Spring 2015 - Shepherd Center

Transcription

healing
the whole
person
Shepherd Center physicians take
an individualized and intensive
approach to rehabilitation care.
Photo by NAME
also inside
Wearable Technology + comprehensive ms care +
beyond hospiTal doors + dreams of an accessible Wedding
news.shepherd.org | Spring 2015
Shepherd Center Magazine:
Spinal Column®
Spring 2015
Shepherd Center
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-352-2020
[email protected]
news.shepherd.org
Spinal Column®
A Letter from James Shepherd
Editor
Katie Malone, MS
Design
Soloflight, Inc.
Contributing Writers
Sara Baxter, John Christensen, Amanda
Crowe, Phillip Jordan, Katie Malone, Dean
Melcher, Shawn Reeves, Jane Sanders, Scott
Sikes, Mia Taylor
Contributing Photographers
Danny Acres, Louie Favorite, Donn Jones,
Gary Meek, Brandon McCormick – Whitestone
Motion Pictures, Phil Skinner
Board of Directors
James H. Shepherd, Jr., Chairman
Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., President and CEO
Emory A. Schwall, Vice President
William C. Fowler, Treasurer
Stephen B. Goot, Corporate Secretary
Alana Shepherd, Recording Secretary
Members
Fred V. Alias, Gregory P. Anderson, David
F. Apple, Jr., M.D., C. Duncan Beard†, Brock
Bowman, M.D.*, Wilma Bunch*, James M.
Caswell, Jr., Sara S. Chapman, Clark Dean,
John S. Dryman, Mitchell J. Fillhaber*, David
H. Flint, Stephen B. Holleman*, Michael L.
Jones, Ph.D.*, Tammy King*, Molly Lanier,
Donald Peck Leslie, M.D., Douglas Lindauer,
Sarah Morrison, PT*, Julian B. Mohr, Charles T.
Nunnally III, Sally D. Nunnally, John Rooker,
Clyde Shepherd III, J. Harold Shepherd,
James H. Shepherd III, Scott H. Sikes*,
James E. Stephenson, James D. Thompson,
Goodloe H. Yancey III†
*
†
Ex Officio
Emeritus
Shepherd Center Magazine: Spinal Column
is published quarterly by Shepherd Center,
a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in
the treatment of people with spinal cord injury,
brain injury and multiple sclerosis. E-mail
change of address information or request
to be removed from our mailing list to
[email protected], or by mail to
Shepherd Center, Attn: Shepherd Center
Magazine Mailing List, 2020 Peachtree Road,
NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309. Please include
mailing label. Shepherd Center Magazine
accepts no advertising. Spinal Column is
a registered trademark of Shepherd Center.
About the Cover: Shepherd Center
physiatrist Anna Elmers, M.D., works with
spinal cord injury patient Andy Collier, 42,
of Hull, Ga., in a rehabilitation therapy gym.
Photo by Phil Skinner
Dear Friends,
Forty years ago this summer, Shepherd Center was founded with the singular
mission of helping people with spinal cord injury return to their lives following an
accident or illness. Since then, we have grown exponentially, and our rather specific
mission has broadened to include rehabilitation, treatment and research for people
with brain injury, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain. While our scope has widened
and our expertise has multiplied, our treatment focus remains firmly within the
neurological system.
For me, one of the more rewarding parts of watching Shepherd Center grow has
been the ability to treat patients more holistically – expanding our care to include
services such as recreation therapy, assistive technology and chaplaincy. We have
been able to offer such a wide array of services because of the generous support
of our donors, which have grown in number as the hospital has grown in size. With
the addition of these donor-funded and other services, Shepherd Center now has a
broader continuum of care than we ever imagined when we opened our doors in 1975.
Most rehabilitation centers are not able to do all of what we do. And while our
services set us apart, so does our staff.
Collectively, our physicians have more than 282 years of experience (see our
cover story on page 6 about our physicians’ expertise). Three of the longest-tenured
physicians in Shepherd Center history are still employed here, and one is still seeing
patients. Dr. David Apple, one of our co-founders and our first medical director, now
serves as our medical director emeritus and is still active in research. Our current
medical director, Dr. Donald P. Leslie, joined Shepherd Center as a resident physician
in 1983 and was hired to our staff in 1986 (see the cover story sidebar about Dr. Leslie
on page 11). Dr. Herndon Murray continues with orthopedic consultations after 40 years
of practice and nearly 40 years at Shepherd Center.
Our doctors aren’t the only staff members with specialized expertise in their fields.
The average tenure of our staff members is seven years.
In addition to the longevity and experience of our staff, we have a large group
of volunteers and donors who have been with us for 30 and even close to 40 years.
Emory Schwall has served on our board of directors for 35 years. And, of course, my
mother and dad, co-founders Alana and Harold Shepherd, still serve on our board
and remain active in the day-to-day operations of the hospital.
While our expertise sets us apart in the medical world, our unique culture of
intentional caring is what truly sets us apart. This culture starts with our staff and
radiates to our volunteers, donors and patients. It is taught by our longest tenured
staff members and passed on to our newest recruits. It is ingrained in everything we
do and an important part of who we are and how we treat our patients both clinically
and emotionally.
Despite all of the changes and growth we have experienced in the past 40 years,
our culture has remained one of compassionate, spiritual and holistic care for the
patient and their family.
Warm regards,
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
Contents
Spring 2015 • Shepherd Center
FEATURES
over Story:
6 CHealing
the
Whole Person
Shepherd Center
physicians take an
individualized and
intensive approach to
rehabilitation care.
omprehensive
for People
12 CCare
with Multiple
Sclerosis
The Andrew C. Carlos Multiple
Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd
Center offers patients everything
they need – all under one roof.
Photo by Gary Meek
DEPARTMENTS
COVER STORY, Page 6:
Shepherd Center physiatrist Ford
Vox, M.D., works with patient Lamar
Littles, of Atlanta, Ga., in the Acquired
Brain Injury Unit.
See news.shepherd.org
for additional online content.
2
4
SHORT
TAKES
5
Medical staff Profile
20
22
24
30
PATIENT PROFILE
Research
E yeing the Future of
Wearable Technology
T eresa Ashman, Ph.D.,
ABPP-Rp, FACRM
Billy Wilkerson
ALUMNI
PROFILES
FOUNDATION
FEATURES
HONORARIUMS
AND MEMORIALS
Gifts of Generosity
If you would like to make a gift to support the work you have read about,
please contact Scott H. Sikes at the Shepherd Center Foundation
at 404-350-7305 or visit shepherd.org.
S
short
takes
Wireless RERC Teams with AT&T to Offer Workshops
on Mobile Device Accessibility Features
Mobile devices now come with a range of built-in accessibility
features to help people with disabilities use their smartphones
or tablets. But there are so many of these features that people
may not know which ones will work for their needs, the features
are too complex to set up by themselves, or they may not even
know that these features exist.
Thanks to two $50,000 grants from the AT&T Corporate
Accessibility Technology Office (CATO), the Rehabilitation
Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies
(Wireless RERC) – a partnership between researchers and
engineers in Shepherd Center’s Virginia C. Crawford Research
Institute and Georgia Institute of Technology – is offering
Wireless Independence Now workshops that show people
with disabilities how to set up and use the accessibility features
on their phones and tablets.
“There is a huge awareness gap for consumers trying to set
up a device for their needs,” says Ben Lippincott, outreach and
education project director for the Wireless RERC at Shepherd Center. “The devices themselves have become so powerful, and the variety and number of user-configurable settings
can be daunting to a user with a disability.”
“The cell phone is a very liberating device,” says John
Morris, project director for User-Centered Research at the
Wireless RERC. “It can allow people with disabilities to enjoy
greater social participation and give them access to technology
that can be critical to employment. But, it can take some effort
to maximize its potential.”
The 90-minute workshops – free to attendees regardless of
their mobile service provider – give an overview of the
accessibility and assistive technology features found on the
latest versions of any mobile device with Apple’s IOS 8 and
Google’s Android 5.0. Many of these features can be found on
earlier versions of these operating systems. The workshops
also include hands-on training, allowing attendees to ask
questions about their own phones or use the latest versions of
new phones.
In 2014, the Wireless RERC and AT&T held 17 workshops
in six cities and reached more than 450 people. In 2015, with
the second grant, the team hopes to visit 10 cities and reach
more than 2,000 people. Cities scheduled so far include San
Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, Dallas and Austin.
For updates, visit wirelessrerc.org. Sara Baxter
A former Shepherd Center patient tests accessibility features on a tablet at a workshop
sponsored by the Wireless RERC and AT&T.
Shepherd Center Radio Launches with Series of Podcasts
Shepherd Center Radio has launched its first series of 10-minute
podcasts discussing topics such as injury prevention, the latest
developments in spinal cord injury research, healthy living after
a stroke and the latest treatments for chronic back pain.
Each podcast features a Shepherd Center expert. The topics
for the podcast were chosen based on questions received from
Shepherd Center patients.
All podcasts are available for listening or downloading at
shepherd.org/radio. A transcript of each interview is also available
on the Shepherd Center Radio web page. In addition,
the podcasts are available on iTunes and iHeart Radio.
Available at shepherd.org/radio.
2 • news.shepherd.org
Research Director Honored with Two National Physical Therapy Awards
The American
Physical Therapy
Association
(APTA) Section
on Research has
announced that
Edelle Field-Fote,
PT, Ph.D., FAPTA,
(left) Shepherd
Center’s director
of spinal cord
injury research,
is the recipient of the 2015 John P. Maley
Award for her long-time leadership in
physical therapy research.
Also, the APTA announced it is
recognizing Dr. Field-Fote with this
year’s Neurology Section Award for
Excellence in Research. This award
acknowledges and honors continuing
excellence in research related to
neurologic physical therapy science,
theory, practice or education.
“Because the population of people
with spinal cord injury is relatively small
compared to other clinical populations
[such as the stroke population, for
example], research in this area often
doesn’t receive a great deal of attention.
For this reason, these awards are
especially meaningful to me,” said Dr.
Field-Fote, who accepted the awards at
the APTA Combined Sections Meeting
on Feb. 6. “Having served as an officer
in both the Section on Research and
the Neurology Section, these groups
have a very special place in my heart.
Both Sections have long had strong
commitments to the advancement of
evidence-based practice in physical
therapy, and to have my colleagues in
both these Sections recognize my work –
in the same year – is a real thrill.”
Dr. Field-Fote has contributed to the
research foundations of clinical practice
in numerous ways, the APTA noted.
She has been principal investigator
on several National Institutes of Health
research grants and a co-investigator or
collaborator on numerous other projects.
She has published more than 40 peerreviewed articles and is the author/editor
of a widely respected textbook on spinal
cord injury rehabilitation.
“Beyond her individual contributions,
what truly sets Dr. Field-Fote apart is
the impact she has had on neurologic
physical therapy research in general,”
the APTA added. “As editor-in-chief
of the Journal of Neurologic Physical
Therapy (JNPT), she has had a
tremendous positive impact on the
application of research findings to
clinical practice.
Dr. Field-Fote became the director
of spinal cord injury research at Shepherd
Center in May 2014. For the past two
decades, she was the director of the
Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research
Laboratory at the Miami Project to Cure
Paralysis. She has a bachelor’s degree
in physical therapy from the University
of Miami, a master’s degree in environmental health and safety from the
University of Miami, a doctorate in
movement science from Washington
University in St. Louis and a post-doctoral
fellowship in motor control physiology
from the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
Dr. Field-Fote’s research has focused
on restoring walking and hand function
after spinal cord injury by making maximal
use of spinal pathways not damaged
by injury.
Read more online at
http://bit.ly/1OvEpJ6.
ADA Legacy Tour Makes Stops in Atlanta
To commemorate the 25th anniversary
of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) on July 26, 2015, the ADA Legacy
Tour bus has been traveling across the
United States to raise awareness about
the ADA and pay tribute to the crossdisability efforts that led to the passage
of the ADA in 1990.
