Atlanta, GA,
14
October
2020
|
10:52 AM
America/New_York

The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation Invests in Shepherd Center’s Future

In Atlanta, the Rollins family name is synonymous with generosity and healthcare. Rollins, Inc., is the parent company of Orkin Pest Control, Western Pest Service, Northwest Exterminating, Trutech Wildlife Service and several other pest control companies. Rollins, Inc.’s founder, O. Wayne Rollins, started The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation in 1967. The Foundation has given hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations that mainly focus on science and public health, ensuring that their contributions have a lasting impact on the community.

Shepherd Center is one of the organizations that has benefitted greatly from the generosity of the Rollins Foundation.

Since 2008, The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation has been a consistent Shepherd supporter, making donations wherever needed to help fulfill the hospital’s mission of providing quality care and hope to its patients.

Recently the Foundation made two significant gifts to Shepherd Center.

Last summer, the Foundation made a gift to the hospital’s chaplaincy program and requested it be named in honor and memory of Larry Prince, former chairman and chief executive officer of Genuine Parts Company, a Rollins board member and a founding member of the Shepherd Center Foundation Board of Trustees. Larry and his wife, Sandra, have been longtime supporters of Shepherd Center. Sandra and her son, Larry, Jr., are proud and humbled that the Larry L. Prince Chaplaincy Program will continue to be a vital piece of Shepherd Center’s holistic approach to patient care.

“Chaplaincy has been an important part of Shepherd Center since the hospital’s inception,” says Shepherd Center co-founder Alana Shepherd. “We are honored to have the program now named after Larry Prince.”

The inscription on the commemorative plaque encapsulates the Prince family’s thoughts:

The Larry L. Prince Chaplaincy Program is dedicated to the memory of Larry L. Prince by The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation. May the families and patients always find strength through this program.

The O. Wayne Rollins Foundation is also supporting the hospital’s research efforts by establishing The O. Wayne Rollins Director of Brain Injury Research. In February 2020, George “Brick” Johnstone, Ph.D., ABPP, became Shepherd Center’s second director in that position. Dr. Johnstone, who was previously the senior scientific director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, focuses on leading research to improve the outcomes of individuals with brain injury.

“Shepherd Center has had a long and special relationship with the Rollins family and the Foundation,” Alana says. “These gifts are just another demonstration of the Rollins family’s commitment to the quality of healthcare. Their contributions have had a significant impact on Shepherd Center, and for that we are so grateful.”

 

Written by Sara Baxter

Longtime supporter bolsters chaplaincy and research, among other initiatives.

About Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.