low-tech elements of his treatment. From the kitchen in Shepherd’s I Can Studio to the equipment in the gym.

 “I was able to navigate the kitchen and cook with my wife and daughter. And then I think about all the innovative tools at Shepherd, like the Lokomat®. I call it the Iron Man suit – it gives you immediate feedback. I could stand and take steps to retrain my brain on how to walk. It gave me a sense of hope.”

JR also tried – and loved – aquatic therapy. “I loved it in the water. Certain muscles weren’t kicking on, and after I got out of the pool and back on the land, my brain finally got it, and my quad muscles started working.”

A computer scientist at heart, JR wanted to figure out how to get back to work. His therapist introduced a wearable device that helps patients simulate using a keyboard. That, combined with mirror therapy, helped JR start retraining his left hand. 

Now, JR spends his mornings working, and in the afternoons, he does more therapy. He hopes to get back into golf — he practiced during his rehabilitation at Shepherd Pathways. For now, he’s hitting the links at home with the help of his kids’ Wii golf game, which he learned to use in recreational therapy to help build his stamina to stand in a fun and engaging way.

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.

Through them all, Rachel’s husband John kept recalling Rachel’s earliest post-injury runs that seemed even more miraculous than the 26.2 miles that Rachel ran in a cold Boston rain. As John sees it, Rachel’s marathon began on an oval, indoor track lofted above the Livingston Gym at Shepherd Center in Atlanta — where she spent more than three months in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.

“I can’t count how many hours she spent up there,” John says. “As soon as she was able to run again, you couldn’t stop her.”

Rachel started by alternating two running and two walking laps, building up to a mile. By the time she left Shepherd Center, she was covering 10 miles at a time.

“Running was my biggest personal goal in physical therapy,” Rachel says. “Not just for the marathon, but because running has always been a joyful part of my life. And I had lost it in an instant.”

Back in November 2022, John and Rachel had snuck in a rare date, taking a break from the daily grind that comes with owning a small business. (In their case, an Italian restaurant named Moni’s, where John oversees business operations and Rachel is the chef.) The couple’s date ended prematurely when Rachel crashed on her electric scooter. She sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, broke 17 bones, and was placed on life support with a ventilator doing her breathing.

After 10 days in an unresponsive coma at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Rachel’s care team advised John that Rachel was unlikely to regain consciousness — and unlikely to eat or breathe again on her own even if she did. While John was considering the way forward, Rachel woke up. As she slowly but steadily improved, her neurosurgeon described her recovery as miraculous.

Rachel reached Shepherd Center in mid-December. Soon, a serious secondary complication emerged. Almost half of Rachel’s skull had to be removed during her initial emergency surgery in Oklahoma City to make room for the swelling in her brain. But without her skull in place, she developed sinking skin flap syndrome, a known complication with craniectomies. In Rachel’s case, her symptoms were severe headaches that got worse out of bed, making physical therapy nearly impossible.

Ford Vox, M.D., medical director of Shepherd Center’s Disorders of Consciousness Program, diagnosed the syndrome and brought in Gary R. Gropper, M.D., consulting neurosurgeon, to address the issue. The team mapped her skull and created a 3D-printed replica of the missing sections. Dr. Gropper then implanted the new cap to restore the structure of her skull. The operation provided the pain relief Rachel needed without interrupting her stay at Shepherd Center.

From there, she was off to the races.

"What was incredible to me was how quickly things could change with Rachel and then how quickly her doctors and care team would respond to find the next solution,” John says. “When you work together in a place with all the services and facilities Shepherd Center has, and the wealth of experience there, it’s an incredible advantage.”

Case in point: While Rachel poured herself into physical therapy, she discovered an unexpected benefit in Shepherd Center’s psychological services.

“The toughest things for me were the mental battles, just being frustrated with myself and mad that my body wasn’t able to do what I knew I could do,” Rachel says. “I’d never done [psychological] therapy before, and it made me uncomfortable at first. But once I started talking, it helped so much. Tim Riggins (her rehabilitation counselor at Shepherd Center) did such a good job of making me feel calm, comfortable, and accepted."

After six weeks of inpatient care, Rachel extended her rehabilitation through Shepherd Pathways outpatient rehabilitation while staying in an accessible Shepherd Center apartment next to campus.

And three weeks after leaving Shepherd Center, Rachel Foster crossed the Boston Marathon finish line.

Today, Rachel sees many more marathons ahead. She and John will stay busy with Moni’s, too. And the couple plans to keep sharing Rachel’s improbable comeback to give others hope.

Those storytelling plans include a book, and Rachel knows one story that will surely be included.

While at Shepherd Center, she became fast friends with one of her inpatient nurses, Bella Truong. The duo became so close that they decided to get matching tattoos. “I kind of talked her into it,” Rachel says with a laugh. “It was her first, but definitely not mine!”

When the ink was dry, each woman had a new mantra on their arms framed by a morning sun rising over the horizon. Above it, the words: And, too, I rise.

“That was so special to do with Bella,” Rachel says. “And those words are true. There is always hope. It sounds cheesy, but it’s important to hold onto that when there are so many things that can take your hope away and take your happiness away.”

“No matter what life throws at you, you still can rise.”

Written by Phillip Jordan

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this one, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign.       

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (AKA ruptures). When this occurs, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain, such as language or muscle control, are lost. How a person is affected by a stroke depends on the severity and the location of the brain where the injury occurs.

There are two types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic.

• Ischemic stroke occurs when there is a blockage in a brain artery. The brain tissue that is supplied by the blocked artery can become damaged or die. They are the most common type of stroke and occur in over 80% of all strokes.
• Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in the brain. The blood can put pressure on surrounding brain tissue and damage it. Hemorrhagic strokes occur in 15 to 20% of all strokes.

How does a stroke affect mobility or cognitive function?

The impact of a stroke can vary widely.

The majority of the brain is divided into two hemispheres. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, along with skills like spatial awareness and aspects relating to insight. A stroke on the right side of the brain can impair these skills or cause weakness or paralysis on the left side of the body. Alternatively, a stroke occurring in the left hemisphere of the brain may cause weakness or paralysis on the right side of the body and difficulty understanding and expressing written and spoken language. Additionally, if an individual has a stroke further down in the brainstem or cerebellum, they may experience problems with balance, coordination, vision, and body and facial muscle movement and sensation.

While any variety of functions can be affected, with 80% of stroke survivors experiencing weakness or paralysis, rehabilitation hospitals or clinics like Shepherd Center can optimize the recovery process and return patients to the highest level of function possible.

What is the best way to prevent a stroke?

According to the CDC, 80% of strokes are preventable. Risk factors like high blood pressure, obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes can increase your risk of stroke. Working toward a healthy lifestyle with physical activity and a healthy diet may help reduce your risk of stroke.

How is a stroke treated?

The earlier a stroke can be treated by medical professionals, the better. Knowing stroke signs and symptoms can save your life or someone else’s. The trick to remembering these signs and symptoms of a stroke is the acronym “BEFAST,” which stands for balance, eye, face, arm, speech, and time. New technologies are constantly developing and if administered in the first critical hours after symptoms develop, these technologies may give an individual with stroke a markedly improved chance of a better recovery.

Following emergency treatment, stroke survivors can have complex and unique rehabilitation needs. Because stroke therapy may look different for each person, it’s important to plan individualized, person-centered care for stroke patients based on their health and recovery goals. Specialists may design a rehabilitation plan for ischemic stroke treatment or hemorrhagic stroke treatment. 

Visit our website to learn more about Shepherd Center’s approach to stroke treatment and rehabilitation. 

 On the morning of Monday, April 16, 2018, Otto had a violent coughing fit due to undiagnosed pneumonia and began to experience stroke symptoms. His wife, Clyde, rushed him to the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Doctors sent him by helicopter to Grady Memorial Hospital, where a neurologist examined him.

 “I had suffered a massive left-brain stroke,” Otto says. “The doctor gave my wife two options. One was to leave me alone with a major brain injury, which I would probably not survive. Or two, undergo a neurological intervention to restore circulation to my brain, but because of the blood thinners I was treated with, this procedure carried a high risk of causing me to bleed out and die.”

Faced with what seemed like an impossible decision, Clyde chose to give Otto the best chance at survival: surgery. When Otto returned from surgery, his condition seemed bleak. So, his children flew to Atlanta, and a priest joined the family to give Otto his Last Rites.

 Fortunately, Otto survived the procedure. As he began to improve, the family started looking into rehabilitation hospitals with a clear choice in mind.

 “Shepherd Center was my first choice,” Otto says. “After 10 days in Grady’s Stroke Center, I transferred to Shepherd Center.”

 With his sense of humor and optimism intact and Clyde by his side, Otto began his recovery process, spending just over two months in Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program.

 “I went through physical, occupational, and speech therapy every day,” Otto says. “My progress was impeded by severe nerve pain resulting from the stroke. I didn’t know strokes came with nerve pain, but boy howdy, they can!” Otto’s pain finally resolved seven months after his stroke.

 Otto graduated from inpatient rehabilitation and progressed to Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd Center’s comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for people recovering from brain injury. He also began participating in Georgia State's Aphasia Choir, where he connected with other stroke survivors.

From near death and complete dependence, Otto has made remarkable progress. Today, five years after his stroke, he can walk with a cane, perform daily tasks independently, and he continues to work on his speech. Although he is doing well, Otto participates in therapy programs to improve as much as possible.

 “My progress has been the result of skilled help and prayers,” Otto explains. “I can honestly say the past five years have been the best years of my life. I got to quit practicing law, and my faith in God has deepened. Also, my wife never asks me to do the dishes.”

 Written by Lindsey Rieben

Pursuing Possible with Shepherd Center

To support patient stories like this one, please consider contributing to Shepherd Center's Pursuing Possible campaign. 

By Alex Alverson, Ph.D., ABPP, clinical neuropsychologist in Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program

Almost 800,000 people in the U.S. experience a stroke every year. While the most obvious symptoms are often physical or cognitive (e. g., problems with moving or speaking), many people who have had a stroke will also experience changes in mood and behavior. Injury to specific brain regions can lead to these changes, or they may come from changes in lifestyle, roles, and abilities.

Treatment for mood changes isn’t always necessary because feelings like grief, sadness, and worry are normal responses to a significant life event like a stroke. However, when these symptoms are chronic and severe enough to impact daily functioning, a person may have a mood disorder. At least one in three people affected by stroke is diagnosed with depression within five years after a stroke, and one in five is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Because mood disorders can interfere with rehabilitation and increase disability, recognizing and treating these symptoms is important for recovery. Many people affected by stroke can benefit from psychological and/or psychiatric treatments.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety may be different for different people and often overlap. Some of the most common symptoms are listed below.

Treatment

Interventions for mood disorders may include psychological treatments (e.g., psychotherapy), behavioral and environmental modifications, and medications. Psychotherapy involves working with a licensed mental health provider (e.g., psychologist, licensed professional counselor) and may focus on setting goals, solving problems, improving relationships, acceptance, relaxation, and meditation, or changing unhelpful patterns of thinking. Some individuals who have had a stroke may not be able to participate fully in psychotherapy due to problems with memory, language, or reasoning. Fortunately, creating a supportive and positive environment and engaging in pleasant activities positively affects mood.

Your medical doctors (e.g., psychiatrist, neurologist) may also prescribe medications to treat mood disorders. These medications work by targeting chemical changes in the brain after stroke. For example, antidepressants increase the activity of chemicals related to motivation and drive. All of these interventions can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, but they work best in combination.

What can you do in the hospital or at home?

Medical providers and members of the treatment team can work with patients and caregivers to generate strategies for managing or responding to changes in mood. Some recommendations might include:

• Encourage and allow for rest and quiet time.
• Orient the person to the situation (such as day, time, place, and activity).
• Maintain structure and routine in daily schedules.
• When someone is outside their usual environment, keep familiar items nearby, such as photographs, mementos, and special clothing.
• Validate emotions. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to feel when recovering from a stroke.
• Spend time on enjoyable activities and socialization. Feeling engaged and connected to others can improve mood.
• Focus on concrete, short-term, achievable goals.

If you or a loved one is concerned about changes in mood, be sure to talk to your medical providers. You are not alone!

Sources:

https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/effects-of-stroke/emotional-effects-of-stroke

Post-Stroke Depression: A Review, Robert G. Robinson and Ricardo E. Jorge, American Journal of Psychiatry 2016 173:3, 221-231

Kenny is a veteran – he served four years in the U.S. Army, completing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Richard is an OB-GYN – throughout his career, he has delivered thousands of babies. Kenny is a native Atlantan, and Richard, 35 years Kenny’s senior, has lived in Atlanta for more than four decades.