Since kicking off the tour in July 2014
in Houston, the bus has traveled more than
11,500 miles to 18 states.
Wrapped in photos from before the signing of the ADA as well as of the signing
itself, the bus also contains several history related displays and a handmade quilt.
“I personally believe we’ve all benefitted from this law, not just those with
disabilities,” says Mark Johnson, Shepherd Center’s director of advocacy and
chairman of the ADA Legacy Project. “By taking part in the tour, people will have
an opportunity to learn about the history and legacy of the ADA.”
For more information about the Legacy Project and the 25th Anniversary,
visit adalegacy.com. Sara Baxter
Shepherd Center staff members pose with the ADA Legacy Tour bus.
Atlanta dates
May 10
Evening reception at the National Center
for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR),
part of the National ADA Symposium |
adasymposium.org
May 15-16
Mobility Expo – North Atlanta Trade
Center | themobilityexpo.com
June 12
Shepherd Center | news.shepherd.org
June 13
ADA25 Festival at NCCHR, part
of the Society for Disability Studies
Conference – Hyatt Regency
Atlanta | disstudies.org
These events are open to anyone
who would like to see the bus.
Spinal Column® / Spring 2015 • 3
R
research
Eyeing the Future
of Wearable Technology
Remembering important tasks or recent
interactions with people can be a challenge
for anybody. For people recovering from and living
with the effects of a brain injury, these everyday tasks
can be even more difficult. That’s why clinicians at
Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd Center’s post-acute
brain injury rehabilitation program, often teach patients
how to use tools and techniques for aiding memory.
These tools include common consumer devices such
as cell phones and tablets.
Building on these clinical practices, a research and
development team at Shepherd Center has recently
developed its own memory application (“app”) called
EyeRemember, which runs on a wearable device called
Google Glass. Researchers have begun testing the app,
gathering helpful feedback from patients with brain
injury, as well as their caregivers and therapists.
The research team’s three members are part of the
Glass Explorer program, and include clinical research
scientist John Morris, Ph.D., speech-language pathologist
Tracey Wallace, MA, CCC-SLP, and Android developer
Scott Bradshaw, BSCS. The project is being funded by
a Glass Accessibility Award the team received from
Google in 2014.
EyeRemember helps people with memory difficulties
keep track of people in their circle – family, friends, therapy
team members and possibly others with whom the user
interacts on a regular basis. The EyeRemember app
works in conjunction with Bluetooth low-energy (BLE)
beacons – small transmitters about the size of a car key
fob – that must be worn or carried by friends, family,
Video and extended article
online at news.shepherd.org
therapists and others in the user’s community. The app
uses the Bluetooth capabilities built into Glass to regularly
scan for other BLE beacons in the vicinity.
The user, or user’s caregiver, must first assign a
beacon to individuals in the user’s circle. When the user
gives the command for EyeRemember to create a new
contact, the app initiates a scan of BLE beacons in the
vicinity. When one is detected, it offers the user the
opportunity to attach contact information to the beacon
by entering a name, relationship information and a
photo. After the user creates the contact, he or she can
add notes about that person, or possibly things the user
wants to tell that person.
The next time the beacon for an individual contact
enters the vicinity of the Glass wearer, the beacon will
be identified by the EyeRemember app. The contact
information “card” for that individual will appear
automatically on Glass, showing a photo, name and
relationship for the contact. The user can then select
that card to view existing notes or add new ones.
“EyeRemember is still in the testing phase. So far,
clinicians and patients have been very receptive to
the prototype. But, we’re still assessing the app’s
effectiveness as a memory aid,” says Wallace, who
is leading the clinical evaluation of the app.
Google announced in January 2015 that it was closing
Explorer program and moving the Glass program from
the experimental Google X Lab to become its own
Google team. At that time, Google promised future
versions of Glass. The current version of Glass is still
being sold to certified partners – companies in
healthcare, manufacturing and other industries whose
workers need hands-free access to information – in the
Glass at Work program.
“We’re committed to going forward with our research
and development efforts on Glass,” Dr. Morris says.
“We are beginning to gather important data on app
interfaces for wearable displays – whether on Glass or
watches or wrist bands – for people with brain injury and
their clinicians, especially for memory remediation. And,
we think that Glass-like wearable hardware worn on the
head is likely to mature rapidly into a robust consumer
technology.”
To read more about EyeRemember and to see
how it works, visit, http://bit.ly/1CtqwX4.
Researchers at Shepherd Center are testing a memory
app for Google Glass called EyeRemember, which is
intended to help people with brain injury.
Photo by Louie Favorite
Shepherd Center researchers are testing a memory app
for Google Glass and other wearable technologies.
P
staff
profile
Teresa Ashman, Ph.D., ABPP-Rp, FACRM
Director of Neurorehabilitation Psychology
Interviewed by Phillip Jordan
Teresa Ashman, Ph.D., is a rehabilitation psychologist who has been with Shepherd
Center since July 2013. As director of Neurorehabilitation Psychology Services, she
treats all outpatients with neurological conditions and conducts clinical research with
people who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.
INTERESTING FACTS
Experience:
Teresa Ashman, Ph.D., is a rehabilitation
psychologist who treats patients in
Shepherd Center’s outpatient clinics.
Q:Describe what you do in your specific
area of research.
A:T he majority has been in the area of
traumatic brain injuries, with much of
my research being clinical research:
Determining which interventions are
most effective, looking at ways to improve
cognitive functioning, and addressing
depression and anxiety post-injury. I like
doing hands-on clinical research because
it directly impacts patients at the same
time the researcher is learning.
Q:What’s one of the most important things
you’ve learned in your work so far?
A:T he one big thing I always want patients
to remember is this: While we certainly see
the most rapid and steep recovery in the
first six months after an injury, people can
continue to improve and recover long after
that – particularly if we keep developing
new treatments or strategies. Longer-term
physical gains not only benefit patients
physically, but they can also improve
attitudes and outlooks.
Q:What’s your approach to interacting
with patients?
A:I like to be direct. It’s important to lay out
what the purpose of a session might be,
or, when conducting neuropsychological
testing, to explain the purpose of the
evaluation. My goal is to get patients to
tell me their story. I also like to be honest
while assessing their current strengths
and weaknesses. My philosophy is to treat
patients as capable, thinking individuals
who should be actively involved in their
own treatment. Even if their judgment might
be impaired to a varying degree due to a
traumatic brain injury, it’s vital that they feel
a sense of ownership in their recovery.
Q:How would you describe yourself?
A:I’m not afraid to speak my mind! I tend
to be a little bit no-nonsense. I grew up
in Savannah, but having worked and lived
in New York for so many years, I think I’ve
become a little more blunt. So it’s a bit
harder to hide my personality now! Like
a lot of people with more than one degree,
I’d say I’m definitely a chronic learner, too.
There’s always more to know!
•F
ormer Director of
Psychological Research,
Department of
Rehabilitation Medicine
at New York University’s
Langone Medical Center
• Former Director of
Postdoctoral Training at
Mount Sinai Medical Center
• Editorial Board, Journal of
Head Trauma Rehabilitation
• E xecutive Board of
Andee’s Army
• Member of the American
Congress of Rehabilitation
Medicine and the American
Psychological Association
• Certified in rehabilitation
psychology by the
American Board of
Professional Psychology
Fellowships
and Awards:
Fellow of the American
Congress of Rehabilitation
Medicine; Ted Weiss
Advocacy Award; John G.
Gianutsos Award; two-time
recipient of the David
Strauss Memorial Award
Doctoral Degree:
The New School,
New York City (Doctorate
in Clinical Psychology)
Undergraduate and
Master’s Degrees:
Bard College, Annandaleon-Hudson, N.Y. (Clinical
Psychology)
Fun Fact:
Biggest adjustment
moving from New York
City to Atlanta: “Driving!
I didn’t even have a car
for 20 years!”
More online at
news.shepherd.org
1
healing the
Shepherd Center physicians take
an individualized and intensive approach
to rehabilitation care.
By Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH
whole person
Diane Barrineau of Ocala, Fla., set
out on a weekend getaway with some friends in
spring 2014. Just 30 minutes into their road trip, the
driver lost consciousness, and from the backseat,
Diane struggled to reach the steering wheel to keep the
car from veering into some large oak trees. But it was too
late. Upon impact, her seat belt snapped her backwards.
“I knew when we came to rest on a big oak tree
I was doomed. I couldn’t feel anything,” says Diane, who
sustained an incomplete C-5 spinal cord injury (SCI). Initially
treated at the University of Florida Health Shands Trauma
Center, she was soon transferred to Shepherd Center for
intensive rehabilitation.
“We did our research, and it became very clear Shepherd
was where I needed to be,” Diane says.
Shepherd Center is known for its clinical expertise and
innovative therapy, providing care for people who sustain
spinal cord and traumatic brain injury, including the most
complex cases. But as Diane attests, the supportive care
offered at Shepherd goes far beyond the day-to-day
management of patients’ injuries. The doctors and clinical
teams get to know patients and families on a personal level,
as well, often developing long-term relationships.
Photo by Phil Skinner
The Human Element
of Clinical Care
“The human element of our job is so important,” explains
Anna Elmers, M.D., a Shepherd Center staff physiatrist who
treated Diane. “We see patients at their lowest lows, and in
many cases, we see them going back to school or work,
getting married and living a meaningful life – sometimes
achieving more than we would have ever expected.”
After nine weeks at Shepherd Center, Diane was able
to return home and within days was back to work running
a land surveying company.
“I’ve made tremendous progress, and the groundwork
was laid at Shepherd Center,” says Diane, noting that the
hospital continues to have an impact on her life.
Diane’s therapy team took a special interest in helping
her son Travis as he dealt with his mom’s injury. The team
educated Travis about the injury. Now, he has so much
confidence in Dr. Elmers that he consults with her to make
sure his mom’s local therapy is on target.
“We get to know people in a personal way and are
able to see things from the family’s perspective,” says
Dr. Elmers, who started as a resident at Shepherd Center
in 2006. In 2009, she joined the medical staff full time
as an attending physician with her own treatment team.
“I couldn’t think of a more rewarding field.”
The opportunity to help restore hope and
independence to patients is also a motivating
factor for Gerald Bilsky, M.D., a Shepherd Center
physiatrist who has followed the progress of many
of his patients during the 17 years he’s practiced at the
hospital. Dr. Bilsky tells patients their life isn’t over after a
brain or spinal cord injury. He recalls a patient he treated
15 years ago; he recently attended that patient’s wedding.
Dr. Bilsky often receives pictures from patients of high school
or college graduations, trips and everyday life. “That’s really
cool,” Dr. Bilsky says. “There is a level of caring at Shepherd
that is different than a typical hospital. There is something
different here.”
Andrew Dennison, M.D., another Shepherd Center
physiatrist, agrees.
“It’s spiritually rewarding for me to be able to go to work
everyday and help people get through what is among the
most difficult of situations,” he says.
“T here is a level of caring at
Shepherd Center that is different
than a typical hospital. There
is something different here.”
– Gerald Bilsky, M.D.
2
1. Shepherd Center physiatrist Gerald Bilsky, M.D., works with Gregory
Stoneman, of Richmond, Va., in the Day Program gym. 2. Caleb Rimes,
of LaBelle, Fla., chats with Anna Elmers, M.D., outside a Shepherd Center
therapy gym.
were before their injury. “I try
to be as openand honest as
I can, providing hope, but
also giving them a true understanding of what they are facing,”
Dr. Dennison says.
Staff physiatrist Ford Vox, M.D.,
notes, “Our cases are sometimes
very tragic, but it’s rewarding to see
recoveries, and that’s what keeps you
going.” He recalls one patient who was
barely able to communicate or move
as an inpatient, but is now back at work
full time.
Shepherd Center’s caring and
compassionate family atmosphere
left the biggest impression on Diane.
