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Description

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Shepherd Center located in Atlanta Georgia is a private notforprofit hospital specializing in medical treatment research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury brain injury multiple sclerosis spine and chronic pain and other neuromuscular conditions

Founded in 1975 Shepherd Center is one of the nationrsquos top hospitals for rehabilitation by US News Our patient rehabilitation programs are designed to focus intensely on your recovery and lifelong wellness

In its more than four decades Shepherd Center has grown from a sixbed rehabilitation unit to a worldrenowned 152bed hospital that treats more than 743 inpatients 277 day program patients and more than 7161 outpatients each year in more than 46000 visits

Patients in Shepherd Centerrsquos rehabilitation programs get more than just medical care They get an experience that brings healing and hope Shepherdrsquos team of highly specialized experienced clinicians are dedicated to helping their patients rebuild their lives with hope independence and dignity advocating for full inclusion in all aspects of community life while promoting safety and injury prevention

Clinicians work with each person to create a blueprint for rehabilitation tapping into stateoftheart medical care therapeutic equipment and comprehensive educational services Staff members also serve as ambassadors to help patients navigate their journey over a lifetime At Shepherd Center we are a family working together to help patients and their families obtain the care they need plus so much more

Our Mission
Shepherd Centers mission is to help people with a temporary or permanent disability caused by injury or disease rebuild their lives with hope independence and dignity advocating for their full inclusion in all aspects of community life while promoting safety and injury prevention

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History

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James Shepherds Story
In a time of crisis it may be reassuring to know that there is another family thats been in your shoes ndash the Shepherd family who cofounded Shepherd Center in 1975

Shepherd Family History
James Shepherd set out on a backpacking trip around the world in 1973 after graduating from the University of Georgia While bodysurfing off a beach in Rio de Janeiro he was slammed to the ocean floor by a wave James who was 22 at the time sustained a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed from the neck down

After spending five weeks in a Brazilian hospital struggling to survive he returned to the United States and was admitted to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta While physicians at Piedmont were able to keep James alive despite cardiac arrests respiratory failures and fevers they could not offer any form of rehabilitation By the end of his 10week stay at Piedmont James had lost nearly all his muscle strength and weighed just 82 pounds

Faced with a prognosis of lifelong paralysis the Shepherds turned to a specialized rehabilitation facility in Denver It was recommended by family friend and former Dekalb County Georgia commission chairman Clark Harrison who had been paralyzed after being shot by a German sniper in 1944 Clark made weekly trips to visit James at Piedmont and sharing his own story of a successful life in a wheelchair he helped convince James his life was not over With the support of his family and friends James completed four months of intensive rehabilitation in Denver and regained his ability to walk using a cane and leg brace

Shepherd Center for Rehabilitation Today
Today Shepherd Center is a stateoftheart facility with 152 beds including a 10bed intensive care unit In 2018 Shepherd had 935 admissions to its inpatient programs and 541 to its day patient programs In addition more than 7300 people were seen on an outpatient basis in more than 54600 visits

Shepherd Center conducts up to 50 research projects annually and is a Spinal Cord Injury Model Center as designated by the National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research Shepherd Center is also ranked among the top 10 best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation by US News amp World Report

Shepherd family members are still dedicated advocates for the Center James mother Alana Shepherd continues to raise funds welcome new patients and serves on Shepherd Centers Board of Directors James son Jamie Shepherd is the chief operating officer and his daughter Julie Shepherd is a case management team leader Before his passing in December 2018 Harold Shepherd Jamesrsquo father and the founder of Shepherd Construction Company worked to recruit friends and associates to help support the Center

Unfortunately James Shepherd passed away in December 2019 James devoted his life to ensuring Shepherd Centers clinical teams could take the socalled impossible cases and help people put their lives back together James often said that Shepherd Center is the bridge between ldquoI cantrdquo and ldquoI canrdquo Thanks to him thousands of patients and families have found a pathway to independence hope and dignity

More than a hospital Shepherd Center also advocates for all people with disabilities Shepherd has worked regionally to improve accessibility of rapid transit systems sports complexes airports local businesses and housing facilities The hospital sponsors 11 wheelchair sports teams and has served as official sponsor of the Shepherd Center AJC Peachtree Road Race Wheelchair Division since 1984 Shepherd was also the founding sponsor of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games bringing 3310 worldclass athletes with disabilities from 104 nations to Atlanta for Olympiclevel competition

Although Shepherd has evolved greatly since 1975 it remains dedicated to helping people with catastrophic injuries and illnesses reclaim their lives with dignity independence and hope