In December 2021, Kenny was on the job as a sanitation worker, riding on the back of a garbage truck, when another truck hit him, pinning him between the two vehicles. Both of his femurs and pelvis were broken, and he sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

A couple of weeks later, in January 2022, Richard woke up and couldn’t move his arm. When he got up to walk to the bathroom and lost his balance along the way, he realized he was experiencing a stroke.

Both men were admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where they were in the ICU at the same time, and both later transferred to Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program. But it wasn’t until their time at Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd Center’s comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for people recovering from brain injury, that their friendship grew.

Kenny, who affectionately calls Richard “Doc,” recalls bonding with Richard over ice cream, one of Kenny’s favorite treats. Apparently, the pair ate LOTS of ice cream at Spring Creek House, the residential unit at Pathways.

“I guess the staff got annoyed because while we were there, we ate all the ice cream,” Kenny jokes.

Kenny even convinced his therapist to make a trip to an ice cream shop during therapy — and, of course, he convinced Richard and his therapist to come along.

Kenny describes the way he and Richard would wrap up their therapy sessions. “At the end of the day, we always went outside and tried to race our wheelchairs — it's kind of a double trouble story,” he explains.

“We had fun together,” Richard recalls. “In our wheelchairs, we would push each other and help each other out, or race and make a mess of everything. We just tried to have a good time laughing.”

Richard and Kenny would spend the evenings together at Spring Creek House. “He became part of my family. He would sit and eat dinner with my family when they would visit us each night,” Richard explains.

Along with the fun, Kenny and Richard supported each other as they made great strides at Shepherd. Richard had weakness in his left side and problems with his vision after his stroke. In therapy, he worked on walking, regaining strength in his left arm, and correcting his vision. Now, he’s participating in Beyond Therapy® at Shepherd Center. After his injury, Kenny also worked on walking, and although he still uses his wheelchair sometimes, he can now walk with a cane.

While they joke about their shenanigans, Kenny and Richard praise each other’s progress and express a deep admiration for one another.

“Kenny is just a compassionate, caring, kind man, and I have so much respect for what he's accomplished,” Richard says. "He served in Fallujah and Afghanistan. That is so amazing to me. And to have watched him make progress and be able to walk again — it was his drive and desire that helped him accomplish so much. His life experiences are so different from mine. But we really connect.”

And according to Kenny, the feeling is mutual. “Doc's great to be around and to talk to. He’s an all-around stand-up guy,” Kenny explains. “I’m quiet with everybody else, but I feel comfortable talking to him. He helped me keep my head up when I was down in the hospital. When I was depressed, talking to him and eating ice cream with him was perfect for me.”

Kenny and Richard continue to root for each other and celebrate one another’s progress. They look forward to more high jinks — and ice cream — as they continue their rehabilitation.

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.

After his stroke, Phillip spent seven weeks in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was treated for numerous complications, including pneumonia. Phillip then transferred to a long-term acute care center to begin being weaned from his ventilator. When the facility was ready to discharge him a month later, he was still unconscious and using a ventilator to breathe.

“People from two different angles were telling me he needs to get to Shepherd,” Julie says. “Our family from one side and a friend who is a physical therapist on the other.”

On December 23, 2020, Phillip flew to Atlanta in an air ambulance while Julie drove from Cincinnati. Because of precautions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Julie stayed in the room with Phillip for the 73 days he was an inpatient. During that time, he was weaned from his ventilator and emerged from his disorder of consciousness.

While therapists worked with Phillip, Julie was busy gathering information about Phillip’s condition and available resources.  

“I took advantage of every course Shepherd had, every family support group, every brain injury education class, everything,” she says.  “I thought, ‘Just give me the information because otherwise, how are we going to make decisions down the road?’ The education at Shepherd has been invaluable.”

Phillip completed the inpatient Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program and Pathways, Shepherd Center’s outpatient program for people recovering from brain injuries. He and Julie returned to Cincinnati in May 2021, but Phillip experienced a setback — he developed hydrocephalus and needed a shunt to drain excess fluid from his brain. The silver lining — insurance allowed Phillip to return to Shepherd Center for more therapy.

This time, while he was an inpatient, Phillip and his care team worked on improving his swallowing and walking, and Phillip began to talk some.

“I started functioning again as a human being,” he says.

Phillip says that his memories began again during his second time at Pathways.

“I started a second life. That's when I have a memory that is relatively coherent,” he explains.

He also started walking on his own and got his feeding tube removed.

The stroke resulted in aphasia, which affects Phillip’s ability to find the right words to express his thoughts but does not affect his intelligence. He shared how much he has felt Julie’s love and support throughout his recovery.

“I didn't really know what was wrong with me. I just knew I had some serious problems, and I was going through the motions that Julie set in place because I knew I loved her, and I assumed she loved me because there was no way anybody could be doing everything she was doing for me unless she loved me,” he explains.

Phillip says aphasia is challenging, not only because of the frustration of trying to communicate but also dealing with the way people react.

“I read people too much — I can see when people are staring at me oddly, and that throws me,” he explains.

That makes him even more appreciative of his close group of loving and supportive friends.

“I'm surrounded by a small group of people who are my best friends in the world.”

For Julie, in addition to support from friends and family, Shepherd's family peer support groups were crucial, so now she volunteers her time to help others.

“I got so much out of it, particularly early on; anything I can do to share or offer advice or support to anybody going through this, I am more than happy to do that,” she explains.

Phillip’s recovery continues – with ups and downs. One big hurdle was dealing with fatigue and brain fog, a side effect of one of his medications. But Phillip is working hard to establish new connections in his brain, while Julie connects him with all the resources she can find.

Phillip has participated in intensive rehabilitation to work on his communication skills. He also follows a home exercise program and uses apps his speech therapist recommended. He has plans for his next woodworking projects, and he and Julie are even trying hiking again. 

“I'm working every day to get it a little bit better,” he says.

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.

Whether injured on the job or elsewhere, for many patients at Shepherd Center, one of their primary goals after injury or illness is to return to or join the workforce in a job that both accommodates their needs and fulfills them professionally. Fortunately, Shepherd Center now offers comprehensive vocational evaluations (CVE) onsite.

“A CVE assists an injured worker in setting a structured vocational goal by utilizing a battery of assessment tools and a complete review of medical information, work history, and labor market information,” says vocational specialist Laura McDowell, MS, CRC, CVE, NCC. “A CVE will help determine if and how an injured worker can return to work.”

CVEs at Shepherd Center include:

• Measurements of vocational interests and aptitudes
• Measurements of learning abilities and academic levels
• Measurements of physical and mental capacities
• Analysis of transferrable skills and strengths
• Labor market survey
• Recommendations for accommodations and additional supports
• Transportation needs

Assessment reports will also identify employment barriers and loss of wage-earning capacity and provide a detailed plan to return to other suitable employment, with or without accommodations, if possible.

“Having a CVE done at Shepherd Center offers many benefits for both case managers and Shepherd Center patients,” McDowell says. “We can assist your clients in discovering a feasible return-to-work goal consistent with their abilities, interests, and aptitudes while also streamlining their care in one place and creating momentum in reaching their vocational goals more quickly.”

For more information or to schedule a CVE for your client, contact vocational specialist Laura McDowell, MS, CRC, CVE, NCC at laura.mcdowell@shepherd.org or 404-350-7588.

“I said, ‘I think I would,’” Bradford recalls. “I’d always drawn but designing the Mardi Gras floats really got me into painting. My dad had turned it into an art form, and I followed his lead. I’d sketch out the floats and then paint them."

The bold designs and vibrant colors of Mardi Gras captivated Bradford. Before long, he had branched out to subjects of his own choosing: wildlife, Mobile Bay waterways, and much more. He converted a room in the back of his house into a studio and began painting almost every day. A commercial real estate broker by trade, painting became Bradford’s release valve.

“What it does is give me some meditation, so to speak,” Bradford says. “When you’re drawing or painting, you unzip a bubble, step inside, and zip it up after you. You forget everything in your own little world. It’s been good for me."

On July 20, 2018, Bradford’s bubble burst.

He had taken his daughter Campbell, then 16, up to Knoxville, Tennessee, for a regional swim competition. As ever, Bradford had his sketchbook in tow. While sketching one afternoon during the trip, he experienced a stroke. He spent 10 days in Knoxville at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, then a month at Shepherd Center with a team of specialists “putting Humpty Dumpty together again,” as Bradford describes it.

The stroke didn’t impair his speech, but it did impact his memory and severely affect the right side of his body — a concerning consequence for a right-handed painter. Physical and occupational therapists at Shepherd Center’s Stroke Rehabilitation Program focused on re-training his body to achieve certain movements that would help him paint once again.

Early on, Bradford’s dad asked if there was anything he needed with him. Bradford requested a sketch pad and pencils. That sketchbook now serves as a historical document, illustrating Bradford’sprogress as he recovered from his stroke.

On August 5, Bradford scratched out a house, left-handed. It was a far cry from his true artistic abilities, but it gave him a sense of possibility. A few days later, Bradford tried drawing with his right hand for the first time. He attempted a pair of faces “that looked like a three-year-old did them,” Bradford says. But, again, the exercise motivated him, steeling his resolve.

He poured himself into his therapy, including water-color art classes through Shepherd Center’s recreational therapy programs. He did yoga there, too.

“I did everything I possibly could to push myself ahead,” Bradford says. “Shepherd Center is great at getting you to keep pushing your limits."

All along, Bradford kept filling up his sketchbook. Flip the pages, and the drawings get sharper, more detailed by the day. By the end of his stay at Shepherd Center, Bradford’s lines had shed their shakiness, and his characters had once again become recognizable. By December, Bradford painted his first post-injury drawing, adding shades of red, blue, brown, and yellow to a turkey.

“It’s funny, I think my drawings and paintings are better now,” he says. “Before, I always had to have my lines be perfect. Now, my imperfections give it more of an artistic flair."

Bradford’s once again designing Mobile’s famed floats. And last summer, he completed a series of stylized paintings of fish that are now for sale at the McCoy Outdoor Company in Mobile.

“I’m never gonna get rich off this, but maybe it’ll pay for my paints,” Bradford says with a laugh.

Written by Phillip Jordan

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, hundreds of thousands of patients have required intubation and the use of a ventilator. These lifesaving pieces of equipment have helped thousands of patients breathe, but they will also make it very difficult to speak. Being intubated involves a tube passing between the vocal cords into the windpipe; therefore, it can make it very difficult for patients to communicate verbally.

For decades at Shepherd Center, we have been caring for patients with spinal cord and brain injury who cannot speak due to intubation, vocal cord paralysis, tracheal stenosis and other conditions. They all have this in common – the desire to communicate. A patient's inability to communicate can add extra stress to a patient who is already in crisis mode. In fact, several studies have reported that a patient's inability to communicate can cause or further exacerbate feelings of psychological and emotional distress, anxiety, panic, fear, frustration and helplessness. Looking at it another way, a patient's ability to communicate when intubated also can decrease complications stemming from a lack of communication with members of their healthcare team.

With the rate of intubation again on the rise due to COVID-19, we continue to receive several requests from healthcare providers and peers around the country asking for advice and resources on how to help hospitalized patients with limited ability to speak. Here are my suggestions for helping people with COVID-19 find their voices.

Keep it Simple – While we all love our high-tech communication tools, sometimes simpler is better. If a patient is intubated and unable to speak but can still use his or her hands, try to communicate with pen and paper. You can also use a whiteboard and dry erase markers. A Boogie Board LCD writing tablet is also a good option if you have access to one. Of course, make sure to disinfect anything you use to communicate.

Use Yes and No – Establish a sound system of “yes” and “no” based on the patient’s capabilities. This can be as simple as thumbs up for “yes” and thumbs down for “no.” Other options are to nod your head up and down for “yes” and side to side for “no” or blink once for “yes” and twice for “no.” Then, ask targeted questions to investigate what the patient may need. Always confirm that what you think the patient is saying is correct. Make a note in the patient’s record or in the patient’s room of what their “yes” and “no” system is so that other providers can use it as well. Once you establish your yes and no system, communication will become much more manageable.

Communicate with a Board – Try using a communication board. These boards can simply say “yes” or “no,” or they can include various words such as “pain,” “thirsty,” “I’m cold,” or “What is that medication?” Or you can find premade boards with hospital-focused vocabulary here. To use one, you'll want to:

• Print out and laminate the communication board.
• Establish a reliable “yes” and “no” system with the patient.
• Place the board so that it is visible to the patient.
• If the patient can point, have them point at what they’re trying to say on the board.
• If they cannot use their hands to point, point to each row in order and ask: “Is it in this row?” or say “Row 1,” “Row 2,” etc.
• Once the patient makes a row selection, point to each successive box in the row and ask, “Is it this one?” or read the text in each box.
• Be sure to modify your speed according to the individual patient’s needs.
• Disinfect the board.