“My treatment team members had other
patients to care for, but in my eyes,
I was the only one they were focused
on,” she says. “They had such patience
and listened to every detail. So often
when you talk to doctors, they are on
one level and you’re on another, and
– Diane Barrineau,
Ocala, Fla.
they can be unapproachable.” But she
remembers fondly that whenever Dr.
Elmers would see her in the hospital’s
cafeteria, she would come up to her
and ask how she was feeling.
Continued on Page 10
Andrew Dennison, M.D., talks with patient Jeffery
Folsmbee, of Snellville, Ga., in the Acquired Brain
Injury Unit at Shepherd Center.
Photo by Gary Meek
Dr. Dennison treats people with
brain injuries – often from blunt trauma
or motor vehicle accidents – and was
drawn to the field because it combines
neurology and non-surgical orthopedics
and because of the unmet need. “Not
many people have the expertise or
training to put all the pieces together,”
he says. “These are patients with
unique needs, and I’m afraid some
could fall through the cracks without
a good advocate.”
Often, his job involves finding medical
issues that might have been missed
during the initial critical care treatment
provided in a trauma center. Of course,
because Dr. Dennison takes care of
people during the acute phase of their
brain injury rehabilitation, he says, “A lot
of times, my patients are just starting to
remember who I am before they leave
the inpatient environment.”
It’s why he tries to see patients beyond
their injury and get to know who they
“What a blessing
it was for me to be
at Shepherd Center.”
Shepherd Center
Physician
ExPErtisE
by thE
numbErs
Shepherd Center
Staff phySiCianS
176
6
ConSulting
phySiCianS
6
Shepherd Center Staff
phySiCianS who treat people
with Spinal Cord injury
Physicians Who Treat
People with Brain Injury
282 3
Shepherd Center
Staff Physicians
Who Treat People
with Multiple Sclerosis
ToTal # of years of
experience among shepherd
cenTer sTaff physicians
it takeS a village
Besides a physician,
shepherd center clinical teams
typically also consist of: a case
manager, nurses, occupational
therapist (oT), physical therapist
(pT), speech/language pathologist
(slp), therapeutic recreation
specialist, psychologist and/or
counselor, dietitian, chaplain,
and in some cases, a respiratory
therapist, neuropsychologist,
rehabilitation technology
specialists and assistive
technology specialists.
shepherd cenTer
sTaff physicians
who TreaT people
wiTh chronic pain
gerald Bilsky, m.d., and anna
elmers, m.d., see both spinal cord
and brain injury inpatients. angela
Beninga, d.o., and rhonda Taubin,
m.d., see both brain and spinal
cord injury patients in the outpatient
multi-specialty clinic.
medical director donald peck
leslie started at shepherd center
as a resident in 1983 and was
hired on staff in 1986.
guy Buckle, m.d., mph, is
shepherd center’s newest staff
physician joining the andrew c.
carlos ms institute in march 2014.
2
last year, shepherd center had
965 admissions to its spinal cord
and brain inpatient programs and
571 to its day patient programs.
in addition, shepherd sees more
than 6,600 people annually on an
outpatient basis.
gerald Bilsky, m.d., and Brock
Bowman, m.d., are the two longesttenured shepherd center staff
physicians who regularly see
patients. They have both been
at shepherd for 17 years.
Spinal Column® / Spring 2015 •
9
Because doctors at Shepherd Center treat such a high
volume of patients, their expertise is second-to-none. For this
reason, they are often sought after as a resource.
“We get calls from doctors around the country asking
basic questions about brain and spinal cord injury,” Dr.
Elmers says. “What we do is so specialized that it’s not as
intuitive to others.”
The medical staff is so specialized, in fact, that Drs.
Dennison and Vox are among the first physicians in the
country – and only two of six in Georgia – to be certified in brain
injury medicine. Drs. Dennison and Vox have both been asked
to write questions for the exam that was initiated as a joint
venture through the American Board of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Psychiatry and
Neurology– part of a board certification that emerged out of
a growing need for doctors with a certain level of expertise in
treating brain injury.
“It now really means something to call yourself a brain injury
specialist,” Dr. Vox says. “This certification will undoubtedly
help advance the field and benefit patients.”
Erik Shaw, D.O., a physiatrist at the Shepherd Pain
Institute, plays a specialized role, as well, treating chronic pain
that often occurs due to an injury or degenerative disease.
Like other Shepherd Center physicians, he works to help
patients gain the highest possible quality of life and
functional ability.
“A lot of these patients don’t have many other places to
go,” Dr. Shaw says. “Most of our patients have some level of
pain, and that needs to be addressed. Here, we understand
the different disease states, how they progress over time and
what to watch for.”
Unlike some other rehabilitation environments, Shepherd
Center treats people early in their road to recovery.
“We have expertise in very complex cases at very early
stages of injury,” Dr. Vox says. “We will take semi-conscious
patients who may be on a ventilator and still need a surgery
or two – patients who at other centers would still be under the
care of a trauma or critical care physician and losing valuable
rehabilitation time.”
Data consistently show better outcomes for traumatic
injury patients who get an early start in individualized and
intensive rehabilitation and therapy.
“It’s to the patient’s advantage to get to rehabilitation
sooner,” Dr. Vox says. “Many patients are treated on
autopilot in an acute-care setting, but at Shepherd Center,
we can anticipate and coordinate care, and focus on
neurotrauma, too.”
Teams at Shepherd Center take a holistic view in treating
patients. They consider what medications may be good to
use or omit, and when it makes sense to intervene with a
procedure and other clinical options.
Shepherd patients may receive care from an internist,
neurosurgeon and rehabilitation physician. Consulting
physicians further extend the variety of surgical and medical
subspecialities available to patients to address any medical
issues – nerve damage, leaks of brain fluid, etc. – that may
arise. This helps avoid transfers back to an acute-care
hospital and disruptions in rehabilitation.
While there is a wealth of expertise at Shepherd
Center, it’s the culture that sets the hospital apart,
physicians say.
“I tell patients it’s like going to Disneyland,” Dr. Elmers
explains. “It can be very overwhelming at first, and there’s
all this stuff you need to do and you don’t know where
to start. But help is all around. And the staff is so happy –
from therapists to technicians to the people picking up your
lunch tray and cleaning your bathroom.”
Humor and laughter are often part of the healing process.
“We know what we are dealing with is serious stuff, but we
don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Dr. Bilsky says. “We try to
laugh and be creative in our approach. It doesn’t mitigate the
nature of what we do, but most people don’t thrive on
serious every minute. I think people want and thrive on
normalcy. You have to be here to see it and feel it.”
Shepherd Center physiatrist Ford Vox, M.D., is among the first doctors
to be certified in brain injury medicine in the United States.
Photo by Gary Meek
Unparalleled Expertise
in a Culture of Caring
A Team Approach
Of course, the doctors at Shepherd Center are only part
of the integrated mosaic of care providers that are part of
every patient’s experience. Treatment teams typically include
nurses, therapists, a counselor, dietitian, exercise specialist
and a case manager.
“Our doctors have a lot of expertise, but what makes
Shepherd Center so special is how the treatment team
members work together,” Dr. Elmers says. “I’ve learned
so much from the nurses and therapists.”
Dr. Vox says the teams “work closely and well together,
and we have a lot of tools at our disposal to be to treat
patients and optimize their recovery.”
Paying It Forward
“We try to help patients be as independent as possible and
push them to new heights, and they often pay it forward to
friends, family and society,” Dr. Bilsky says.
In fact, the mother of one of his patients, who is now
married and living on the West Coast, returns to Shepherd
Center every year to bring gift baskets and goodies to patients.
Dr. Elmers notes that many nurses and therapists go the
extra mile without expecting any recognition. She knows of
staff members who have donated gift cards to patients in
need. And many hospital staff members contribute to the
hospital’s annual employee giving campaign.
“The Shepherd family must be so proud of this incredible
place they created,” Dr. Elmers adds. “We have a lot of
expertise, but it’s the culture that sets us apart.”
Shepherd Center Medical Director
Shares His Ongoing Vision For the Hospital
More online at
news.shepherd.org
Donald Peck Leslie, M.D.,
has been Shepherd Center’s medical
director for the past 11 years and
will soon celebrate his 32nd year at
the hospital.
“I’ve worked in virtually every
division of this hospital from inpatient
to outpatient,” Dr. Leslie says. “It’s not
just a job; it’s a life. I love this place,
and I love what happens here.”
Over the past three decades, he has seen the hospital
grow from a spinal cord injury rehabilitation center to a fully
integrated care facility that now treats people with spinal cord
and brain injury, multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, and other
neuromuscular and degenerative disorders.
“When I started, we had 40 beds and maybe a couple
hundred employees,” says Dr. Leslie, who also established the
brain injury team. “Now, we have 152 beds and 1,600 people
on staff.”
Of course, as medical director, he has had a role in the
hospital’s growth – not just its growing size, but also in building the respect and international recognition the hospital
now commands. It’s also his job to assure Shepherd Center
is equipped with the depth and breadth of expertise and
specialized programs to continue to support patients’ needs
and advance the hospital’s mission.
Dr. Leslie oversees 173 staff and consulting doctors across
various medical and surgical specialties, and their work goes
well beyond their job description.
“I’m proud of the very fine, experienced and well-trained
physicians, many of whom have double – even triple – medical
or surgical specialty boards,” he adds. “There is a level
of dedication among all of our staff, and it’s paramount to
our success.”
But it’s not just about the day-to-day clinical care provided.
Shepherd Center’s research program has expanded to study
and help shape technologies and therapies that can be
translated into the clinic, helping advance the field. For example,
studies have included trials of robotic exoskeletal devices to
help people walk; an intrathecal Baclofen pump that when
implanted can help control muscle spasticity; and stem cell
research in people with spinal cord injury. But what truly sets
Shepherd apart, Dr. Leslie explains, is its culture of goodwill
and collaboration.
“In medical school, we are taught that the doctor is the top
of the pyramid, but at Shepherd there is no pyramid,” he says.
“We are all on the same level playing field, and you have to
be a team player. That’s just the culture here.” Throughout his
time at Shepherd, Dr. Leslie has embodied and promoted this
team environment.
But the real role models in Dr. Leslie’s eyes are Shepherd
Center co-founders Alana and Harold Shepherd and their son
James. James was injured while bodysurfing off the coast of
Rio de Janeiro when he was just 22 years old. “When James
sees patients and families on the floor, he’ll reassuringly say,
‘You can make it. I did.’”
“Our mission statement is lived out every day here, and we
always strive to give the very best care possible,” Dr. Leslie says.
Comprehensive
for People with
Care Multiple Sclerosis
The Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at
Shepherd Center offers patients everything they need —
all under one roof.
By Sara Baxter
“Dr. Buckle represents the perfect blend
of competence, collegiality and compassion,”
C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Institute at
Dr. Thrower says. “His years of dedication to the
Shepherd Center has been offering a comprehensive
MS community and his respect from colleagues at a
approach to treating MS, a disease of the central
national level make him a most welcome addition to
nervous system, which disrupts the flow of inforour team. We expect his expertise in neuroradiology
mation between the brain and body.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates neuroimmunology and collection of clinical outcomes data in MS will complement our team.”
that MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldDr. Buckle’s expertise in neuroimaging — imaging
wide. To help treat this often debilitating disease,
of the brain and spinal cord done by computed
the MS Institute at Shepherd Center offers a wide
tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging
range of services, including diagnosis, treatment,
(MRI) — will be enhanced with the addition of a
research, rehabilitation and counseling.
new 3-Tesla MRI machine. The new machine, which
“Multiple sclerosis is a complex disorder requiring
will be installed in a new MRI suite will provide
a team approach for best managing it,” says Ben
twice the imaging capabilities of the current MRI
Thrower, M.D., who has been medical director of
machine. That will help with diagnosis and treatthe MS Institute since June 2001. “The goal of our
ment options for people with MS.
team is to offer comprehensive, compassionate,
cutting-edge treatment to the person with MS.”