Our custom communication boards have been such a tremendous resource to our patients that Tobii Dynavox, a company that develops and provides eye-tracking technology for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), adapted them and translated them into more than 20 languages to be used all over the world.

"When the pandemic swept across the globe last year, we were deeply concerned about individuals who currently use AAC to support their voice and in addition to all those without any warning losing their ability to communicate even the simplest of request,” says Tara Rudnicki, president of the North American Market for Tobii Dynavox. “In a chaotic hospital setting, these communication boards gave and continue to give each patient the ability to participate in their own healthcare decisions in a crisis time. They also assisted healthcare workers to quickly focus on patient needs, concerns and questions in order to deliver the best care possible."

Test Technology – Dozens of mobile apps are available to help with non-verbal communication, including Vocable, which tracks head movements to facilitate communication. There are also apps that will act as a whiteboard. When there is time for training on both the patient and provider side, these apps can be invaluable. But in a time when hospitals and care providers are likely overburdened, simpler might be better. Also, keep in mind that in many healthcare facilities, Wi-Fi coverage may be spotty, which makes many apps and online tools difficult and frustrating to use. If this is the case, see above and keep it simple.

During these challenging times, I understand that there may be no time to use some of these tools. If that’s the case, I recommend simply using the whiteboard or writing the alphabet on a piece of paper.

For additional information regarding communication strategies for hospitalized patients with limited ability to speak, please visit these resources:

• ICU Communication Boards
• Tobii Dynavox Communication Boards (account required to download)
• Patientprovidercommunication.org
• COVID-19 Communication Board
• Partner Assisted Communication Video
• Vocable App

For more information, you can contact me at adina.bradshaw@shepherd.org.

Shepherd Center announced today that it has been named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN. Shepherd Center earned this recognition with a score of 90 out of a possible 100 on the Disability Equality Index® (DEI), the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for measuring disability inclusion in the workplace.

“This recognition by American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN underscores Shepherd Center’s commitment to its mission, which is to help people with disabilities rebuild their lives with hope, independence and dignity, while advocating for their full inclusion in all aspects of community life,” said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO of Shepherd Center. “We’re honored by this recognition and will continue to expand our efforts to increase inclusion and celebrate the unique talents and perspectives our team brings to Shepherd Center and the community.”

Of the 272 businesses to qualify for the Disability Equality Index in 2021 with scores of 80 or above, Shepherd Center was one of 58 companies to earn a score of 90 or higher. Shepherd Center is one of only a few hospitals to receive a score of 90 or above.

“The Disability Equality Index shines a spotlight on companies that believe they have a stake in creating a more equitable society for people with disabilities,” said Maria Town, president and CEO of AAPD. “It is a conduit for our work championing disability rights for the 60 million Americans with disabilities and knocking down barriers to employment, technology and healthcare, and we're thrilled to see the progress being made today.”

A company’s 2021 DEI score is based on their self-reported inclusion practices, policies and hiring commitment for people with disabilities during the calendar year 2020. The DEI participants invest time and resources to build inclusive programs and policies across six areas, including culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices (e.g., benefits, recruitment, employment, education, retention and advancement, and accommodations), community engagement and supplier diversity.

This year’s DEI was modernized to ask companies new questions that account for the evolving workplace following COVID-19. These questions address things such as their investments in innovative technology to advance digital accessibility, the availability of mental health and wellness benefits, paid caregiver leave, supplemental long-term disability insurance, accessible remote and in-person conferencing technologies, and flexible work options for people with disabilities.

You can view the entire Disability Equality Index here.

About the Disability Equality Index®

The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. The organizations are complementary and bring unique strengths that make the project relevant and credible to corporations and the disability community. The tool was developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates. Learn more at: www.DisabilityEqualityIndex.org.

This year, Tatyana McFadden, 32, of Clarksville, Maryland, won the women’s open division with a first-place finishing time of 24:07.52. This is her eighth win. In the men’s open, Daniel Romanchuk, 20, of Champaign, Illinois, took the crown to win with a finishing time of 19:04.09. It is his fourth win.

“We were thrilled to once again welcome an elite field of racers to Shepherd Center’s Wheelchair Division of the AJC Peachtree Road Race,” said Rebecca Washburn, MS, manager of Shepherd Center’s Beyond Therapy^® and wellness programs. “These athletes are an incredible display of dedication, perseverance and athleticism as they speed up Cardiac Hill and past Shepherd Center. This race was particularly special because it marks both our 40^th year and a return to in-person racing.”

The 6.2-mile competition began on Lenox Road in the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta’s shopping district, and followed Peachtree Road for six miles, passing Shepherd Center, before slicing through the heart of Midtown to the finish line at 10^th Street and Piedmont Park. The race is one of the largest and fastest wheelchair 10Ks in the country.

The top finishers in each division received peach-shaped crystalline trophies in a ceremony following the race. 

The Atlanta Track Club was the platinum sponsor of the event, and MARTA was the silver sponsor. Other donors included JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead, the Kyle Pease Foundation and Halls Atlanta Flowers. Sponsors defrayed travel and lodging expenses for racers and awarded cash prizes to winners.

A complete list of Wheelchair Division winners and more race information is available here or as a PDF download on this page. Additional race results are available at atlantatrackclub.org.

Photos by Steve Schaefer

No one expects stroke to happen, especially in young adults. Seth Dickinson was a freshman at the University of Mississippi when he experienced a ruptured brain aneurysm and AVM rupture in March 2015. Seth joins Picking Our Brain with Shepherd Center to speak about his experience with rehabilitation and returning to school.

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

“My first day [at Shepherd Center] they were trying to stand me up,” Seth says. “To me, mentally, that showed me that if they’re going to give me a chance, I’m going to take it.”

In the new episode, Seth discusses realizing he was having a stroke, and his experience with recovery. He speaks about his close relationship with his therapists in Shepherd Center’s inpatient stroke rehabilitation program and at Shepherd Pathways. Together, they were able to create an experience tailored to Seth’s educational and career goals.

Seth completed his undergraduate degree in Public Policy Leadership at the University of Mississippi and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College in May 2018 and graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in April 2021. He plans to take the Mississippi bar exam in July and will begin at the Mississippi State Supreme Court in August.

Learn more about comprehensive stroke rehabilitation at Shepherd Center.

“Imagine not being able to drive independently or having to count on other people or public transportation to go anywhere,” says Ben, a U.S. Army veteran who sustained a C-4 incomplete spinal cord injury in a car crash in 1989. “Public transportation isn’t always reliable, and I didn’t want to inconvenience my family and friends by asking them to drive me everywhere I needed to go.”

Fortunately, Shepherd Center’s Adaptive Driving Program, which is part of the Assistive Technology Center, aims to help drivers like Ben remain independent while keeping them and other drivers safe. The adapted driving team, consisting of certified driver rehabilitation specialists, including a certified driving educator and two occupational therapists, helps clients evaluate, understand and use available transportation options while also addressing safety and accessibility issues after experiencing a loss in mobility.

When clients first come to Shepherd Center Adaptive Driving Program in Atlanta, they undergo an in-center evaluation, typically lasting three hours. The first hour-and-a-half is a clinical assessment of the client’s arms, legs, vision, cognition and balance for driving. The last hour-and-a-half is an on-road assessment.

“We begin by evaluating clients’ physical capabilities like eyesight, reaction time and brain function,” says Matt Abisamra, OTR/L, CDRS, the driving program supervisor. “We also look at their current level of function and how their disability may affect driving.”

Next, it’s time to hit the road. Abisamra takes clients out on the road and films the entire trip. He looks at their awareness of traffic, street signs and intersections. He also assesses how clients negotiate turns and hills. When they complete the assessment, Abisamra shows the video to the client to illustrate what tools may help them drive independently, or sometimes to show them why driving is not a safe option. If the team determines a client can continue moving forward with driving, training can begin with one of Shepherd Center’s driver specialists.

“At Shepherd Center, they have seven practice vehicles to use, so I would do two hours of training in the morning and two hours more in the afternoon several times a week,” Ben says. “I was a little nervous at first, but the longer I was driving, the smoother and more confident I got. The team was amazing and really inspired confidence.”

Program specialists provide information on obtaining a driver’s license, purchasing modified vehicles and using adaptive equipment. Then, if the client purchases their own adaptive vehicle, the team at the Adaptive Driving Program goes to work making recommendations to outfit the vehicle with any adaptations needed and then orients the client with their new purchase.

For example, clients may need a device to help them accelerate and brake. This can be a levers that connects the pedals to a hand control, where the hand control works most commonly by pushing toward the dashboard to brake and pulling back to give it gas. These can be devised as an electronic system if the client needs help moving those levers.

For clients who have minimal function in their upper body, the team at the Adaptive Driving Program can offer recommendations for advanced technological solutions, like a joystick, touchpad controls, and brake and steering wheel modifications. Ben, who recently purchased his own vehicle, benefitted from Shepherd Center’s access to the most technologically advanced driving systems on the market.

“I have quadriplegia, and I have limited use of my arms and hands, but I can still drive,” Ben explains. “I have the highest level of high-tech driving controls and use a joystick to drive.”

While a doctor’s referral is required before scheduling an appointment for Shepherd Center’s adaptive driving services (a doctor’s order requesting a PT/OT driving evaluation is sufficient), it is not required that a client be an existing Shepherd Center patient. The Adaptive Driving Program is open to anyone who needs to be evaluated for safe driving. That includes people with spinal cord or brain injuries, as well as those who have cognitive, behavioral or physical disabilities or concerns related to aging.

“When we hear from patients and community members, one of the main things they want to continue doing or get back to doing is driving independently,” Abisamra says. “It opens their world up beyond their homes so that they can continue doing the things they love.”

And Ben is living, driving proof.

“Now, I can get into my car and go get groceries when I want to,” Ben says. “I can drive myself to the state park and push myself around on the trails to exercise on my own. I can drive to my daughter’s house to meet my second grandchild. I can visit friends and do anything anyone else can do. Getting this ability back has been a life-changing experience. It’s freeing.”

For more information, visit shepherd.org/driving or call 404-350-7760.

By Kerry Ludlam

“The move was eye-opening,” Markee says. “I cook, do laundry and many other things, but with moving, I couldn’t physically help like I wanted to. So, I let myself feel down for a day, and then picked myself back up because I am so grateful for all that I can do.”

In April 2018, Markee and her husband of 34 years, Mike, visited Hilton Head, South Carolina, for their pastor’s retirement party. On the night of Saturday, April 21, Markee experienced severe chest and head pains and went straight to the emergency room. Doctors initially treated her for a suspected heart attack, and they returned home to Georgia after discharge from the hospital.

“By 10 p.m. on Sunday, it felt like my head had exploded with pain,” Markee recalls. “I went to a local ER that transferred me to Piedmont Columbus Regional in Columbus, Georgia. The neurosurgeon there was a Godsend. He confirmed that I had experienced a hemorrhagic stroke.”

After Markee’s condition stabilized, she transferred to Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program on May 1, 2018.

“Initially, my entire right side was paralyzed from the stroke, and I had pain in my head and neck,” Markee says. “I also had some cognitive deficits like misspelling words because my brain was thinking faster than I could write.”

Markee worked with a team of specialists to expedite her rehabilitation.

“I really liked that there was a set plan every day,” Markee says. “Your whole team communicates with each other, so you feel like everyone knows you well, no matter who you are working with.”

She refers to two team members in particular as her “Shepherd angels”: Liz Huls, PT, DPT, NCS,

acquired brain injury (ABI) physical therapist, and Sara Elise Ham Ciotti, M.Ed, CCC-SLP, ABI speech pathologist.

“Liz was like my sergeant, and always with a smile,” Markee jokes. “She asked me what I wanted to accomplish when I left Shepherd Center, and I told her I wanted to ride a bike. Liz came up with a plan for me to ride my bike around the gym track while she and my husband ran beside me for extra support. She always knew how to push me and make my rehabilitation fun.”

Markee also remembers an instance when Sara Elise’s vigilance stood out to her.

“I was in a speech therapy session with Sara Elise, and out of nowhere, I started rambling my words,” Markee says. “Based on her training and caring for me, she knew to look out for signs like this and called the doctor immediately. Thankfully, my CT scan came back fine, but it gave me peace of mind to know I had people like her there for me.”

As Markee progressed in her rehabilitation and her pain and symptoms began to subside, she began to return to her old self again.

“My nickname was Ms. Mayor because I spoke to all my fellow patients and knew their names,” Markee says. “I loved having the opportunity to meet everyone and encourage them every day.”

In addition to her rehabilitation team, Markee relied on faith, family and friends each day for support. Her husband lived in the Irene and George Woodruff Family Residence Center the entire time.

“Mike would pop in for meals with me every day,” Markee says with a smile. “It was great to have him nearby. I could not have survived without him! My whole family was such a support to me during this difficult time.”

Markee was discharged from Shepherd Center on June 2, 2018. By the time she left, she was no longer using a wheelchair or walker. Her cognition had also improved. Markee remembers being shocked when she reviewed her cognitive assessment from one month earlier with Chelsea Day, Psy.D., an ABI clinical neuropsychologist.

“When Dr. Day showed me my entry test, I didn’t even remember taking it because I was not doing well when I came to Shepherd Center,” Markee says. “I was so grateful for how much I had progressed.”

Today, Markee still has impairment in her right arm, hand and leg, but she prefers to focus on what she can do. She is still working on her goal to ride a bicycle and recently completed 100 days in a row of more than 10,000 steps on her fitness tracker, in part thanks to the move she just made.

“We have a ton of sidewalks and walking trails where we live now,” Markee says. “I plan to do everything I can to take care of myself so I can continue to take care of my family and others in the community. I want to give back in honor of all those who were there for me during this experience.”

Written by Damjana Alverson

The project, titled “Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic Through the Use of Telehealth for a High-Risk Population of Patients with Complex Neurological Disorders,” won first place in the Specialty Hospitals category. These annual awards recognize Georgia healthcare organizations for achievement in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.

Because of the increasing impact of COVID-19 on our communities and healthcare systems, like many healthcare organizations, Shepherd Center made the challenging decision to reduce in-person outpatient clinic visits. In addition, Shepherd Center closed several areas of the hospital’s outpatient services, keeping only those services for high-risk and chronic patients who needed ongoing infusion therapy or procedures to treat their conditions.

“There are so many people that were a part of this process, from our front line staff to our executive leadership,” said Marsha Hanson, RN, BSN, CRRN, director of outpatient services. “Because of our special patient population, we couldn’t delay or halt their care. We made it our mission to think outside the box and develop ways to continue to care for our patients outside of our walls and take care into patients’ homes.”

During the pilot and full implementation of the project, Shepherd Center's team took a continuous improvement approach and often refined the scheduling process and communication with patients. The team adjusted workflows in each outpatient area based on the needs of patients and providers. The full implementation showed Shepherd Center was able to successfully meet the needs of patients by offering telehealth while reducing virus exposure risk to patients and staff members.

“We were able to provide telerehabilitation, telepyschology and telemedicine services to ensure patients didn’t lose progress on the function and outcomes they had already gained before COVID,” Hanson said. “We’re grateful to everyone who put a lot of innovative thinking into what we were able to accomplish in a short timeframe and to our executive leadership and board for giving us the support to make it all happen.”

Between March 17 and July 31, 2020, Shepherd Center completed 5,353 telehealth visits and 668 telephone visits across 13 departments with 78 providers and clinicians. Virtual visits have since expanded and will continue in Shepherd Center's outpatient wellness program. Both telehealth and virtual programs will continue. Throughout the pandemic and after, Shepherd Center will continue to modify programs and workflows to meet the needs of patients, payors and regulations, Hanson said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced a re-examination of the manner in which hospitals are accustomed to delivering care,” said Georgia Hospital Association President and CEO Earl Rogers. “We applaud Shepherd Center for its innovation in the use of telehealth to ensure no interruptions in the care of its patient population.”

About PHA
The Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA), an affiliate of GHA, was established in January 2000 to improve patient care and patient safety in hospitals and other healthcare facilities and create healthy communities.

About GHA
Founded in 1929, GHA serves more than 170 hospitals in Georgia and promotes the health and welfare of the public through the development of better hospital care for all Georgia’s citizens. The mission of GHA is to advance the health of individuals and communities by serving as the leading advocate for all Georgia hospitals and healthcare systems. GHA represents its members before the General Assembly and Congress, as well as state and federal regulatory agencies, and is an allied member of the American Hospital Association. For more information, call 770-249-4500 or visit gha.org.

Shepherd Center is a nationally-ranked neurorehabilitation hospital that helps restore the lives of patients with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions stemming from a life-altering injury or diagnosis. It is one of only a few neurorehabilitation specialty hospitals in the nation, having served more than 35,000 patients to date.

Bernie Marcus’ support of Shepherd Center started in the early 1980s at the outset of his long-tenured dedication to philanthropy. He and his wife, Billi, have since been generous supporters of the hospital through both The Marcus Foundation as well through personal donations.

“Billi and Bernie believed in us from the beginning as we dreamed to do the impossible, establishing a specialized rehabilitation program following the catastrophic accident our son, James, experienced,” said Alana Shepherd, Shepherd Center co-founder and chairman of the board. “With The Marcus Foundation’s generosity, we were able to grow from a singular focus on patients with spinal cord injury to now also providing life-restoring care for patients with brain injury, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.”

The Marcus Foundation has been a critical partner as Shepherd Center continued to expand both its capacity and programming to meet the needs of its patients and their families over the years, beginning with a grant in 1988 to fund construction of Shepherd Center’s Billi Marcus Building. Across The Marcus Foundation’s partnership with Shepherd Center, groundbreaking programs were also created like the Marcus Community Bridge Program that supported patients after their inpatient care ended and the SHARE Military Initiative for U.S. service members who experience traumatic brain injury. The Marcuses are also emeriti members of the Shepherd Center Board and have provided personal support to the hospital in various ways, including Billi’s service as the chair of Shepherd Center’s annual fundraising golf tournament for 17 consecutive years.

“Watching Alana and her family nurture the organization from an idea into the premier destination for neurorehabilitation has inspired my family and foundation to continue driving Shepherd Center’s mission forward,” Marcus said. “Billi and I are excited to be a part of Shepherd Center’s next chapters, which will save and change even more patients’ lives from catastrophic injuries and neurological conditions.”

The $80 million grant will support additional capacity so more patients and families can receive Shepherd Center’s transformative care that centers as much on clinical excellence as it does on giving patients confidence and real-world tools to live as independently and pain-free as possible.

“Billi and Bernie have been a profound part of Shepherd Center’s legacy, proving that they will go to great lengths to help us impact, empower and transform the lives of thousands of patients following a catastrophic injury or disease,” said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO of Shepherd Center. “We are thrilled that their commitment will carry forward with us into this next era, which will only be further enriched by our ongoing partnership.”

Marcus added, “In this season of gratitude, I challenge businesses and individuals throughout the community to join me in supporting this critical institution that makes what seems impossible after a life-changing injury or illness a reality for so many thousands of patients and their families.”

For more information, contact:

Leslie Jackson
Communications Manager
Shepherd Center Foundation
404-350-7778
leslie.jackson@shepherd.org

“But, of course, right?” says Maggie, now 32, with a laugh.

The iconic brand was about to release a new line of adaptive clothing featuring solutions like magnetic buttons and velcro zippers to make dressing simpler for people with mobility challenges. A work colleague of Maggie’s at the time had a connection with the manufacturing giant. So, less than a year after leaving Shepherd Center, Maggie McClellan became one of the faces of a Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign.

“Prior to being injured, fastening a button wasn’t anything that ever crossed my mind,” she says. “But I learned real quickly you have to think twice about what you want to wear, how easy it will be to get dressed, where you’re going, what you’re doing.

“It’s really easy to lose what you consider to be ‘yourself’ after a life-changing injury,” she adds. “For me, how I dress is a big part of that. So, while it’s nothing I ever expected, I was proud to be part of that campaign. It made clothes fun again.”

The photo shoots also helped cement Maggie’s post-injury philosophy of trying new things and always looking forward. It’s a mindset she first started to master during her time in Shepherd Center’s Stroke Rehabilitation Program.

GETTING TO A BETTER PLACE
When Maggie had a stroke in 2014, it affected the part of her brain that controls everything from breathing and swallowing to facial movement and balance. While at UVA University Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, she had to use both a feeding tube and a ventilator. When she arrived at Shepherd Center, she started relearning how to speak, eat and move.

“The biggest thing I had to learn was patience,” Maggie says. “Everyone told me it would take time, but that’s hard to hear when you’re 26 and used to being on the go. At first, I allowed my inabilities to outshine what I could do. That made it tough mentally. I slowly learned to be kind to myself, to be patient with my body.”

She credits her Shepherd Center care team for planting seeds of self-love, hope and resilience.

“The thing that meant the most to me,” Maggie says, “was just how nice and supportive everyone was. Yes, they are excellent at what they do, but it’s also how they deliver that care.

“Heaven forbid, I know nobody wants to have a brain injury or spinal cord injury. But if you do, I do not believe there is a better place to be than Shepherd Center.”

In addition to her inpatient stay, Maggie also spent time at Shepherd Pathways, a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation program for people recovering from brain injuries. Maggie recalls pivotal conversations there with Mary Ashlyn Thiede, RYT 200, an exercise physiologist, during an adaptive yoga class.

“She knew I could get frustrated so she would just keep reminding me: ‘There are so many things you’ll still be able to do. You just might have to do them a little differently.’”

Maggie carried that mantra home with her. Five years later, the advice seems as pertinent as ever in the midst of COVID-19.

ADAPTING AGAIN
Like so many of us, Maggie is laying low these days.

“When I catch up with my friends, I think, ‘Hmm, how do I tell them about ordering groceries online again in the most exciting way possible,’” she says jokingly.

In reality, Maggie might be better prepared than most to sustain her mental health during this challenging year.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about my time at Shepherd Center,” she says. “Staying at home more now and having fewer options available, it’s all about learning new things and figuring out new ways to do the activities you love. Keeping a schedule for yourself, even when it feels like there’s not a lot going on, is important. Shepherd Center taught me all that.”

Now, she’s applying those lessons to meet the current moment. For instance, exercise is vital for Maggie’s ongoing physical conditioning. Since she can’t go to her local YMCA to ride the recumbent bike and use their Nautilus weights, she’s revived the adaptive yoga routines she learned at Pathways and has made the most of lightweight resistance bands at home.

Instead of eating out at restaurants, Maggie joined a master gardening class through the University of Tennessee Extension’s online program. This past summer, she grew lettuce, tomatoes and jalapeños. They’ve come in handy when she and her parents — whom she moved back in with once the pandemic hit — have a small, socially distanced cookout once a week with neighbors.

“I’ve been trying out new recipes, but there’s been a lot of macaroni and cheese, too,” she says with a laugh.

Of course, Maggie will be as thrilled as anyone once a return to normalcy is possible. She misses in-person meetings as a board member at the YMCA of Bristol, helping spearhead sustainability efforts. And as a former marketing manager, writer and public relations professional, Maggie wants to find full-time work again, too.

For now, the advice she carries forward from Shepherd Center is also what she prescribes for good mental health amidst a global public health crisis: “Be patient. Try new things as you can. Love yourself,” Maggie says. “We’ll get there."

Written by Phillip Jordan

“Voting is one of our most important civic duties and fundamental rights,” says John Smith, director of government relations and advocacy at Shepherd Center. “Voters with disabilities should know their rights and expect that polling places will provide proper accommodations for accessibility. In addition to the federal protections, Georgia law requires that all polling locations be accessible and have poll workers ready to assist all voters. It is important that all voters know the issues and exercise their right to vote.”

In this online publication, the U.S. Justice Department provides information about federal laws that protect these rights. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.

For example, if the elevated stage of a school auditorium is used as a polling place, there must be a ramp to the stage, and there should be signage and/or a poll worker directing a voter in a wheelchair to that ramp if it is not in plain view. Also, the voting booth height must be adjusted to meet the needs of wheelchair users.

With a presidential election on the ballot, Smith says to be prepared for voting lines to be long.

“If you decide to vote in person, wear a mask to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and other illnesses, and make sure you come prepared with any supplies you need to help sustain you through a long line,” Smith says. “These might include medications, snacks, a water bottle and personal hygiene items.”

If at any time you feel that you have faced barriers in voting, including registering to vote, casting a ballot or accessing a polling place, because of your disability, you can contact your state election officials (typically your Secretary of State’s office) or you can file an ADA complaint here.

For voters who choose not to vote in person, Smith noted that options such as voting by mail and online voter registration make the voting process more accessible to everyone. 

If you choose to vote by mail, time is of the essence. It is important to start this process as soon as possible to ensure your request is processed in time. Nearly every state has unique election laws that dictate their election processes, including how people register to vote, how they vote by mail (absentee ballot) and the timeline for each.

As soon as possible, you need to be registered to vote in your home state and request a mail-in ballot. The easiest way to check your voting status and to request a mail-in ballot is to utilize TurboVote.org, a website that connects you to your state’s election website and simplifies the steps required to register and request a ballot. While you can always go directly to your state’s election website, TurboVote.org can help streamline the process.