The MS Institute offers a holistic approach to
“There’s no other MS center that
patient care — a sort of “one stop shopping” for
I’m aware of that offers this focus
those with MS. Aside from clinical care, patients
or level of comprehensive care.”
at the MS Institute can receive top-notch occupa
– guy buckle, M.D., MPH
tional and physical therapy, get seated for the
proper wheelchair, take an exercise class designed
just for them, and participate in support groups
and field trips.
“There’s no other MS center that I’m aware of
that offers this focus or level of comprehensive care,”
says Guy Buckle, M.D., MPH, who joined Shepherd
Center’s team of neurologists in March 2014. “Most
are focused on research and clinical treatment,
but don’t have a rehabilitation component.”
Dr. Buckle, who is now the director of neuroimaging
research in the MS Institute, came to Shepherd
after 20 years at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
in Boston, where he was most recently the director
of clinical care at the hospital’s Partners Multiple
Sclerosis Center. He now works alongside Dr.
Thrower and Sherrill Loring, M.D., who joined the
team in 2008.
Guy Buckle, M.D., MPH, joined Shepherd Center’s MS Institute
in March 2014 as the director of neuroimaging research.
Photo by Gary mEek
Since its founding in 1991, the Andrew
“The faster we can get people on medications
to treat their MS, the better,” Dr. Buckle says. “We
want to prevent the progression of the disease.”
His research interest is in using neuroimagery —
in this case MRI — to help predict the progression
of MS. He explains that when the disease is in the
progressive phase, many medications no longer
work in slowing the disease. That’s where he’d
like to see the MRI technology work. “Imaging in
progressive MS is much more difficult,” Dr. Buckle
says. “We need a predictive scan on who clearly
has MS and who needs to be treated.”
Dr. Buckle’s work will strengthen the MS Institute’s
already-robust research program. Under the
direction of Debbie Backus, PT, Ph.D., director
of research in the MS Institute, the Institute is
continuing cutting-edge research by joining a
new research initiative (see sidebar) and adding
new research elements to its wellness program.
“Knowing that we provide the highest quality
of MS care available…gives me great pride
in being part of the MS Institute.”
Photo by Gary Meek
Sherrill Loring, M.D.,
treats MS patient Erica
Taylor of Decatur, Ga.,
in the MS Institute at
Shepherd Center.
– Sherrill loring, M.D.
“The strength of our research program is in our
clinical focus,” Dr. Thrower says. “Shepherd Center
focuses on the patient. While we do not do basic
laboratory research, we have an excellent program
that focuses on the testing of novel therapies,
improving the safety of existing therapies, and,
more recently, on rehabilitation and wellness in MS.”
In 2012, Shepherd Center opened the Eula C. and
Andrew C. Carlos MS Rehabilitation and Wellness
Program. The program was the first in the nation to
integrate all aspects of wellness — fitness, nutrition
and education — into a single approach tailored
specifically for people with MS.
Components of the Wellness Program include:
Individualized fitness assessments done by
an exercise physiologist every six months
pecialized classes in aquatic therapy, core
S
strength and agility/coordination, as well
cardiovascular and lower-extremity exercises
tate-of-the-art equipment for wellness
S
and rehabilitation
S-specific educational classes on topics
M
such as nutrition, stress management,
medication management and traveling
with disabilities
ield trips that help MS clients feel more
F
comfortable going out in the community
The key to the program is that it is specific to
people with MS. For example, those with the disease
tend to get overheated more easily, so fans and ice
vests are available in the classes to make it more
comfortable and safer for clients to exercise. Classes
are paced to meet their needs and smaller in size
so each participant can be monitored more closely.
While no cure is yet available for MS, new drugs
and treatment therapies that decrease disease
progression have emerged in the past several years.
Shepherd Center’s neurologists are optimistic that
someday they will be able to stop the progression
of MS for every affected person and perhaps even
reverse disability caused by the disease.
In the meantime, the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple
Sclerosis (MS) Institute at Shepherd Center will
continue its mission to provide cutting-edge treatment and comprehensive care for people with MS.
“I know of no other center, even at well-known
academic institutions, that can rival the treatment
that MS patients receive at the MS Institute at
Shepherd Center,” Dr. Loring says. “Knowing that
we provide the highest quality of MS care available,
which derives in large part from the dedicated team
of professionals we have, gives me great pride in
being part of the MS Institute.”
For more information about the Andrew C. Carlos
MS Institute at Shepherd Center or to schedule an
appointment, visit shepherd.org/ms.
More online at
news.shepherd.org
Advancing Research
for Multiple Sclerosis
By Sara Baxter
Conducting research is part of the holistic approach to patient care that
characterizes the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Institute at Shepherd Center. Researchers
at the MS Institute conduct studies and provide an opportunity for people with MS to participate in
some of these investigations. Below is a list of ongoing studies that are recruiting participants:
Impact of Massage Therapy on Fatigue,
Pain and Spasticity in People with
Multiple Sclerosis
Assessment and Rehabilitation
of Fitness to Drive in Individuals
with Multiple Sclerosis
his study is assessing the effectiveness
T
of massage therapy for decreasing fatigue,
pain and spasticity in people with multiple
sclerosis to improve their health perception
and quality of life.
In collaboration with Georgia Health Sciences
University, this study aims to develop a systematic
approach to developing a battery of tests that
can be used clinically to accurately determine
the fitness to drive of people with MS.
Successful Employment and Quality
Work-Life After Severe Disability —
Comparison of Predictive Models with
Multiple Sclerosis and Spinal Cord Injury
Falls in Non-Community Ambulators
and Wheelchair Users
Shepherd Center is one of four research
institutions participating in this study with
the purpose of identifying characteristics
associated with successful employment
throughout the work-life cycle among people
with physical disability resulting from MS.
The study is comparing patterns of predictive
factors with those identified in an independent
study of spinal cord injury.
“Multiple sclerosis is a complex disorder requiring
a team approach for best managing it.”
– Ben Thrower, M.D.
A collaboration with the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champagne, this study seeks to
learn more about how often falls occur in people
with MS who primarily use a wheelchair for
mobility, as well as the potential causes are
for these falls.
Psychometric Properties of Outcome
Measures for Mobility in People with MS
This study is investigating how well walkingrelated outcome measures assess walking
in people with MS. In addition, investigators are
examining how well these walking measures
are related to disability and the type of MS a
person has.
iConquerMS™
For more information on research at the Andrew
C. Carlos MS Institute, visit shepherd.org/
research/multiple-sclerosis/current.
Ben Thrower, M.D., has been the medical director of the Andrew
C. Carlos MS Institute at Shepherd Center since 2001.
Shepherd Center is one of the sites for this
national research project — from the Accelerated Cure Project — that enables people with
MS to safely and securely contribute their
health information and submit ideas for
research on topics important to them. With the
collection of this data, researchers will be able
to see patterns and connections across a
group, possibly leading to better diagnoses,
improved treatments and even a cure someday.
For more information, visit iconquerms.org.
Massage May
Provide Healing
Relief for People
with Multiple
Sclerosis
Researchers at Shepherd Center
are gauging whether massage
helps improve debilitating MS
symptoms and quality of life.
Photo by Dean Hesse
Human touch can have a powerful effect
on health, and research has found it may even promote
healing. In fact, therapeutic massage is known to help relax
muscles, enhance range of motion, improve blood flow and
reduce stress.
Researchers at Shepherd Center are investigating whether
routine massage can help improve pain, spasticity and overall
quality of life among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This
small study — one of the first to look at how massage might
influence these measures in MS — will enroll 25 participants.
Individuals will receive standardized massages — for the same
amount of time, number of strokes and parts of the body
worked on — for one hour a week for six weeks.
“MS is a progressive disease, and the symptoms don’t go
away,” says Deborah Backus, PT, Ph.D., director of MS research
at Shepherd Center and the study’s principal investigator. “Many
of the symptoms can actually exacerbate peoples’ disability
and dramatically affect their quality of life.”
Estimates indicate that 30 to 90 percent of people with
MS report pain, and most (80 percent) have spasticity that
is disruptive to everyday function, personal care and mobility.
In this study, researchers are collecting and analyzing data
from clinical tools and self-reported questionnaires to gauge
changes in pain and spasticity levels, as well as quality-of-life
measures both before and after massage.
Shavonne Thurman, 39, of Atlanta, Ga., was among the first
to sign up and participate in the study. Having completed her
participation in the study, she now misses her weekly sessions
during which massage therapists applied long strokes and light
pressure — characteristic of Swedish-based massage techniques.
“I’ve always had extreme tightness in my calves — so much
so that it’s hard to think about anything else,” she says. “But
during the massage, I was able to let that go and not think
about my MS. It actually relaxed my legs so much, I had to sit
for a minute before getting up because they were like jelly.”
Shavonne was diagnosed with MS in 1999, and it has
affected her life incredibly, she says. She walks with forearm
crutches, but feels fortunate that she is still very active, can
drive a car and is mentally sharp. Still, she is always hopeful for
new therapies that will ease her pain and that of others with MS.
While massage cannot cure MS, researchers say it holds
promise to manage symptoms.
“People are always looking for new ways to manage MS,”
says Christine Manella, PT, LMT, therapy manager in Shepherd
Center’s MS Institute.
The beauty of massage is that it offers physical benefits,
as well as mental and emotional upsides, too, Manella says.
“During the massage, I was able to
let that go and not think about my MS.”
– Shavonne thurman
“MS can be very stressful for patients because they don’t
always know what’s coming next,” she adds. “This type of
study helps us look at the whole person because a patient
might be on the right medication and be physically fine based
on [functional brain] MRIs, but if they are stressed out, it’s
going to affect their health.”
Through this study, researchers will be able to quantify any
benefits of massage, show it does no harm in this population,
and advance ongoing efforts to improve the health and wellness
of people with MS.
Not surprisingly, there’s been no shortage of interest for
participation in the study, Dr. Backus says.
While many health insurance plans will not cover massage
for MS or other chronic diseases, studies like this one may
pave the way for changes in the future.
The one-year study is funded by the Massage Therapy
Foundation. For more information, contact Christine
Manella
at [email protected].
Christine Manella, PT, LMT, therapy manager in Shepherd Center’s MS Institute, applies
therapeutic massage techniques to a patient in the MS Institute.
Shepherd Center received a $65,000 grant from the
California-based Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to
fund a four-tiered program called “From Injury to
Integration: Closing the Healthcare Gap.”
Beyond Hospital Doors
A new grant funds the opportunity to
expand Shepherd Center’s mission.
By Shawn Reeves
Thanks to a new grant from the California-based Craig H. Neilsen Foundation,
Shepherd Center will extend its mission beyond the hospital’s doors. Targeting
individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), the one-year grant totaling more than
$65,000 will fund a four-tiered program called “From Injury to Integration: Closing
the Healthcare Gap.” The program will help individuals and their home communities
learn about and access resources that promote active, healthy lifestyles.
“Shepherd Center already operates several health and wellness programs
through Pro-Motion and Beyond Therapy®,” says Shari McDowell, director of the
Spinal Cord Injury program at Shepherd Center. “These services have existed for
a long time, but this grant allows us to look beyond our walls. When patients finish
their time with Shepherd Center, we want to extend our support beyond that initial
rehabilitation experience by helping them truly reintegrate into society and learn
skills that will lead to healthier lifestyles.”
Unfortunately, McDowell says, there often is a lack of health education, wellness
programs and recreational activities in local communities for people with SCI.
Yet people with SCI show an increased risk for early cardiovascular disease, which
is also the leading cause of death for that population.
This program’s tiered framework is designed to help mitigate this risk and
overcome barriers to reintegration by educating individuals and communities on
the importance of wellness programs tailored specifically to individuals with SCI.