Written by Damjana Alverson

“When COVID-19 began impacting our community, we knew we had to help,” said Colgate Mattress Vice President Richard Wolkin. “As a manufacturing facility, we have the unique ability to repurpose some of our supplies for masks. We have worked tirelessly to manufacture a mask that can be utilized to better protect our community.”

Colgate Mattress^TM, the nation’s oldest family-owned manufacturer of crib mattresses and accessories, is committed to supporting its local Atlanta community during the recent coronavirus pandemic. In response to the shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, Colgate is taking actionable steps to manufacture necessary masks at scale. Shepherd Center, also an Atlanta mainstay, is a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions.

Over the course of three days, Colgate Mattress developed a mask prototype and accelerated manufacturing efforts to produce about 500 masks per day. 

“We’re grateful for and inspired by local businesses such as Colgate who have pivoted on their own business model to help organizations during this time,"  said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO of Shepherd Center. “We’re grateful to Colgate for committing to keeping our community safer. Community support is always vital, but even moreso during this challenging time.”

Colgate Mattress also continues to manufacture and provide parents with high-quality crib mattresses and accessories. The company has been an industry pioneer, being the first to manufacture polyurethane mattresses, foam crib mattresses and dual-firmness mattresses from its home base in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We’ve been a part of the Atlanta community for 65 years,” Wolkin said. “Through our mask-making efforts, we’re honored to give back to the community that has given us so much in a small way. “

For more information about Colgate Mattress, visit ColgateKids.com.

About Colgate Mattress

Founded in 1955, Colgate Mattress is a third-generation family-owned business with a 65-year heritage of manufacturing premium crib mattresses. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company creates the largest selection of foam and innerspring crib mattresses, foam mattress pads and crib accessories. Colgate products are GREENGUARD™ Gold certified, nontoxic and made in the USA using only the finest internal components available. Colgate Mattress is proud to be among the first members of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), an organization dedicated to enhancing child product safety. Among many other industry recognitions, Colgate Mattress was named a 2018 JPMA Innovation Award Winner and recently received the 2019 Baby & Children’s Product News Readers Favorite Award, 2019 Eco Excellence Award and 2019 Cribsie New Arrival Award.

We honor the late James Shepherd, beloved co-founder of Shepherd Center, advocate, visionary, family member and friend. James always said that Shepherd Center was the bridge between "I can't" and "I can." At Shepherd, we believe those words and hope you find encouragement in the stories of hope and determination featured in this issue.

The Show Must Go On Anne Nelson learns to heal and thrive after sustaining a spinal cord injury through her love of dance and performing.

Man Doesn’t Let MS Define Him Jake Revell approaches MS with determination and patience.

Volunteering to Support Caregivers Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Family Peer Support Program works to support family members caring for loved ones who have sustained brain injuries.

You can subscribe to the print and/or e-newsletter versions of Shepherd Center's magazine here.

Maybe they grew up together in Atlanta or were classmates at the Westminster Schools. For others, they met the avid Bulldog in Athens as students at the University of Georgia. Some worked alongside the businessman at Shepherd Construction and Plant Improvement. Others might have fallen for one of his notorious pranks, a sure sign he considered you a friend.

But for many people, the story of how they met James began with his life-changing spinal cord injury in 1973. James, along with his parents Alana and the late Harold Shepherd, and David Apple, M.D., founded Shepherd Center after James sustained a paralyzing spinal cord injury in 1973. James completed spinal cord injury rehabilitation at Craig Hospital in Denver, where five months later he walked out with a brace and a crutch.

For some, that would have been enough. But for James and his family, it wasn’t. They wanted others to have access to state-of-the-art rehabilitation care in the southeastern United States, so they galvanized support among the Atlanta community to open Shepherd Center. It quickly became clear that James was never going to let his injury get in the way of him doing something he wanted to do – and he never did. Together with his family, he turned his tragedy into a lifelong passion.

On December 21, 2019, James H. Shepherd, Jr. died as he lived – a good-humored and loyal father, grandfather, son and friend, a devoted Georgia Bulldog, an advocate and a visionary.

Son, Father, Grandfather and Friend
James had a profound love and trust for his family that was visible in almost every area of his life. One of his greatest joys had been raising his children and having them officially join Shepherd Center’s mission – son Jamie as chief operating officer and daughter Julie as a case management team leader. James was also the doting grandfather to four and took every chance to talk about his grandchildren.

“James felt great pride in founding such an incredible organization with his family,” says Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO of Shepherd Center. “He felt immense love and absolute pride for his children, Jamie and Julie, knowing they will lead the next generation of Shepherd Center to even greater heights.”

Nearly every day until his passing, James could be found in Shepherd Center’s cafeteria having lunch with his family – a time he used to connect with them, but also to connect with patients and their families. He knew how important family is to the rehabilitation process and aimed to make Shepherd Center a place where patients and families alike felt supported and welcomed.

“I’m so grateful to James’ tight-knit family for sharing him with so many,” says Kathy Slonaker, BS, RN, CRRN, an admissions triage nurse at Shepherd Center and long-time friend. “A colleague once remarked that James had the biggest family in the world because he made everyone feel like family.” James was also known as a quick-witted friend with a penchant for well-timed jokes.

“I always knew that he was going to have a good joke in every meeting,” says Susan Hawkins, chair of Shepherd Center’s Board of Trustees. “I knew I was not going to leave without him saying something that made me laugh.”

Fred Alias is a long-time friend of James’ and a member of Shepherd Center’s Board of Directors.

“I have known James my entire adult life, and the thing I liked the most was his smile,” Alias says. “It was always a little devilish on one side and angelic on the other.”

James never outgrew his love of a good prank, especially if it fell on April Fool’s Day.

“He had a great sense of humor and fiery wit,” Morrison says. “James loved to punk people. We all knew what a prankster he was, yet that never stopped many of us from falling for his pranks. Despite this, James had an intense respect for the staff. He was our champion – probably in many ways you would never realize.”

A Damn Good Dawg
James made no secret of his love for the Georgia Bulldogs. A 1973 graduate of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, James was the ultimate UGA fan and evangelist, both for the school and its athletic program. After a beautiful fall football weekend, James would often greet colleagues, patients and families with, “So, what’d you think about that game this weekend?”

“His love of UGA was enormous, and he gave so much of his time and talents to the business school and the athletic department,” Slonaker says. “He touched so many lives of students and student-athletes, including those UGA students and staff members who became patients here at Shepherd Center.”

His commitment to his alma mater did not end upon his graduation but rather strengthened through the years as both of his children graduated from the school. James returned to UGA several times to speak to students and even established a scholarship for first-generation college students.

“The University of Georgia is deeply honored to call James Shepherd an alumnus,” says Jere Morehead, president of the University of Georgia. “He lived a life of profound impact and inspiration, making his alma mater very proud at every turn. His legacy of hope and healing will continue to teach and lift up the Bulldog Nation long into the future.”

One of the honors James was proudest of was receiving an honorary doctorate of laws from the University of Georgia, a recognition made even more special because he received it alongside his parents. In addition to receiving the honorary doctorate at the spring 2011 commencement ceremony, James also gave the commencement speech, during which he said: “The story of our lives is not what happens to us, it’s what we do about it.”

An Advocate
While James and his family created a haven for people in need of neurorehabilitation at Shepherd Center, that was only part of their mission. James also aimed to create a world outside Shepherd Center’s walls that was more thoughtful and inclusive of people with disabilities. He regularly communicated with community leaders, legislators and the news media to increase public awareness. He also toured groups through Shepherd Center, spoke to community organizations, and made advocates and supporters of the many people he reached.

In Atlanta and beyond, he actively served on numerous boards and committees to further education and research to benefit people with disabilities. He served as director of the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation, on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Rehabilitation Technology, the Governor’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Trust Fund Authority and as a board member of Initiative 2000 (a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act). He also served as a delegate for the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, as well as on the Steering Committee for the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, which led the Interfaith Conference on Disability Awareness. He was an active volunteer in the community, having volunteered on the accessibility advisory committees of MARTA, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome.

“James was committed to doing everything in his power to rebuild the lives of the people in our care, both inside Shepherd Center and out in the world,” Morrison says. “There wasn’t a day that went by that you could not feel and see his influence.”

A Visionary
In 1975, just two years after James sustained a spinal cord injury, Shepherd Center began as a six-bed unit operating out of leased space in an Atlanta hospital. James was able to leverage the business savvy and connections he’d honed working alongside his family at Shepherd Construction and Plant Improvement with the passion he felt to help people reclaim their lives after illness or injury.

“James was a forward thinker – always with the staff, patients and their families in mind,” says David Apple, M.D., medical director emeritus and Shepherd Center co-founder. “James had a sense of humor, which endeared him to staff and friends. James was the epitome of one who turned tragedy into triumph.”

Today, Shepherd Center is a state-of-the-art facility with 152 beds, including a 10-bed intensive care unit.

“James saw Shepherd Center with a 360-degree vision from the perspective of the patient, the medical and rehabilitation professionals, those providing care, encouragement and support, as well as those receiving care, encouragement and support,” says James D. Thompson, vice president of Shepherd Center’s Board of Directors. “His experience allowed him to understand Shepherd Center from the perspective of rehabilitation, operations, regulatory, finance, charitable giving, as well as community and governmental relations. James’ legacy is wide and deep.”

As chairman of the Board of Directors of Shepherd Center for nearly 45 years, James led the hospital to become the pre-eminent center of excellence for care and research for patients and families experiencing spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions. “James devoted his life to ensuring Shepherd Center’s teams could take the so-called impossible cases and help people put their lives back together,” Morrison says. “Thanks to him, thousands of patients and families have found a pathway to independence, hope and dignity.”

While James certainly had the strategic vision to build Shepherd Center into a thriving organization, perhaps where he excelled most was in creating the culture that Shepherd Center is known for – one of hope, hard work and humor.

“One of the biggest parts of James’ legacy is the culture he helped build,” Hawkins says. “We foster hope instead of despair, and we believe in helping everyone live a life of purpose. It’s who we are and how we live.”

Before his passing, James was instrumental in launching Vision 2025 which was composed of touchstones for Shepherd Center to accomplish by 2025, the year of its 50th anniversary.

“With James’ leadership, patients and families have remained our true north as we plan for the future,” Morrison says. “He was incredibly excited to see Vision 2025 come to fruition. Achieving our goals of expanding patient access to all services, inspiring transformation through innovation and delivering a world-class experience for all patients and families is the best way we can both honor and carry on his legacy.”

In its nearly 45 years, it is estimated that Shepherd Center has changed the lives of nearly 30,000 patients – all because James had the strength to turn his life-altering injury into a bridge from I can’t to I can. Simply put, I realize I would not be here if James had not had his accident, explains Sally Nunnally, a long-time friend, member of the Board of Directors and early patient of Shepherd Center. “And there are thousands more like me who can say the same thing. If he had not had his accident and reacted the way he did, thousands of people’s lives would be very different. James paved the way.”

Written by Kerry Ludlam

Many other Atlanta and U.S. hospitals have already had to make the same decision. It was a last resort for Shepherd Center as a specialized rehabilitation hospital treating people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions, said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO.

It is Shepherd Center’s top priority to protect the safety of its patients, their families and our staff during this crisis and always, Morrison said. As of April 5, 2020, Shepherd Center has zero COVID-19 positive patients, and the hospital is working diligently to keep the virus from infecting patients, their family members and our staff. Shepherd Center will reinstate visitor access as soon as conditions improve.

“I know I cannot fully comprehend how our patients and their family members feel about this change during the difficult time they are already experiencing,” Morrison said. “But with every decision we make, we are trying to do the best thing for our patients and those who love them.

“I know our patients benefit from the presence of their family members,” Morrison added. “I want them there. But right now, we hope that we can help our patients and their family members understand why it is safest that they are not together physically during this pandemic. We will assist family members with staying in touch with their patients through FaceTime and other apps, and our staff will stay in touch with families regularly. We are also providing free meals twice a day to family members staying in our on-campus Woodruff Family Residence Center. We hope so much this pandemic will be over soon.”

Shepherd Center is making several exceptions to its visitation and access policy. The hospital is allowing:

• one parent, or other designated person, to visit patients who are age 18 and under.
• up to two designated family members/caregivers into the hospital to participate in family training as determined and scheduled by their treatment team.
• and for newly admitted patients, one designated family member/caregiver can visit for up to two days (day of admission and the next weekday).

In all of these cases, the visitors will be screened (including a temperature check) for COVID-19 at the entrance and required to show a photo ID. Managers have been screening staff, as well, but due to the unavailability of no-touch thermometers that Shepherd Center ordered weeks ago, the hospital was not able to take staff members’ temperatures at the entrance until April 2. Now, using donated no-touch thermometers, it is a daily occurrence.

More information on Shepherd Center’s actions related to COVID-19 is available at shepherd.org/COVID19, a web page the hospital is updating frequently as new information becomes available.

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.

The American Hospital Association estimates that throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, 960,000 patients will require intubation and the use of a ventilator. These lifesaving pieces of equipment will help thousands of patients breathe. Being intubated involves a tube passing between the vocal cords into the windpipe; therefore, it can make it very difficult for patients to communicate verbally.

For decades at Shepherd Center, we have been caring for patients with spinal cord and brain injury who are unable to speak due to intubation, vocal cord paralysis, tracheal stenosis and other conditions. They all have this in common – the desire to communicate. The inability for a patient to communicate can add extra stress to a patient who is already in crisis mode. In fact, several studies have reported that a patient's inability to communicate can cause or further exacerbate feelings of psychological and emotional distress, anxiety, panic, fear, frustration and helplessness. Looking at it another way, a patient's ability to communicate when intubated also can decrease complications stemming from a lack of communication with members of their healthcare team.

With the rate of intubation on the rise due to COVID-19, I have received several requests from healthcare providers and peers around the country asking for advice and resources on how to help hospitalized patients with limited ability to speak. Here are my suggestions for helping people with COVID-19 find their voices.

Keep it Simple – While we all love our high-tech communication tools, sometimes simpler is better. If a patient is intubated and unable to speak, but is still able to use his or her hands, try to communicate with pen and paper. You can also use a whiteboard and dry erase markers. A Boogie Board LCD writing tablet is also a good option if you have access to one. Of course, make sure to disinfect anything you use to communicate.

Use Yes and No – Establish a sound system of “yes” and “no” based on the patient’s capabilities. This can be as simple as thumbs up for “yes” and thumbs down for “no.” Other options are to nod your head up and down for “yes” and side to side for “no” or blink once for “yes” and twice for “no.”Then, ask targeted questions to investigate what the patient may need. Always confirm that what you think the patient is saying is correct. Make a note in the patient’s record or in the patient’s room of what their “yes” and “no” system is so that other providers can use it as well. Once you establish your yes and no system, communication will become much more manageable.

Communicate with a Board – Try using a communication board. These boards can simply say “yes” or “no,” or they can include various words such as “pain,” “thirsty,” “I’m cold,” or “What is that medication?” To use one, you'll want to:

• Print out and laminate the communication board.
• Establish a reliable “yes” and “no” system with the patient.
• Place the board so that it is visible to the patient.
• If the patient can point, have them point at what they’re trying to say on the board.
• If they cannot use their hands to point, point to each row in order and ask: “Is it in this row?” or say “Row 1,” “Row 2,” etc.
• Once the patient makes a row selection, point to each successive box in the row and ask, “Is it this one?” or read the text in each box.
• Be sure to modify your speed according to the individual patient’s needs.
• Disinfect the board.

Test Technology – There are dozens of mobile apps available to help with non-verbal communication, including Vocable, which tracks head movements to facilitate communication. There are also apps that will act as a whiteboard. When there is time for training on both the patient and provider side, these apps can be invaluable. But in a time when hospitals and care providers are likely overburdened, simpler might be better. Also, keep in mind that in many healthcare facilities, Wi-Fi coverage may be spotty, which makes many apps and online tools difficult and frustrating to use. If this is the case, see above and keep it simple.

During these unprecedented times, I understand that there may be no time to use some of these tools. If that’s the case, I recommend simply using the whiteboard or writing the alphabet on a piece of paper.

For additional information regarding communication strategies for hospitalized patients with limited ability to speak, please visit these resources:

• Patientprovidercommunication.org
• COVID-19 Communication Board
• Partner Assisted Communication Video
• Vocable App

For more information, you can contact me at adina.bradshaw@shepherd.org.

ADINA BRADSHAW, MS, CCC-SLP, ATP, is a speech-language pathologist in the Assistive Technology Center at Shepherd Center. She has worked at Shepherd Center for more than a decade. She has a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and a master’s degree in speech pathology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Bradshaw also has a teaching certificate, multiple state speech pathology board certifications, ASHA certification and RESNA assistive technology certification.

For most of us, the last few weeks have been unlike any other period in our lives. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has challenged all of us to change the way we operate, and Shepherd Center is no different. In a time of rapid change and constantly breaking news, we remain guided by our concern for the health and wellbeing of our patients, their caregivers, our staff and community. With that in mind, I'd like to share with you the many ways we're working to keep them – and you – safe.

Our team has planned for the impact of COVID-19 on all business operations. We have assessed staffing and prepared for absences so that our patients continue to receive the care they need and deserve. We have been and will continue to screen all of our patients, families, visitors and staff for illness so that we can help keep those both inside and outside our doors healthy. We made the difficult choice to limit visitation in our inpatient units and day program gym to lower risk of transmission from outside of the hospital and are working with patients and families to provide options for communicating electronically.

For our outpatients, though most clinics are closed, we're using telemedicine when at all possible so that there is as little disruption to care as possible. Our Apothecary has also started offering a drive-up service so that patients can continue to get their medications. It's not exactly business as usual, but I have been heartened by how our team has come together even more so than usual under challenging circumstances.

We have developed a plan so that our staff can continue to work despite closing most outpatient clinics/single-service therapy visits. We are cross-training employees, as well as developing new and different ways of functioning to adjust to our new environment. We are allowing more flexible work arrangements, when possible, including working remotely, flexible work hours, increasing teleconferencing and using other tools to minimize employee, patient, family and visitor exposure.

We continue to provide information that is relevant and timely to our patients, families and staff through our social media channels and at shepherd.org/COVID19 We know our patients have specific concerns about how COVID-19 will affect their health, so we launched an e-mail address and phone number for patients to use to get their questions answered by a Shepherd Center staff member. If you have general inquiries related to Shepherd Center's actions related to coronavirus, you may send an email to COVID19@shepherd.org or leave a message at 404-350-7662. We will respond as quickly as possible.

These are unprecedented times that will require all of us to be even more caring, thoughtful, diligent, nimble and resilient. Please take care of yourself and others.

SARAH A. MORRISON, PT, MBA, MHA, is president and CEO of Shepherd Center. She joined Shepherd Center in 1984. Morrison has served in various leadership roles at Shepherd Center, including vice president of clinical services, director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program, director of the medical/surgical and ICU programs, manager of the spinal cord injury day program, a physical therapy supervisor and a physical therapist.

• As a best practice, you should have at least 30 days of supplies and medications on hand at all times, but especially during times when travel and social interaction is restricted.
   
• Keep a list of all of your necessary medications and supplies, and make sure a caregiver and/or family member also has access to your list should they need to do the ordering for you.
   
• Check with your medical supply vendor now regarding the availability and expected delivery dates for the items you need on hand to manage your health for the next 30 days.
   
• Many items require a medical provider’s order, which should be written for a 30-day supply or more when permitted.

• Because many items are made outside the U.S., there may be delays related to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
   
• Request refills of your medications from your pharmacy with plenty of time before your prescription runs out. Some pharmacies may be able to provide you with an early refill if you are not yet due for one. Some insurance companies have waived restrictions on how much of a medication an individual can get at a time.
   
• For Atlanta area customers, the Shepherd Apothecary, located inside Shepherd Center, is open during its regular hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Given the current visitor restrictions at Shepherd Center, customers will be screened at the entrance. Alternatively, customers may call the Apothecary at 404-350-7743 to pay for their prescription medications by credit card. They can let the Apothecary staff know when they will arrive at the hospital’s front circle driveway by the Terry Lee statue. Then, an Apothecary staff member will deliver the prescription to the customer’s car. Another option for some customers is to have the Apothecary ship medications via UPS. Normal delivery is two to three days, but shipments could be delayed.
   
• Follow proper cleaning protocol for all supplies and equipment to lengthen their period of usefulness and to prevent infection.

Laura O’Pry, RN, BSN, CCM, CRRN, is the Transition Support Program Manager at Shepherd Center. She leads a team of healthcare professionals who help prevent patient rehospitalization, improve health and safety outcomes, and promote patient and family autonomy once a patient is discharged from Shepherd Center. Learn more here.

As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health issue evolves, Shepherd Center is going to err on the side of communicating updated information to you quickly, so please anticipate updates and/or changes regularly. We will issue updates via social media (see facebook.com/shepherdcenter), our website at shepherd.org/covid19 and our other communication channels as more information becomes available.

As part of our commitment to enhancing the safety of our patients, families and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made several indefinite operational and policy changes, including restricting access to the hospital and our off-campus facilities.

We recognize that these restrictions take away from the usual Shepherd Center experience. We don’t make these decisions lightly, but we do make them for everyone's safety, particularly for our patients, who are at higher risk for severe complications from COVID-19. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding. For complete updates, be a regular visitor to shepherd.org/COVID19.

• If you have a fever, cough or shortness of breath, please do not come to Shepherd Center for the safety of our patients, families and staff.
   
• Starting Monday, March 16, the only entrances to Shepherd Center’s main campus buildings that will be open are from the parking decks and the Marcus-Woodruff Building front entrance next to our coffee kiosk.
   
• ProMotion Gym, including the pool, and Beyond Therapy are closed to everyone except inpatient units indefinitely starting Monday, March 16.
   
• The cafeteria will be open, but seating will be limited. Takeout meals from our cafeteria will be encouraged.
   
• Effective Monday, March 16, we are restricting visitors in our main campus inpatient units and day program gym to two designated, pre-approved visitors per patient.
   
• Patients with appointments in our outpatient clinics and programs will be contacted 24 to 48 hours in advance of their appointment to be pre-screened for COVID-19 before their appointment. They will receive additional information at that time.
   
• If at all possible, we ask that caregivers of outpatients remain in their cars in the parking deck or lot – or drop off their patient and return for pickup – during the outpatient's visit. Caregivers who need to enter will be screened at the entryway checkpoints before entering.
   
• Only pre-approved, essential vendors and visitors meeting with a staff member will be allowed to enter. You will be required to show proof of pre-approval and a picture ID. Without proof of pre-approval, you will have to call the staff member to come escort you into the building.
   
• Anyone who has been a cruise ship passenger in the past 30 days is not permitted to enter any of our facilities.
   
• People picking up prescriptions at Shepherd Apothecary will be screened at the checkpoints before entering.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We encourage everyone to take preventive steps to stop the spread of COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure to this virus. However, the CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help mitigate the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
   
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
   
• Stay home during this time if you can, but especially if you are sick, for your health and the safety of others.
   
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and then throw the tissue in the trash.
   
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
   
• Follow the CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
   
• The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
   
  • Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for healthcare workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a healthcare facility).
     
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
   
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

We know this is a time that may cause psychological distress. If you are a current inpatient, please talk to your Shepherd Center psychologist. If you are an outpatient, contact your Shepherd Center provider directly or send us a message via COVID19@shepherd.org or leave a message at 404-350-7662. We will respond as quickly as possible. Should you need to talk to a crisis counselor immediately, you may call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

These are trying circumstances for patients, families and staff. As always, we are trying to make the healthiest, safest decisions for our community.

MICHAEL YOCHELSON, M.D., MBA, is the chief medical officer at Shepherd Center. He is a board-certified neurologist and physiatrist who has also served in an academic capacity as a professor and vice chair of clinical affairs in the department of rehabilitation medicine and professor of clinical neurology at Georgetown University.

To listen to the entire Shepherd Center Radio Podcast, download the podcast as an audio file above, or access it at shepherd.org/radio.

Melanie Cole (Host): Welcome. This is Shepherd Center Radio. I’m Melanie Cole. And today, we’re discussing the Coronavirus. Joining me is Dr. Michael Yochelson, he’s the Chief Medical Officer at Shepherd Center and Dr. Jesse Couk. He’s an Infectious Disease Consulting Physician at Shepherd Center. Dr. Couk, I’d like to start with you. Tell us what is the 2019 Novel Coronavirus? What does Novel mean? What is this Coronavirus and how did it start really in Wuhan, China?

Jesse Couk, MD (Guest): Coronaviruses cause infection in people. Typical Coronavirus will just cause mild symptoms like the common cold. However, there are Coronaviruses in animals and when those viruses are transmitted to humans, they can cause severe disease. And the Coronavirus that we first saw in China, we are now calling COVID-19 appears to be one of these viruses. We initially discovered it in Wuhan China. Patients were becoming particularly ill and developing pneumonia. And that’s what’s different about this virus from most Coronaviruses is that it can cause severe disease with pneumonia making patients very ill and requiring hospitalization. It has similarities to SARS which caused an outbreak in 2003. It does not appear to be as fatal as SARS with mortality rates about 1 to 3%.