From Injury to Integration
Closing the Healthcare Gap
Four Components
Health, Wellness and Leisure Expo
This June 27, 2015 event at Shepherd Center will
incorporate guest speakers, exhibit booths and
demonstrations addressing topics such as nutrition
and weight loss, blood pressure monitoring, exercise,
women’s health, diabetes management, healthy skin
care, emotional support, smoking cessation and
respiratory health. It is open to the public, and the
Neilsen Foundation grant will fund travel scholarships
for 15 people with SCI who would benefit from
participating in the expo.
Photos by Donn Jones
Train-the-Trainer Community Wellness Program
Modeled after a successful Shepherd Center partnership
with Delta Air Lines, this program component will
engage other nonprofit organizations that promote
health and fitness. Initial outreach will extend to local
YMCA facilities, says Becky Washburn, Shepherd
Center’s ProMotion and Beyond Therapy director.
Shepherd Center staff members will visit fitness
facilities to educate staff members there on SCI and
its effects on physical mobility, as well as provide
them with information on hardware and technologies
that can contribute to heathy living. The first training
session was held in March.
Community-Based Health and Wellness Program
Shepherd Center will host six community-based and
wellness events – three in Greater Atlanta and three
in the Southeast – to promote exercise and longterm health. This third tier seeks to raise awareness
of risks such as obesity and hypertension, and offer
hands-on recreation opportunities to mitigate those
risks. Those opportunities include handcycling, tennis,
softball and other activities at local recreation centers.
The first community-based program was held
at Shepherd Center in March, with others to follow
throughout 2015.
Community
Re-entry and Accessibility
Assessment Activities
This component of the program will work with current
or former Shepherd Center SCI patients to help
assess, then eliminate, barriers for becoming – and
staying – active. Specific activities include:
• Visits to local fitness centers.
•A
ssistance in establishing an exercise program
customized for the individual.
•H
ome visits that offer tailored home
modification recommendations.
More online at
news.shepherd.org
For more information on the “From Injury to Integration: Closing the Healthcare Gap” program, contact
Spinal Cord Injury program director Shari McDowell at [email protected] or 404-350-7676.
To sign up for any of the health and wellness clinics, visit shepherd.org/sci-clinics. Registration for the
expo on June 27 and applications for scholarships for the expo and for community re-entry and accessibility
assessment activities are also posted on shepherd.org.
1
Former patients share their insights on planning
a wedding that is wheelchair accessible.
Even as a young girl, Lauren Camdzic had very
specific ideas about what her wedding day would be like.
It would be a destination wedding, on a beach. Besides
daydreaming about her future groom, the beach location
was the most important part of Lauren’s early dreams. And
she carried that romantic vision in her mind for years.
“I had envisioned getting married at the beach ever since
I started thinking about weddings,” Lauren says. “I couldn’t
imagine it happening anywhere else.”
But on a busy Friday afternoon in July 2011, Lauren was
shot as she crossed a street in Midtown Atlanta, sustaining
a T-10 spinal cord injury. The act of random violence changed
her life in a way that could have shattered her oceanside
wedding dream, were she not so strong and determined.
Lauren spent months at Shepherd Center learning to
adjust to life with a spinal cord injury. It was during those
months that the boyfriend she had been dating since high
school asked her to marry him.
The answer, of course, was yes. Suddenly, Lauren
found herself planning a wedding and thinking about that
idyllic beach setting again. But this time she was thinking
about how to make that dream come true amid new
physical realities.
“The beach is probably the least accessible place for a
person in a wheelchair, but I couldn’t imagine it happening
anywhere else. I was pretty determined. Luckily, we were
able to pull it off,” she says. “Compromises are inevitable,
but do not give up your dreams.”
Lauren’s wedding involved a specially built ramp that led
from the beach’s entry point down to where she and fiancé
Anel exchanged vows, allowing her to comfortably navigate
sandy terrain.
The message and moral of Lauren’s story is an important
one. Many of Shepherd Center’s patients are faced with the
challenge of planning a wedding that includes some kind
of special accommodations for accessibility.
“Compromises are inevitable, but
do not give up your dreams.”
– Lauren Camdzic
Finding a comfortable venue can be one of the most
significant and obvious challenges.
Is all of the terrain at a facility accessible, or just small
portions of it? Where will the reception be held? Are dining
tables tall enough to allow wheelchairs to slide under them?
Photo by Amanda Eubank, Jubilee Photography
By Mia Taylor
Scott Keithley and his new wife Jean Manki looked
at numerous venues, including historical homes, gardens
and restaurants. Though he has C-7 quadriplegia that
imposes accessibility requirements, Scott did not get
discouraged during the search, but instead learned
a great deal.
“Many venues say they’re accessible on their websites
or in their advertisements. But don’t take them at their word.
It’s important to go see for yourself,” he says. “A lot of
places figure if they don’t have a lot of stairs, then they are
accessible, but they’re not thinking it all the way through.”
When it comes to historical properties, there are often
architectural challenges, Scott says. Because such sites
often seek to preserve their original look, guests in wheelchairs are less likely to be able to access the entire property.
Scott and his fiancé were also adamant about having
tables that could comfortably be wheeled under, allowing
guests to eat without having to balance a plate on their lap.
Scott paid special attention to the seating
arrangements, ensuring there was plenty of space between
tables to circulate around the room.
“You want to be able to get around and spend time with
all of your guests,” he says.
Ultimately, Scott and Jean chose a restaurant in a mixeduse office complex that had both indoor and outdoor seating,
and an extensive courtyard.
About 55 people attended. The entire affair lasted about
five hours, with a DJ spinning tunes and music from Scott’s
iPod. At one point, Scott’s new wife surprised him by singing
“Make You Feel My Love” by Adele.
“My vision was to be able to put together all of her friends
and all of my friends – people who did not know each other,
but knew of each other – and to have a relaxed celebration of
our love, with really great food. And I really felt we achieved
that,” he says.
“How can we make subtle adaptations
to the structure of the wedding so no
one is really focused on my wheelchair?”
– Kelley Simoneaux
For Kelley Simoneaux, who has a T-12 spinal cord injury, it
was important that the day not be centered around her wheelchair. Achieving that goal required several thoughtful adjustments.
“I didn’t want my husband to have to bend to give me our
first kiss, those kinds of things,” she says.
During the ceremony, Kelley’s groom, Bradlee, sat in a chair
across from his bride, able to look her in the eye and lean over
easily to kiss her.
The couple also selected a very small wedding cake, so it
would not tower over Kelley while the couple cut the first slice.
“For us, it was about: ‘How can we make subtle adaptations
to the structure of the wedding so no one is really focused
on my wheelchair?’ And we were able to accomplish that.
I enjoyed the day and everyone else did, too,” Kelley says.
A fastidious planner, Liz Ouligian of Gainesville, Fla.,
had her wedding date and all its important details finalized.
And then destiny intervened.
During a drive home from Jacksonville, Fla., she and her
fiancé were involved in a car accident that left Liz with a T-12
incomplete spinal cord injury.
2
The wedding had
to be set aside – at least
temporarily.
“My first thought was
I still wanted to keep my
wedding date. I will be
sitting down but still able
to go to my wedding,”
she says. “But about one
month before my wedding
date, I realized it just wasn’t
3
going to happen. I was
so upset. I was so big on
wedding planning and
getting everything done.
I had this date and all of the favors engraved with the date.”
Canceling that original date, however, has given Liz time
to address some important new questions – such as how to
shop for a wedding dress in a wheelchair and how to make
the dress look its best when being worn in a sitting position.
There are experts at bridal shops who can help alter a
dress, allowing it to look the way it should, Liz says. There are
also changes that can be made to the wheelchair to protect
the wedding gown.
Liz has not yet rescheduled her wedding date. She is
working to clear one last hurdle before she will allow herself
to finalize a date again.
Holding tight to her original wedding dreams, Liz wants to
be able to walk down the aisle and to also share a first dance
with her new husband, as well as a dance with her father.
Making that happen has required her to work tirelessly to
regain enough strength in her legs to walk with forearm crutches.
“Once I complete one walk down the aisle on my own,
then I will set a new date,” she says. “I’m just waiting to get
to that point.”
1. Lauren Camdzic always dreamed of a beach destination wedding, and with
lots of planning was able to make arrangements for a wheelchair-accessible
beach ceremony. 2. Kelley Simoneaux says she was able to make several small
adjustments to her wedding so the day wouldn’t be focused on her wheelchair.
3. Liz Ouligian had a wedding date set when she
sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident.
She had to postpone her wedding, but staged a
More online at
rehearsal with her fiance and their families while
news.shepherd.org
she was in Shepherd Center’s Day Program.
P
patient
profile
BEYOND
BEYOND
EXPECTATIONS
EXPECTATIONS
After being struck by a drunk driver,
Billy Wilkerson overcame a severe brain
injury to see life through a new lens.
By Shawn Reeves
4
Photos by Brandon McCormick — Whitestone Motion Pictures
yea
rs ago, doctors
everything fitting together in new ways. It’s definitely helped
questioned whether
me be a better husband and a better Dad.”
Billy Wilkerson would ever
Billy has gone so far as to share coffee with the man whose
walk or talk again, says his wife Jill, while sitting
drunken driving caused his pain in the first place. He has written
on their front porch in Dacula, Ga. Today, nine surgeries
parole letters on behalf of the still-incarcerated man and
later, he is a certified fitness coach through CrossFit, a core
harbors no ill will. “He was a kid who made a bad decision,”
strengthening and conditioning program. He dead lifts
Billy says. “Maybe his BMW even knocked some sense into me!”
325 pounds, professionally writes, sings and records music,
“Billy’s always been the peacemaker in the family,” says Jill,
wrestles his 4-year-old son, Dawson, and 7-year-old daughter,
who met her husband in grade school and marked their sixth
Evie, and does most other things he did before the accident.
wedding anniversary watching doctors take him off the ventilator.
That outcome, however, wasn’t always so clear.
“He easily could’ve hated the driver, but investing all that
On July 31, 2011, Billy and his best friend of 20 years had
energy just takes away from your own life, so what’s the use?”
just left a friendly card game in Decatur, Ga., when their car
Billy hasn’t completely returned to life before the accident.
was hit by a drunk driver, leaving both Billy and his friend Ron
He doesn’t tour with a band or perform at venues like Nashville’s
with severe traumatic brain injuries. The impact crushed Billy’s
historic Ryman Auditorium the way he did before. He doesn’t
face, snapped his forearm and thrust him into a coma for the
drive with his kids in the car and takes several naps a day,
next seven days. He spent 16 days in the Intensive Care Unit
which he attributes to the chronic fatigue stemming from the
at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta before transferring to
injury. He also has navigated a choppy emotional sea coping
Shepherd Center, where for the next month he underwent
with the loss of his best friend, who remains in a persistent
intensive rehabilitation.
vegetative state only a couple
“When I arrived, I couldn’t
of miles from Billy.
remember my son, couldn’t
But Billy has recovered
remember any songs, what
far beyond expectations,
day it was, how I had gotten
says Jill, who pushed him
there,” says Billy, a songwriter
early on to resume his singing
for the past 16 years.
and songwriting – even with
Then one day, at Jill’s
a tracheostomy still firmly in
urging, Billy started singing,
place – because “songs are
retrieving from some jumbled
what you do.”
space in his muddled brain
Billy is glad to be where
a single song – Amazing
he is – present for his family,
Grace. He sang every stanza.
mentally strong and in the
Completely. Clearly. Perfectly.
best physical shape of his
And through wired jaws – so
life. And he’s grateful for the
began Billy’s path to recovery.
path that has led him home.
Thanks to an intensive
He and Jill have stayed
7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
“The whole experience has been
in touch with Shepherd Center,
rehabilitation regimen –
an evolution of watching my brain
participating in a program
physical therapy, speech
reconstruct and re-perceive what
that links them with area
therapy and occupational
is and isn’t important in life.”
middle schools, where they
therapy – he progressed. But
talk with students about
billy wilkerson
it wasn’t only his body and
brain injuries.
mind that improved, he says.
“The first time we did it was
His spirit improved, as well.
two years after the accident,”
“Shepherd Center actually helped design that part of
Jill says of their involvement. “And we knew immediately is was
me – that desire to create a new normal, the desire to keep
something we’d continue doing.”
pushing,” he says, “The energy there was just so different.
“I enjoy telling my story – encouraging kids to do anything,
I knew I was in a place that truly cared about the patient.”
even with a brain injury – to live life,” Billy says.
That level of care extended beyond Billy’s hospital room
“I want to show them that it’s not so much the conflict in life,
and into Shepherd Center’s on-campus housing, where his
but how you react to the conflict that makes the difference.”
family stayed so they could be close. “It brought so much
peace knowing our family could be together,” Jill says. “Billy
One-half of the duo called The Brothers Bright, Billy writes and sings
was a stay-at-home Dad for three years before the accident,
for Buford, Ga.-based Whitestone Motion Pictures. The Brothers Bright’s
so it was really important for the kids to see him.”
songs are available on iTunes, and one, “Blood on My Name,” was
Since Billy’s discharge from Shepherd Center in 2011,
recently featured in the post-Super Bowl episode of NBC’s “The Blacklist.”
Evie and Dawson have watched their Dad return – physically,
to be sure, but mentally and emotionally, as well, Billy says.
Facing page: After sustaining a severe brain injury,
“In some ways, the accident was a good reset button,”
Billy Wilkerson credits his wife, family and closest
friends (pictured) as part of the team that has helped
he says. “The whole experience has been an evolution of
him recover and continue with his life. Above: Billy’s
Video and extended
watching my brain reconstruct and re-perceive what is and
wife, Jill, urged him to start singing again when he
article online at
isn’t important in life. Every day, I go outside and say ‘thanks’
was an inpatient at Shepherd Center’s Acquired Brain
news.shepherd.org
for waking me up. It’s interesting how you start to see
Injury Program.
A
alumni
profiles
Shepherd Alums:
Where Are They Now?
By Phillip Jordan
Jeff Ledbetter
Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Fifteen years have passed since Jeff Ledbetter, 49,
of Muscle Shoals, Ala., spent nearly three months at
Shepherd Center. A motorcycle accident had caused
a T-5 to -6 spinal cord injury, a collapsed lung and a
blood clot in his brain.
“The biggest thing I remember about Shepherd Center
is that nobody thought you needed to be handled like a baby,”
Jeff says. “They didn’t cut you any slack. I appreciated that
and, really, I needed that.”
There were times that Jeff laughed at what his physical
therapists told him he was going to accomplish. “Sometimes
I’d just think, ‘Are you crazy?’” he says with a laugh. “But
they’d get me there. I think a whole lot of everyone there.
They really taught me how to take care of myself again.”
Jeff also cites the support of his family, particularly his wife
Connie. “She’s been extraordinary,” Jeff says. “She’s done
so many things for me. Honestly, I don’t know if I could have
done it if it was the other way around. She’s pretty special.”
Twelve weeks after his injury, Jeff returned to his job at
a north Alabama manufacturing plant. When the plant shut
down in 2004, he found himself out of work. Jeff didn’t stay
down long. He used disability funds provided by the state
of Alabama to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business
management, graduating in 2008.
In 2007, he took a part-time job with a flooring manufacturer
in Tuscumbia, Ala., while finishing his degree. The gig led
to a full-time job there, and for the past three years Jeff has
served as the company’s manager of human resources.
Even more important to Jeff is the spiritual perspective
he’s gained over the past 15 years. “I wouldn’t trade anything
for what God’s done in my life,” Jeff says. “And not just with
work or family. My injury was a wake-up
call. It took a pretty good kick in the
pants to realize the mercy I’ve
been shown, but the biggest
change for me is that God
used all this to save me.”
1
Jeff Ledbetter was a patient at Shepherd
Center 15 years ago after sustaining
a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle
accident. Since then, he has earned his
bachelor’s degree and works full time
in human resources.
After a motorcycle accident that
nearly ended his life, Ignacio
Montoya returned to school,
earned his bachelor’s degree and is
now considering graduate school.
2
Ignacio
Montoya
Duluth, Ga.
Ignacio Montoya,
24, of Duluth, Ga.,
had twin motivations for
becoming a U.S. Air
Force fighter pilot: to fly
something very fast and to give
back to the country that
welcomed him as a 7-year-old Cuban
immigrant.
By December 2012, Ignacio’s goal stood within reach.
He was completing his business studies at Georgia State
University and finishing his time in the U.S. Air Force Reserve
Officer Training Corps at Georgia Tech. Ignacio had already
earned a rated pilot slot, and was three short months away
from his commissioning.
Then on Dec. 4, 2012, Ignacio’s life nearly ended.
He was in uniform, riding his motorcycle home from an
ROTC change-of-command ceremony at Georgia Tech, when
he was struck by a minivan. For 15 minutes, Ignacio remained
pulseless, in cardiopulmonary arrest. Chest compressions
and several rounds of epinephrine to the heart resuscitated
him, but Ignacio sustained a T-4 to -5 complete spinal cord
injury, a traumatic brain injury and an injury that severed the
nerves connecting his right arm to his spinal cord.
Ignacio spent several months at Shepherd Center in early
2013, and returns when possible for outpatient physical
therapy and to use the ProMotion Fitness Center. When he
was discharged from Shepherd Center, Ignacio immediately
maneuvered his way, by wheelchair, to Georgia State’s
campus, about six miles away.
“It was important to me to get back on track right away,”
he says. Today, Ignacio has his bachelor’s degree, lives
on his own and is considering graduate school. He’s also
fighting to change laws that prevent him from receiving
medical benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I was going through the same program as cadets at the
Air Force Academy,” Ignacio says. “If I had been at the
Academy, I would be eligible for benefits. However, cadets
training in the exact same programs at other schools, like
me, aren’t eligible for the same benefits.”
For now, he’s fundraising for his medical expenses and
keeping long-term goals in sight. “If I was dead for 15 minutes
and got a second shot at life, I’m surely not going to spend
it being complacent,” he says.
Jordan McGee is back working full time after
sustaining a brain injury in a car accident in
December 2013. He says he now has a new,
more positive approach to life following his
rehabilitation at Shepherd Center.
Sheri Denkensohn
Arlington, Va.
Sheri Denkensohn, 47, of Arlington, Va., was 16 years
old when injuries in a diving accident resulted in quadriplegia.
Nothing, however, stopped Sheri from moving to the nation’s
capital, earning a law degree and becoming an attorney for
the federal government. She’s spent the past 17 years working
in the Inspector General’s office with the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, and is currently a senior advisor
for Public Health Oversight.
In 2009, Sheri sought out Shepherd Center for surgeries
on two pressure-sore wounds. Post-operative complications
kept her at the hospital for six months, much of it spent in
Shepherd Center’s Intensive Care Unit. “I was intubated and
on a ventilator most of my time there, and never thought I’d
be able to go back to work. But I did! I’m thankful everyone
at Shepherd knows how to be both tough and supportive.”
Sheri also appreciated that Shepherd Center provided
an on-campus apartment for her husband, Tony, who has
Friedreich’s Ataxia, a progressive, neurological disorder that
affects his balance and muscle coordination. The apartment
allowed him to more easily support his wife while she was
an inpatient.
Tony and Sheri met through their mutual work with the
ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, where Tony
served as a peer mentor and Sheri served on the board.
When Tony asked her out on a first date, Sheri knew she had
a potential keeper; the invite was to a Georgetown Hoyas
basketball game.
“I was an athlete growing up and I loved the Hoyas,” Sheri
says. “It’s also where I went to law school, so yes, that was a
good call on a first date.” The two have been together – and
Georgetown season-ticket holders – for more than a decade.
Sheri and Tony have joined forces to create Happy on
Wheels (happyonwheels.com), an entrepreneurial business
initiative focused on helping wheelchair users, and all individuals,
to live happier lives. Sheri is the writer and speaker, while
Tony serves as editor, web designer and social media guru.
“We love spending time together,” Sheri says, “so this is a
really fun chance to bring our
strengths together for
a shared purpose.”
3
Sheri Denkensohn spent nearly six
months in Shepherd Center’s ICU in
2009 following complications from
surgery for two pressure wounds.
She is now back to her busy life in
Arlington, Va., working full time and
writing a blog focused on helping
wheelchair users live happier lives.
4
Jordan McGee
Charlotte, N.C.
Before his car accident in
December 2013, Jordan
McGee, 25, of Charlotte,
N.C., worked 50 to 70 hours a
week as manager of a high-end
women’s clothing store. “My life was
my job,” he says. “To go from that to not being able to work
at all, it was difficult to come to terms with.”
Jordan sustained a traumatic brain injury in the accident.
At times during his stay at Shepherd Center, Jordan remembers
sitting up in his bed, yelling: “I don’t have time for this! I have
work to do!”
He eventually came to embrace his situation with
newfound patience. “It surprised me,” Jordan says. “The
emotional and intellectual development that has come with
this has been priceless. I wouldn’t be living as wholly or
happily as I am without the perspective this experience
has brought.”
Rapid improvement with occupational, physical and
speech therapies allowed Jordan to go home in mid-March
2014, three months earlier than estimated.
“I had the most incredible and encouraging rehabilitation
staff,” he says. “I owe them my ability to speak and walk
as well as I do. My daily function is a direct result of the
successes they made possible.”
Back home in Charlotte, Jordan incrementally worked his
way back to full-time employment at his job. He discovered
he enjoyed the rest of his life more, too. Jordan credits that
to his new approach to life, developed at Shepherd Center,
as well as the support of his family, his partner Chris and his
best friend Jo.
“The endless support I felt from Jo – who drove from
Charlotte to Atlanta on a weekly basis – and the emotional
and physical encouragement of my family were critical to my
recovery,” Jordan says. “Without them, I’m not sure I would
have been able to meet, much less fall in love with, the man of
my dreams.”
His continued growth includes volunteer projects, and
work with the Charlotte chapter of the Brain Injury Association
of North Carolina. “I have a simple mantra now: ‘Be kind, be
honest, be compassionate,’” Jordan says. “I don’t have the
time or tolerance to be otherwise!”
More online at
news.shepherd.org
Notes from
scott h. sikes
hepherd Center Foundation
S
Executive Director
25An Integral Part
of Treatment
26 Staff profile
27 Donor profile
28 Calendar of Events
30 HONORARIUMS
35 MEMORIALS
It is spring, and that means the dogwood trees are in bloom
in Atlanta. If you have not been to our city in April, then you must make plans
to be here. It is beautiful – particularly with the profusion of azaleas and dogwoods
in bloom.
Unfortunately, many people make their first trip to Atlanta as our patient, family
member or loved one. Patients seek out Shepherd Center from across the country
because of the comprehensive care we provide. It goes beyond the expert medical
care mentioned in this issue of Spinal Column magazine, and includes numerous
programs and services focused on the quality of life after injury.
These 22 quality-of-life programs and services are critical to the recovery of
our patients, but they are either unfunded or underfunded by traditional payers –
insurance providers, workers compensation, Medicaid or Medicare. These
programs include assistive technology, chaplaincy (featured on page 25), family
housing, recreation therapy, the SHARE Military Initiative, vocational programs
and much more.
Each year, Shepherd Center Foundation must raise $8 million in donations
to fund these vital programs. Some of this money is given by private foundations
and corporations, but the majority is given by individuals. Whether they have
a personal experience or connection with a patient, or an ardent belief in our
mission, our donors give because they see the impact these programs can have
on our patients’ lives.
This issue of Shepherd Center’s magazine includes an article on the Alias
family and their donations and volunteerism throughout the years – particularly
their support of the Chaplaincy Program (see page 27). We also discuss the great
work of our doctors in the Andrew C. Carlos MS Institute (see page 12), which
has been made possible by generous donations and volunteerism from the
Carlos family. It is my privilege to work with family members as they volunteer
and donate in significant ways to help others.