Host: Well thank you for that explanation. Dr. Yochelson, there have been a number of deaths and as Dr. Couk just said, maybe not as many as SARS but there have been some deaths among people who are young and as far as we know, otherwise healthy. Does this reframe who we think is at risk? I’d like you to speak about the risk factors. Are some people more at risk and especially there at Shepherd Center, are people with spinal cord or brain injuries or MS more susceptible to this virus?

Michael Yochelson, MD, MBA (Guest): Yes, so certainly in those specific patient populations that you asked about and the ones that we treat here at Shepherd Center like multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and brain injury; it is likely that there is some increased susceptibility or at least that if they were to develop it, that they may have a more severe illness. In general, it seems to be that with COVID-19, it is the patients who have some other immune system diseases or illnesses or other medical problems, the elder population tends to be getting more severe injury and higher rates of mortality. Although it certainly is affecting some younger people as well.

The challenge that we have particularly with multiple sclerosis is often they are on medications that may cause some immunosuppression and in brain injury and spinal cord injury population, particularly spinal cord; if they already have underlying respiratory disease; they are more likely to have a very severe case if they do develop it. So, they need to make sure they are taking every precaution to avoid getting it.

Host: What about if they use a ventilator Dr. Yochelson? Are there any special precautions you’d like them to know about that?

Dr. Yochelson: So, there aren’t really any special precautions for someone on a ventilator other than they should certainly use every precaution that we possibly can and again, these are precautions to getting the disease in the first place. So, it is a respiratory disease so avoiding respiratory contact. If somebody, if they have a known person with the Coronavirus; they certainly should not be around that person, travel to areas where it has been noted to be more prevalent and then washing hands is probably the most important thing that anybody can do. Because the droplets, the respiratory droplets, if somebody coughs or sneezes, can then get on surfaces which then the virus can live for a period of time. And then the person can touch a surface, their wheelchair, a table, a door handle and then they touch their own face and that’s one way that it can be spread. So, really just taking every possible precaution to avoid getting the disease in the first place.

Host: Before I move on to Dr. Couk, for some more of those precautions, Dr. Yochelson many people with brain and spinal cord injuries have caregivers. What if the caregiver gets sick? What would you like them to know about that interaction with the person that they are caregiving for?

Dr. Yochelson: I would strongly suggest that they make plans to have a backup caregiver and if their caregiver is sick, their caregiver should not be taking care of them during that period. One of the challenges, of course, is that they can be infectious slightly before they become symptomatic. But their highest period of being contagious is when they are most seriously ill. And this is true not just with Coronavirus, with anything. Even with the flu. Which is going around a lot right now. It’s so important for these patients not to get the Coronavirus or the flu or any other illness and so, it’s best if they can just avoid using that caregiver. If that is not possible at all, and particularly if their caregiver is a family member or household member; using a face mask for the caregiver so that they are not spreading the virus as they cough or sneeze and again, both the caregiver and the patient using precautions such as the handwashing or the sanitizing gel.

Host: Dr. Couk, tell us how it really spreads. We are hearing about hand washing. We’re seeing people wearing masks. Does it live on surfaces? How far away do you have to be? You are an infectious disease specialist, tell us a little bit about how it spreads.

Dr. Couk: Yeah so, COVID-19 is spread by droplets. So, when somebody coughs, for example, those droplets can get on to people and surfaces and then if they are inhaled, those droplets are inhaled or if somebody touches an infected surface and then touches their face or eats food without washing their hands; then they can potentially infect themselves. That’s primarily how it spreads. It’s not airborne. It’s not like measles where you can walk into a room after someone was in that room and get infected. You need to be exposed to the droplets from an infected individual to get this disease.

Host: Well I’m so glad you cleared that up for people because that’s been the big fear and Dr. Yochelson, when we’re thinking of preparing and precautions, especially for people with brain and spinal cord injury; can you please address the need for medication supply, the need you already addressed the need for caregiving. Tell us a little bit about other things you want to make sure that you have on hand.

Dr. Yochelson: Well, I would certainly suggest that you have on hand as much as possible of any cleaning supplies, personal toiletries, things like that, toilet paper in your home, partially because if you have a caregiver who gets sick and you can’t get out to the store or if this becomes more prevalent in the community and you don’t want to risk going out of your home; you want to make sure that you have whatever you need in the home. So, again, personal items, cleaning items, and then from a food supply standpoint; obviously keeping as much as you can, nonperishables in the house so that you can go longer periods of time without having to go to the store. In terms of medications, there is concern and we are already beginning to see this at a very low level, but there is concern that there may be some issues with medication supplies. Because so many of them are made in China and other areas that may become impacted and therefore can’t produce at the same volumes as we need. And so we begin to have a supply issue. So, it’s not only their ability to get out to get their medications but also potentially the availability of the medications themselves.

Host: Dr. Couk, if somebody does have a cough or they start to feel sick; everyone wants to know, should they run off to the doctor. Should they go to the emergency room? Are there enough test kits available? Tell us a little bit about what we should do if we feel sick and where’s the best source of information that you would tell us to get the latest updates?

Dr. Couk: To begin with, with there to find information, both the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health have great websites and I definitely strongly recommend using those resources. I think when you use the internet, it is easy to find misinformation and so if you use those resources, you’ll get not only will you get accurate information, but up to date information as well.

Symptoms of COVID 19 include fever, cough and fatigue. Those are the most common symptoms. Severe disease is characterized by pneumonia and you would see that with shortness of breath, and then some people have reported muscle aches, headache, sore throat and chills. And those symptoms are similar to other respiratory viruses, the common one being flu. And for most patients, who get the flu, it is recommended to stay home. Don’t go out into the public. But if you are concerned, if you feel particularly ill, then I would definitely recommend calling your doctor and for our patients at Shepherd Center, where something like the flu can be a risk to their health; then I do recommend calling your doctor if you have any of the signs of the flu. Regardless of whether you are worried about Coronavirus or not.

Host: Dr. Yochelson, as the Chief Medical Officer at Shepherd Center; tell us what Shepherd Center is doing to help reduce the spread of this and flu and other viruses. What are they doing when interacting with those infected, doing to protect other patients and providers?

Dr. Yochelson: So, we are currently screening all patients who are coming in for outpatient visits. We are screening them for travel as well as any symptoms of the flu or Coronavirus. Anybody who has traveled in any of the areas that the CDC is listing as a level two or level three alert for Coronavirus within 14 days of travel. We are not allowing them to come into the hospital. If they have symptoms, or if they have contact with someone who has traveled in one of those areas; we’re not allowing them to come in. If it is somebody who has to come in for medical reasons, we can’t delay their appointment because they have a procedure or need to come in for medical reasons; of course, we will make an exception and allow them in, if it is the flu. Coronavirus is different. But if it’s the flu, but we still need to be notified and we will take appropriate precautions with protective equipment, PPE such as masks, gloves and gowns and make sure that we get them right back into an exam room so that we are not spreading the flu to others in the area.

We are also limiting visitation to – for our inpatients to immediate family members and caregivers and we are also limiting some of the outside activities because we at Shepherd Center do bring in a lot of people for various activities here at the Center, so we are limiting that. Those that we can’t cancel, we’re screening everybody in advance of coming in using the same criteria. Although for anyone coming in, who is not a patient; we are actually expanding to any international travel, not just the high-risk countries only because we know if they’ve been recently flying on an airplane; you never know who you are sitting next to and who may be sick or who you have been exposed to.

Host: Dr. Couk, last question to you. Tell us what you’d like us to know about this Coronavirus, it’s a little confusing, a little mysterious, a little scary, but clear it up for us. Tell us your best advice and what you’d like us to know as an Infectious Disease Specialist about Coronavirus, things we can do to protect ourselves from possibly getting sick.

Dr. Couk: Most people are not going to get Coronavirus. And I really want to underscore that. And most people who get Coronavirus are not going to get severely ill. About 80% of patients, they get this virus and they get over it. And they don’t have to go to the hospital. I think that it’s important to realize that and remember that when we get concerned or scared about this virus. The measure that we take to try to prevent ourselves from becoming ill are the same measures we should be taking every year during flu season. So, things like washing our hands, trying not to touch our face, trying not to touch our eyes. We probably should not be shaking hands and that’s something that I’m trying to get out of the practice of doing. It can be uncomfortable for those of us who are used to it but it really that’s an effective way to spread germs and we don’t want to be spreading germs especially during cold and flu season and particularly while we are worried about this virus.

So, again, to reiterate, you are most likely not going to get Coronavirus and if you do get it, you are most likely not going to be severely ill from it.

Host: And Dr. Yochelson, do you have any final thoughts for us?

Dr. Yochelson: Well I agree with Dr. Couk. Certainly, the best thing we can possibly be doing is just overall prevention and that’s really the same whether we are talking about the flu or the Coronavirus. The one thing that I would add to that although I agree with Dr. Couk, it’s highly unlikely that any individual is going to get Coronavirus, but if you do think that you are at risk for it because of your travel or contact history as well as fever and respiratory symptoms; before just going to the emergency room, I would advise you to call the emergency room and let them know that you are coming so that they can be prepared. Because the last thing we need is for somebody who does have Coronavirus to walk into a waiting room and spread it to other people in the emergency department.

Host: Well that’s great advice. Gentlemen, thank you so much for coming on and discussing this with us and sharing your expertise. It’s so important for people to hear this really good quality information. That concludes this episode of Shepherd Center Radio. Please visit our website at www.shepherd.org for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other Shepherd Center podcasts. I’m Melanie Cole.

Alana succeeds her son, James H. Shepherd, Jr., who served as the Chairman of the Board for 44 years until his passing in December 2019. Having Alana as Chair of the Board ensures that Shepherd Center will continue to thrive in today’s complex healthcare environment, said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, president and CEO of Shepherd Center.

“As one of our co-founders and a true visionary, Alana is uniquely suited to lead the Shepherd Center Board of Directors,” Morrison said. “We are thrilled that she agreed to continue her steadfast commitment to ensuring that Shepherd Center remains the bridge from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’ for our patients and their families.”

Shepherd Center started as one family’s vision, and its strong legacy is now carried forward by a team of thinkers, innovators, leaders and clinicians who collaborate to produce the nation’s best neurorehabilitation outcomes for patients, Morrison said. In fact, Shepherd Center’s leaders had the foresight more than a decade ago to ensure excellence by creating a robust succession plan for Shepherd Center – a critical effort for every successful enterprise. The plan ensures that the hospital’s commitment to a culture of excellence and a comprehensive continuum of care remains the cornerstone of every effort.

Succession Plan Efforts To Date

Shepherd Center has carefully deliberated and executed plans to ensure the succession of its leadership and the future of its operations and fundraising, Morrison said.

Since 2014, Shepherd Center has successfully completed transitions for eight key senior leadership roles. They are the appointments of:

• Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, to president and CEO in 2017 after the retirement of Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., who served 23 years in the role.
• Michael Yochelson, M.D., MBA, as chief medical officer in 2017.
• Jamie Shepherd, MBA, MHA, to chief operating officer in 2019.
• Chet Bhasin, FACHE, MBA, MS, to chief strategy officer in 2019.
• Brian Barnette, CHCIO, CPHIMS, PMP to vice president and chief information officer in 2016.
• Katie Metzger, OTR, MBA, to director of brain injury services in 2019, after the retirement of Susan Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP, after more than 21 years in the role.
• Sarah Batts, MBA, to executive director of the Shepherd Center Foundation in 2016.
• Lorie Hutcheson to vice president of human resources in 2014, after the retirement of Betsy Fox after 23 years.

“We have been strategic and intentional in building a strong and dynamic leadership team,” Morrison said. “This next generation of leaders will continue to build upon our strong foundation and ensure Shepherd Center’s future for generations to come.”

Another milestone was the Board of Directors’ decision more than 15 years ago to establish the Shepherd Center Foundation and Board of Trustees to ensure philanthropic sustainability, Morrison noted. Since that time, support has increased by 250%. The Foundation also launched a successful next-generation engagement plan to ensure a thriving pipeline of philanthropic support. Today, the Foundation is building a network of national donors to ensure long-term philanthropic sustainability.

Shepherd Center History

Alana, her husband, Harold, as well as James and David Apple, M.D., co-founded Shepherd Center after James sustained a paralyzing spinal cord injury in 1973. Frustrated by the lack of state-of-the-art rehabilitation care in the southeastern United States, the family galvanized support among the Atlanta community to open a facility to provide specialized care for people with spinal cord injuries.

In 1975, Shepherd Center began as a six-bed unit operating out of leased space in an Atlanta hospital. It has grown exponentially in its 45 years from a six-bed rehabilitation unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital that specializes in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain, and other neuromuscular conditions.