You can make a difference by giving amounts small or large to a specific
program. Or, if you want to support all of Shepherd Center’s 22 quality-of-life
programs, you may give to the Shepherd Fund. Just call me at 404-350-7305
or email me at [email protected]. In addition, you can give online
at give.shepherd.org. Thank you.
An Integral Part of Treatment
Shepherd Center’s Chaplaincy Program offers faith for people of all religions.
By John Christensen
Photos by Louie Favorite
1
2
Tucked away in a corner of the original section
of Shepherd Center is a small, carpeted room with
muted lighting, a handful of chairs and an elaborate stained
glass window. It is the chapel, a peaceful place where patients,
families and staff members pray and meditate.
Although the hospital’s mission is to help patients heal
spiritually, as well as physically and emotionally, chaplains
Ben Rose and Alan Roof say the chapel is under-utilized.
“I think it’s under-used because it’s a dark space and not
as warm and welcoming as it could be,” Ben says. “Also, most
of the hospital is in the Marcus-Woodruff Building now, and
we’re off in a corner.”
That should change this year when the chapel is renovated
with funds contributed by donors. A wall separating the chapel
from the chaplains’ cramped office will be removed. Temperature
control and lighting will be improved, and the stained glass
window will be moved to a side wall, where it will be backlit.
The chaplains’ new office will be smaller, but it will be at one
end of the chapel where it is more convenient.
“When people seek solace in the chapel, we’re just a doorknock away,” Ben says.
Many larger hospitals have only one chaplain, and rural
hospitals often rely on a minister from a local church. But
Shepherd Center’s chaplains are an integral part of health
care. They participate in meetings, confer with doctors and
therapists, and meet frequently with patients and their families.
“We have deep, hard conversations every day with patients
who are asking hard questions, the ones that don’t have easy
answers,” Alan says. “People have faith that they will walk
again, and when they can’t, they wonder why God hates them.
We’re not just about the wounds of the body; we’re also about
the wounds of the spirit.”
“A big part of what we do is sitting with folks,” Ben says.
“We will pray with them that they will be healed, but beyond
that, we expand the hope that they will truly live again.”
The chapel is busiest in the early morning when some
hospital employees stop by before going to work. In the
evenings, it becomes a haven for patients and families who
have trouble sleeping.
The chaplains also preside over a worship service at
1:30 p.m. on Sundays in the Callaway Auditorium. The service
includes scripture or poems, prayer, a homily, and live or
recorded music.
“We have singing, and we’ve even had interpretative dance
by people in wheelchairs moving their arms,” Ben says. “There
wasn’t a dry eye in the room.”
“We’re not just about the wounds of the body;
we’re also about the wounds of the spirit.”
– Alan Roof
Patients are also encouraged to participate in the service.
Those with brain injuries may practice a prayer or poem with
their therapist and recite it during the service.
“We try to incorporate it as part of their therapy,” Alan says.
The services are general in nature so people of all faiths
are comfortable.
“We may have Catholics from Boston along with Pentecostals
from the South,” Alan says. “Usually, we have a bunch of
gracious people who find they can sit next to people from other
traditions and worship with them.”
“We want people to be spiritually fed here, but we’re not
trying to impose anything on them,” Ben says. “For some, that
may mean going out to the garden instead, and we celebrate
that, too.”
For more information on Shepherd Center’s Chaplaincy
Program, visit shepherd.org/chaplaincy.
1. Alan Roof speaks with the mother of a Shepherd
Center patient in the Secret Garden. 2. Ben Rose
talks with a patient during his daily visit to Shepherd
Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Unit.
More online at
news.shepherd.org
p
staff profile
Shepherd Center Chaplains Tend to Spiritual
Needs of Patients, Families and Staff Members
By John Christensen
patients come back, and we see how they’re doing
in their new lives.”
Chaplains attend seminary school, undergo
three years of additional pastoral care education
and do a residency in a hospital or prison. Unlike
ministers who have congregations and specific
beliefs, chaplains generalize to accommodate
people of every faith.
“In a church setting, you have to be narrower in
your approach,” Alan says. “I’m more open-minded
and entertain different ideas. It’s making spirituality
work on a day-to-day basis.”
“I talk with them about their journey
without repercussions or judgment.
Whatever they want to talk about,
I’ll listen.”
Shepherd Center chaplains
Alan Roof (left) and Ben
Rose (right) say their job
is to listen to patients
and learn who they are
as people.
More online at
news.shepherd.org
While doing his residency at an
Atlanta hospital several years ago,
Ben Rose walked into a patient’s room and
introduced himself as a chaplain. The woman
began screaming.
“She thought I was the angel of death,” says Ben,
now one of the two chaplains at Shepherd Center.
“People make a lot of assumptions about us,”
says Alan Roof, the other chaplain at Shepherd
Center. “They think we’re just here to pray or show
up at the time of death. That’s not what we’re about.
We want to see who you are and how you are.”
The chaplains at Shepherd Center not only tend
to the spiritual needs of patients and their families,
but also minister to staff members. In one case
they conducted a service for a beloved service
dog that died.
Alan, 51, grew up in Colorado and had a career
in hospital information technology before coming
to Shepherd Center eight and a half years ago.
When he was in college, Alan’s brother died and
he met a hospital chaplain.
“I thought that was such a cool job, helping people
who need to talk and get help,” Alan says. “You
don’t have to be a great theologian to help people.”
Ben, 35, is from Maryland’s eastern shore. He
was pastor of a church and a hospice chaplain
before coming to Shepherd Center four years ago.
“I enjoyed hospice care because you see
someone’s journey and help with grieving,” he
says. “But I love working at Shepherd because
– Alan Roof
With patients and families at Shepherd Center
experiencing pain, shock and fear, the chaplains
work in what Alan calls an atmosphere of
“collective grief.”
“The challenge early on is that the injuries can
be so bad,” Ben says. “There’s the loss of the
world as it was supposed to be, and everything
feels profane. Talking with patients and their
families about things like this is very serious. It’s
difficult stuff. It really is an honor to be with folks
in that sacred time.”
Alan’s duties include working with wounded
service men, women and veterans in the SHARE
Military Initiative and helping them see how their
new life can be good as well as different.
“I talk with them about their journey without
repercussions or judgment,” he says. “Whatever
they want to talk about, I’ll listen.”
However, they do not proselytize or make
promises, and they avoid ready-made explanations.
“We don’t try to change people,” Ben says.
“We help them redefine things so they can see their
new activities as spiritual practice. It’s experiential
learning for them and for us. Every day is different.”
Alan says, “When someone asks me why
something happens, I’ll say, ‘I don’t know. Let’s
look at that. Tell me what you’re thinking.’ We don’t
have the answer. We usually have a lot of questions.
When people’s lives have been torn apart, we try
to help make their faith work for them. We’re the
mechanics of the religious world.”
Donor profile
d
A Family Affair
Fred, Shaler and Andrew Alias are longtime supporters of Shepherd Center.
By Sara Baxter
When Shepherd Center co-founder
Al ana Shepherd asked Fred Alias to have
lunch with her at the hospital 30 years ago, he had
a preconceived idea that it would be a “depressing
place” given the patients’ circumstances.
Instead, he had the opposite experience.
“After I got in my car, I just felt exhilarated and
positive,” recalls Fred, who has spent his entire
career in the hotel business and is now CEO
of Sandcastle Resorts. “To see the interaction
with the patients and the staff was phenomenal.
I saw more ‘high fives’ that day than I’d see at
a Falcons game.”
He calls that lunch “inspirational” and has been
supporting Shepherd Center – both financially and
by serving on the Board of Directors – ever since.
In 2006, Fred established the “Employee Best
Attitude Award” given to four Shepherd employees
each year. The recipients are voted upon by their
peers and receive a monetary gift. “Every employee
at Shepherd has a great attitude, and I wanted to
recognize that,” Fred says.
Growing up, Shepherd Center was a “household
name” to Fred’s sons, Shaler and Andrew. But
Shaler did not see Shepherd Center in action until
his best friend from college sustained a spinal cord
injury in a fall off a roof the night before graduation.
“That’s when I truly understood what Shepherd
does,” Shaler recalls. “I saw every step of the
process, from admission to therapy to discharge.
I learned what a great place it really is.”
As Shaler and Andrew established their
careers – both work for an Atlanta company called
Repay – they also began to support Shepherd
Center. Aside from contributing financially, Shaler
sits on the Shepherd Center Cup committee for
the Shepherd Center Foundation’s annual golf
tournament, chairing it once, and Andrew is on the
hospital’s advisory board.
“When you get involved at Shepherd, you get
pulled into the thick of things because of the energy
there,” Andrew says. “There’s no way to stay on
the sidelines.”
Shaler agrees. “Every time I walk out of Shepherd,
I feel energized, and I want to be a part of it,”
he explains.
Fred and his sons have most recently made
substantial contributions toward the renovation of
Shepherd Center’s chapel, a project that is under
way now.
“We were looking for a way to honor Alana and
Harold’s unwavering commitment to the Center,”
Fred says. “Knowing their faith was important to
them, the chapel was a perfect fit.”
“God works miracles through Shepherd Center,
and renovating the chapel is way to honor that,”
Andrew adds.
Long-time Shepherd Center
donor Fred Alias with his
sons Shaler and Andrew.
“W hen you get involved at Shepherd, you get pulled
into the thick of things because of the energy there.
There’s no way to stay on the sidelines.”
– Andrew Alias
A quiet room – where patients and their families
can meet with the chaplain away from their hospital
room – is being added, and upgrades are being
made to the chaplains’ offices and the chapel
itself. The renovation includes the addition of antique
pews and the relocation of a stained glass window.
Fred calls his support of Shepherd Center
a passion – and an easy one at that. “I feel it’s
an honor and a privilege to help them,” he says.
“It’s a very special place.”
More online at
news.shepherd.org
UPCOMING
EVENTS
21
april
1
Auxiliary
Luncheon
& Annual
Meeting
SHEPHERD CENTER
FOUNDATION
Mark your 2015 calendar
with the following Shepherd
Center Foundation meetings
and events.
19-26
APRIL
Shepherd’s Men Run
A group of military service members
will run 911 miles, from New York City to
Shepherd Center, to raise money for Shepherd
Center’s SHARE Military Initiative. For more
information visit, ShepherdsMen.com.
30
april
Auxiliary
Purse
Sale
7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the
Callaway Auditorium
at Shepherd Center
photo stream 1. A group of military service members train for their second Shepherd’s Men run. This year they will run 911 miles from
New York City’s Ground Zero to Shepherd Center April 19–26 to raise money for Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative. For more information, visit
ShepherdsMen.com. (Photo by Louie Favorite) Opposite page: Shepherd Center Society hosted the Big Game Bash on Feb. 1 at Bobby Jones Golf Course.
Attendees included: 2. Taylor Weitz, Ashley French, Miller Jackson, Marisa Puckett, Sarah Baum, Svea Hall, Todd Stone 3. Malia Martin, Kirk Martin, Miller Jackson
and Brandon Busbee 4. Griffin Baum and Sarah Baum
2
may
33rd Annual Derby Day
at Chastain Horse Park
Enjoy food, fun and fast horses! An Atlanta tradition since 1983, Derby Day,
planned by Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee, is considered by many
as the premier highlight of Atlanta’s spring social calendar.
For more information, visit DerbyDay.com.
2
18
june
Project
Rollway
Shepherd Center’s
adolescent team will
host its third annual
fundraising fashion show.
3
2015
4
Save the Date
July 15, 2015
h
Honorariums
Honorees are listed first in bold print followed by the names of those making gifts in their honor.
This list reflects gifts made to Shepherd Center between Nov. 1, 2014 and Jan. 31, 2015.
Carol A. Adams
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Adams, Jr.