“Throughout its history, Shepherd Center has always maintained its original goals – to provide a patient- and family-centered approach to rehabilitation while encouraging patients to look beyond their injuries and embrace the possibilities ahead,” Morrison said.

If you do track him down, look twice to make sure you’ve got the right guy. Mark’s passion is colonial-era and Native American history, and you’ll often find him taking part in historical reenactments. Ask for Mark at one of those events and someone might point you to a colonial townsperson shearing sheep or to a Muscogee Creek elder throwing a spear.

It’s a full life that didn’t seem likely in the weeks after his stroke in 2008, when doctors worked to save his life at Archbold Medical Center in Thomasville, Georgia. But his family held to the biblical promise that, “with God, all things are possible.”

Eventually, Mark improved enough to enter Shepherd Center’s Stroke Rehabilitation Program. While he worked on his long-term physical and mental rehabilitation, Charlotte regularly attended caregiver meetings at Shepherd Center.

“She’d come back from those with so many ideas,” Mark says. “And she made sure I took them all back home – how to keep exercising, eating well, keeping my mind sharp.”

Today, Mark stimulates his brain by trying his hand at writing short stories and historical fiction. One of his first works was an essay about how he and Charlotte met at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture – where he was the assistant curator when she first visited.

A year after their initial meeting, Mark writes: “We were working the Folklife Festival [at the Museum]. I was shearing sheep, and she was dying wool. At lunch, we had a meal cooked over a wood stove…. I had finally found my pioneer woman.”

“I love the story, but I don’t know about that title,” Charlotte says teasingly. “I think he’s just saying I walk around with stringy hair and dirt on my face!”

Written by Phillip Jordan

                      

Shepherd Center recently launched a new partnership program called ShepherdConnect. It’s designed so that employers, hospitals and health systems can connect their employees, families and patients to the world-class rehabilitation care that Shepherd Center provides when patients and families need it most.

ShepherdConnect is a resource for both health plan participants and workers compensation-related cases. By partnering with Shepherd Center, people will have access to specialized medical treatment all in one place – including physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapy, as well as vocational rehabilitation when appropriate.

“Very few places like Shepherd exist,” explains Shepherd Center Chief Strategy Officer Chet Bhasin, MBA, MS, FACHE. “We aim to help people get back to their communities.”

A partnership with Shepherd Center offers a host of benefits to both employers and healthcare organizations. 

“As healthcare gets more complex, more patients are seeking care outside of their metro area, and Shepherd Center is trying to be accessible for as many patients as possible,” Bhasin explains.

“This program will assist thousands of employers in increasing the access and quality of care for their covered lives. Our goal is to continually be a progressive source for care.”

How Does it Work for Employers?

When an employee (or their dependent) of a corporation or organization that has partnered with Shepherd Center sustains a spinal cord injury or brain injury, has a stroke or experiences complications from multiple sclerosis, a Shepherd Center access case manager will provide a timely, on-site evaluation in the patient’s acute care hospital anywhere in the United States. The access case manager will help arrange cost-effective and appropriate medical transportation to Shepherd Center. In some cases, Shepherd-provided housing is available for families of patients where both the patient and family live more than 60 miles from Shepherd Center.

Employees who complete rehabilitation and are able to return to work sooner may not need an extended leave covered by disability insurance or workers’ compensation benefits, saving employers money. Expanding healthcare choice and offering additional value to existing healthcare programs can also help employers recruit and retain great employees.

“Shepherd was built from the ground up to serve patients who are typically working-age who have complex injuries and illnesses,” says Shepherd Center’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Managed Care Mitch Fillhaber, MS. “When they are injured, there are significant costs and lifestyle disruptions.”

Employers also can lower long-term healthcare costs because Shepherd Center:

• Helps patients return to their communities nearly 90% of the time.
• Helps reduce hospital readmission rates and costly transfers by using our on-site ICU specialized therapy in the same facility without the cost of a transfer.
• Helps patients be more independent when they return home.
• Continues to follow high-risk patients post-discharge.
• Helps patients return to work after rehabilitation.

How Does it Work for Hospitals and Health Systems?
Hospitals and health systems who partner with Shepherd Center through ShepherdConnect will be able to provide specialized and experienced, post-acute rehabilitation care to patients with complex brain injuries, spinal cord injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis.

“The program offers an easy path to Shepherd Center for their patients’ post-acute care,” Fillhaber says.

Patients treated at Shepherd Center are much less likely to be readmitted than patients treated in similar hospitals. Shepherd Center’s data on discharges of patients covered by all payor types reveals a 5% readmission rate within 30 days after discharge. That figure is significantly lower than the 24.6% industry average readmission rate for facilities with similar licensure, based on publicly available data.

Healthcare leaders can partner with Shepherd Center to: 

• Achieve optimal patient outcomes, including for those with the most complex cases.
• Help reduce costly hospital transfers and/or hospital readmissions.
• Give patients access to cutting-edge research and services.
• Support patients’ quality of life once they return to your community.

Corporations, organizations, hospitals or health systems that are interested in entering a partnership agreement with Shepherd through ShepherdConnect can call 404-350-7313 or email connect@shepherd.org to learn more.

Written by Christy Rosell and Robin Yamakawa

As we welcome this new decade and the endless possibilities it offers, here is a recap of some of the most significant milestones from the past 10 years.

2010: Shepherd Center completed a $9.8 million renovation and remodeling project that created more private rooms for patients, added a second brain injury unit, and reconfigured and remodeled various units in the Center.

2010: Shepherd Center increased its number of beds to 152, including a 10-bed ICU.

2010: Shepherd Center launched a new educational video series about spinal cord and brain injury to help people better understand their new injury, the path to recovery and functional expectations.

2013: Shepherd Center began testing Indego®, a new powered exoskeleton device designed to assist walking in people with spinal cord injury and other mobility-limiting conditions. It was developed by Vanderbilt University engineers in consultation with Shepherd Center researchers and then licensed and manufactured by Parker Hannifin Corporation.

2014: Shepherd Center embarked on a $12.5 million renovation and building project to add 13,000 square feet for an expanded and updated lab, pharmacy and MRI suite.

2014: Shepherd’s Men, comprised of active and retired servicemen, as well as civilian volunteers, enthusiastically began raising awareness and funds for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center through annual events. Since 2014, Shepherd’s Men has raised more than $5 million to support the SHARE Military Initiative.

2015: Shepherd Center celebrated its 40th anniversary. In its first 40 years, Shepherd Center grew from a six-bed rehabilitation unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital.

2016: Shepherd Center launched the Complex Concussion Clinic to address complications of mild brain injuries in patients.

2017: Michael Yochelson, M.D., MBA, is named chief medical officer of Shepherd Center.

2017: Thanks to a gift from The Marcus Foundation, Shepherd Center opened a new facility at 80 Peachtree Park Drive to house the SHARE Military Initiative. The facility also houses the Complex Concussion Clinic and Eula C. and Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation and Wellness Program.

2017: Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, became president and CEO of Shepherd Center, having served in various leadership roles at the hospital since 1984. Before assuming the top role, Morrison served as vice president of clinical services and also as director of the Shepherd Center Spinal Cord Injury Program. Before that, she worked at Shepherd Center as a director of the medical surgical and ICU programs, manager of the Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, a physical therapy supervisor and a physical therapist.

2017: Shepherd Center Board Member Juli Owens created a Shepherd Center experience at the Peachtree Health and Fitness Expo, highlighting the Wheelchair Division of the AJC Peachtree Road Race, adaptive sports and Shepherd Center’s partnership with Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that trains and provides facility dogs to organization such as Shepherd Center.

2017: Shepherd Center launched AutoCoach®. Partnering with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and IT management consulting firm CapTech, Shepherd Center’s certified driver rehabilitation specialists and injury prevention experts used their specialized training to create the innovative app that makes it easier for adults to effectively teach their teens to drive defensively and safely.

2018: Thanks to a generous donor, Shepherd Center’s CT scanner became operational in August 2018. Having a CT scanner in house has saved hundreds of hours of nursing staff time by eliminating the need to move patients to adjacent Piedmont Atlanta Hospital for these scans. This allows our nurses more time to be on the rehabilitation units with our patients.

2018: Shepherd Center launched the NeuroRehabilitation Learning Institute to offer interdisciplinary professional education to support the treatment of complex neurological conditions such as brain and spinal cord injury. Shepherd Center is committed to sharing its expertise with clinicians nationwide so that its patients receive informed care to meet their needs once they return to their communities.

2018: Shepherd Center’s Director of Multiple Sclerosis Research Debbie Backus, PT, Ph.D., began research funded by the hospital’s largest research grant to date – a PCORI grant of $5.7 million over four years to study the delivery and effects of exercise for people with MS. This grant signifies the commitment of our Crawford Research Institute in securing grants that directly improve the care we provide our patients. Shepherd researchers have garnered current multi-year grants that total more than $17 million.

2018: Shepherd Center Foundation’s annual Legendary Party had the opportunity to honor co-founders Alana and Harold Shepherd, raising a record $6.2 million in 2018 and an astounding $19.1 million over the decade for patient and family programs.

2018: Shepherd Center acquired 2.6 acres of nearby land to expand our family housing program. Shepherd Center is committed to reducing the financial and emotional burden our families experience during one of the most challenging times of their lives. This housing expansion will allow for our out-of-town families to stay with their loved ones for as long as they are at Shepherd Center.

2018: The naming of the J. Harold Shepherd Parkway section of Peachtree Road honored Shepherd Center co-founder, the late Harold Shepherd. This is a testament to the incredible contributions Harold Shepherd made to Atlanta and beyond, as well as to the community support for the Shepherd family and the recognition of Shepherd Center’s ability to provide its patients with hope, dignity and independence.

2018: Shepherd Center released a video series for women with spinal cord injury titled “Empowering Women After SCI: Safe Healthcare Goes Beyond Accessibility.” The series aims to empower women who have sustained spinal cord injuries to advocate for their own health and wellness. The videos also serve to better equip healthcare providers to treat women with SCI.

2018: Shepherd Center mourned the loss of co-founder Harold Shepherd. He passed away on December 10, 2018, leaving a legacy of generosity and kindness.

2019: Shepherd Center was recognized in Forbes’ inaugural list of America’s Best-in-State Employers for 2019. The hospital ranked No. 10 among the 56 employers included in the list for Georgia.

2019: Shepherd Center was named one of Atlanta’s “Best Places to Work” in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 16th annual ranking of 103 metro area companies. Shepherd Center was recognized as the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s #4 Best Place to Work in the extra-large company (500-plus employees) category. Shepherd is the only hospital recognized among the top 12 Atlanta companies. The newspaper also ranked Shepherd Center among the Best Places to Work in its 2017 and 2018 listings.

2019: Shepherd Center’s employee giving campaign (ShepherdCares) raised more than $214,000 with 85 percent of Shepherd Center staff contributing to the campaign. It has raised a total of $1.6 million over the last decade. The commitment of employees helps continue our differentiating, value-added services.

2019: Thanks to a generous donor, Shepherd Center installed a new 3.0 Tesla MRI in our MRI suite. The addition enhanced Shepherd Center’s in-house imaging capabilities, adding additional precision and convenience to patient care.

2019: Shepherd Center launched a new electronic medical record system called Epic to enhance patient safety, collaboration and efficiency to meet patients’ unique needs across the continuum of care.

2019: Shepherd received three new facility dogs from our friends at Canine Companions for Independence, bringing our current total to six. Made possible through donor support and handled by highly-trained Shepherd Center employees, our facility dogs know up to 40 commands – such as getting items out of a refrigerator, opening a door and pushing an elevator button – all activities that help facilitate the independence that Shepherd Center patients and clients work toward.

2019: Shepherd Center was recognized as one of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation for the 11^th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report in the magazine’s 2019-20 Best Hospitals rankings.

2019: Shepherd Center launched a new partnership program called ShepherdConnect designed so that employers, hospitals and health systems can connect their employees, families and patients to the world-class rehabilitation care that Shepherd Center provides when patients and families need it most.

2019: Jamie Shepherd, MBA, MHA, chief operating officer of Shepherd Center, was honored as one Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under Forty.

2019: Shepherd Center co-founders Alana Shepherd and James Shepherd were recognized on August 22, 2019, with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEOs Awards dinner. They were among 44 leaders in 22 categories and industries, from accounting to utilities and energy, who were honored.

2019: Shepherd Center co-founder James Shepherd passed away on December 21, 2019, in Atlanta surrounded by loved ones. Family and friends remember James as a savvy businessman, good-humored prankster, kind friend and dedicated advocate for people with disabilities. In the 46 years since his paralyzing injury, he, along with his co-founders, helped build Shepherd Center as the bridge from “I can’t,” to “I can.”

Compiled by Damjana Alverson