Susan and Harve Bauguess
Mr. and Mrs. Dale H. Tucker
Joy and Bert Burns’ Friendship
Ms. Ann R. Howell
Kathy Adams
John L. Lin, M.D.
Eric Baum
Mrs. Eric Baum
Grace Catherine Devaux Byrne
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Byrne
Patricia Ahlers
Ms. Linda W. Alexander
Grace Baumrind – Get Well
Mr. and Mrs. Joel K. Isenberg
Joanne Ainsworth
Mrs. Harriet Robinson
Natalie Beard
Ms. Susanna Beard
Casey Cabral –
Thanks for excellence
in Respiratory Therapy
Dr. David F. Apple, Jr.
Christopher C. Akridge’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. David McMahon
Mary Beth Begley
Ms. Katherine H. Crumley
Sandy Alexander –
Great Board Presentation
Alan A. Behar
Mrs. Sam Arogeti
Tucker Anderson’s Recovery
Sgt. Maj. Carter S. Lanier
Jessica Andre
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Andre
Pete Anziano –
Dr. David F. Apple for his service
to the community
Mr. and Mrs. C. K. Massey, Jr.
Mike Arneson
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth V. Arneson
Cyndae A. Arrendale
Ms. Hong-Tsun Simon
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Atkins, Jr.
Wish Happy Holidays to:
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Baldwin
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Campbell
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Grady
Mrs. O. David Kulman
Susannah and Ralph Smith
Dr. and Mrs. Michael York
Deborah Backus – Great job on data!
Stephen J. Ball
Ms. Coleen Ball
Mr. and Mr. Michael Balliet
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hall
Julie J. Barrett’s
Continued Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Barrett
Mr. Jeff Bartusch and the staff
at Federal Express Wish
Merry Christmas to:
Ms. Debbie Walker
Ashley Bateman
Col. and Mrs. George M. McVeigh, Jr.
Brad Battaglia –
Life-saving surgery
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Kucera
Mrs. Judith Belcher
Wishes Happy Holiday to:
The Vinson Family
Mrs. John M. Bell
Wishes Happy Holidays to:
Mr. David Webster
Mr. Austin Mayfield
Mr. and Mrs. David Bennett
Ms. Pat Ahlers
Edith Bennett
Higher Heights Fellowship Ministries
Marla and Thomas Bennett
Dr. Lynn Rogers
Jennith Bernstein
Dr. Gary Gruenhage
Gary Billon
Mr. Eugene Gannon
Bonnie Blackwell
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Blackwell
Helen Blasé
Major General and
Mrs. David R. Bockel, Sr.
Eleanor Caldwell
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Caldwell
Ms. Shannon Caldwell
Mr. and Mrs. Seth P. Richards
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Carlos
Ms. Angela Carlos
Ms. Kari Carlos
Sara and Donnie Chapman
The Annie Oakley Shooters
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Herbert
Sabrine Charif
Dr. Anthony Cassandra
Len Cherry –
Expression of thanks
Mr. Evan Flynn
William Millard Choate
Ms. Katie Choate
Steve Clark
Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Gray, Jr.
Ms. Anne W. Clarke
Ms. Jeanette Clarke
Mike Clarkin
Mr. Patrick Ryan
Warren Cleary –
Michael L. Bliss
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Repp
Fletcher D. Cleaves, Jr.’s
Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher D. Cleaves
Cruise Bogle
Mrs. Elizabeth Johnston
Erin M. Cobb
Ms. Lillian R. Shirley
Mrs. Marjory Timothy
and Mr. Bob Bollinger
Jackie Samuels
Shane P. Coco
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis A. Coco
Jacquelyn Breitenstein
Ms. Barbara Linden
Toni and Peter Brookner
Mr. and Mrs. Adam R. Brookner
Dylan Brown
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Watson
Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Buce
Ms. Tricia Buce
Joshua Craft’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Alton L. Craft
Anita T. Crean
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Crean
James A. Curtis’ Birthday
Ms. Debra K. Glidden
James A. Curtis
Mr. Robert J. Bailey
Ms. Joanne Bryant, AAMS
Mr. and Mrs. Brad Courts
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Courts II
Mrs. Carol MacDougall Curtis
and Dr. W. Knox Kinlaw
Ms. Laureen E. Dame
Mr. and Mrs. Blake G. Dexter
Mr. and Mrs. David Glass
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Hardage
Ms. Sharon L. Hollis
Dr. and Mrs. Knox Kinlaw
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lofthouse
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome W. Lynn
Mrs. Lindsay Mullin
Mr. and Mrs. Todd Norwood
Mr. and Mrs McKee Nunnally
Mr. and Mrs Gary Pahler
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Mr. and Mrs. Ian Smith
Ms. Elizabeth Swanson
Mr. and Mrs. David Withers
Stanley Dale’s Recovery
CMSGT. and Mrs. Marvin F. Dale, Ret.
Betsy Daniels
Mr. and Mrs. George K. Wolfes, Jr.
Joe Daniels
Mr. and Mrs. Corbitt Woods
Ms. Suzanne Mott Dansby
Mrs. Grace H. Dansby
Mr. Stewart Dansby, Jr.
Ms. Susan Dansby
Ms. Mallie Ireland
Dr. Sally Ann Lynch
Shawna and Cliff McDowell
Ildiko Mulhaly
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett Davis
Mr. Stockton Broome
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Builder
Mr. and Mrs. Merrell Calhoun
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Cook
Mr. and Mrs. Hal Field
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fry
Mr. and Mrs. William Gow
Mr. and Mrs. Hix Green
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Hardin
Mr. Jim Herndon
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kemper
Mr. and Mrs. Lawton Nease
Mr. and Mrs. Rowland Radford
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sorenson
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Taratus
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Turner
Mrs. Thomas Williams
Mrs. William Waters
Ms. Janet E. Dawson
Ms. Pat Ahlers
Bobbie and Allen Dean
Ms. Coker Appleton
Nancy E. Delany’s Recovery
Dr. and Mrs. Louis A. Riccardi
Karen Devault
Mr. Scott J. Keithley
Karen DeVault –
Mr. and Mrs. Frank K. Flautt
Mr. Fred Alias
Allison Dick
The Martha and Wilton Looney
Foundation, Inc.
Sandra and David Flint
Mr. and Mrs. Don H. Stenhouse
Mike Dillon
Ms. Amanda A. Daniel
Ms. Mary Garcia
Michele and Mike Dipetrillo
Silicon Valley Foundation
Nicholas Doeffinger
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Doeffinger
Samuel W. Dowlen’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Whatley
Ms. Mary Ann DuBose
Mr. Tom Sloope
Cathi Dugger –
Celebrating 15 years
on the Adolescent Team
Mrs. Caroline W. Fowler
Mrs. Joan Woodall
William Fricks
Mr. and Mrs. Mark R. Fricks
Mrs. Harold Fryer
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Fryer
Joe Gadd’s Recovery
Lenore and Victor Maslia Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Cy Gamber
Wish Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year to:
Cheryl and Jay Shanahan
Patrick Durkin
Ms. Susan L. Crawford
Ann and Jim Gandy
Wish Merry Christmas to:
Mr. Andrew Cuppia
Mr. and Mrs. James C. Cuppia
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome C. Cuppia III
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Cuppia
Mrs. Margaret Naugle
Chuck Elander – Great job on data!
Chico Garcia
Mr. Jack W. Riffle
Scott Elliott
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald H. Elliott
Jeré V. Garde
Ms. Jill Gregory
Kathleen and David Ellis
Richard “Gip” Gayle –
patient in 2003 and 2004
Mr. Franklin D. Cancel
Ms. Lori Frederick
Mac Dunbar
Mr. and Mrs. David F. Haddow
Anna Elmers’ Birthday
Mary Ann Embleton
Mr. John F. Embleton
Mr. and Mrs. Brid B. Igleheart, Jr.
Mrs. Blythe Marsau
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Emry
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Eurton
Major General and Mrs. David R.
Bockel, Sr.
Ms. Dorothy G. Evans
Ms. May Kennedy
Jeremy Evans
Ms. Wanda L. Jackson
Brent R. Fails
Mrs. Annette L. Evans
Jackie Faircloth
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Leslie
Kathy Farris – Congratulations
on your promotion!
Charlie Finch
Ms. McRae Mayfield
Frank Findley
Ms. Jane S. Greenberger
and Mr. P. Douglas Wexler
The Shepherd Center adolescent team hosted a luau for inpatients in January
to beat the cold. Occupational therapist Jill Seymore, counselor Cheryl Linden
and physical therapist Jill Roecker pose for a picture while making fruity drinks.
Mr. and Mrs. Barrett Howell
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kesterton
Mr. and Mrs. Labe Little
Mrs. Rebecca Moon
Mr. and Mrs. Lawton Nease
Mr. Dan Rather
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Von Thron
Dr. and Mrs. L. Clayton Harrell
Mr. and Mrs. George Ivey
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Lester
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Roggeveen
Matt Gonzalez
Mr. Jim J. Barber
Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Harrell
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Benham
Mrs. Liza Bryan
Ms. Betsy Camp
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Cumming
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Delonga
Mr. George Johnson
Dr. and Mrs. Donald Leslie
Mr. and Mrs. Don Morgan
Mr. Len Moscati
Mrs. Winifred Newell
Mr. and Mrs. Don Perry
Mr. Edwin Rabine
Mr. and Mrs. Chip Shirley
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Smidt
Ms. Mignon Topping
Mr. and Mrs. John Walter
Mr. and Mrs. Lee White
Mr. Robert White
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Willis
Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Wilson
Aaron Goodkin
Miss Tobi Goodkin
Kathy Gottlieb
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Ellen T. Geddes
Ms. Anne W. Geddes
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Gray’s
Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Gray, Sr.
Georgia Department
of Economic Development
Miles Partnership
Emily Green’s Speedy Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Jacobson
Glenn Epting Interior Design, Inc.
Wishes to Honor Friends
and Clients
Evelyn and Paul Boone
Jenny and Tom Bethel
Amy and Adam Coffsky
Carey Cox
John Crawford
Bowen and John Eagleson
Stephanie and Michael Emry
Kelsey and Joe Gaston
Kim Lavender
Joanna and Ian Irwin
Martha and Benn Hutson
Amy and Chris Lea
Mary and Joe Lange
Kelly and Brian Munn
Jane Orahood
Beth Anne and Cliff Stanford
Karen and Mark Winarsky
Martha Gibbs
Mr. Vance A. Gibbs
Mr. Daniel C. Gottwald
Jane and Bob Gibson
Wish Merry Christmas
and a Happy 2015 to:
Mrs. Jan Andrews
Dr. and Mrs. John Gibson
Mr. and Mrs. Creshul Harrison
Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Green
David Coulter and Family
Cathy Holladay and Boys
Frank Horne and Family
Powell Lyn Griffin – My Friend
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff A. Van Note
Ms. Nena Griffith
Wishes Merry Christmas to:
Mr. and Mrs. Asa G. Candler V
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Engs
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Ireland
Mrs. William Ireland
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Rawson
Mrs. C. N. Nutter
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Gullett
Mr. Jennings Watkins
Mr. John C. Hamilton
Mr. Ben Bunyard
Mrs. Robert B. Coats, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Loudermilk
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Hance, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Seven Bishoric
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Bissell
Max Hardy Wishes Happy
Holidays to his Clients
Allison Harris
Mr. Wesley A. Varda
Clare T. Hartigan – Thanks!
Dr. and Mrs. David F. Apple, Jr.
Laura Hawkins – Great job on data!
William “Bill” Hawks
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Hawks
Caroline G. Hazel
Ms. Evelyn G. Crosby
Bryan Hewins
LTC and Mrs. Floyd K. Maertens
Thomas M. Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Hodges
Mr. Frank A. Phillips
Mr. and Mrs. Joe M. Phillips
Erin Holt
Ms. Ashley C. Dettlinger
Daisy Troop 14599 from E. Rivers Elementary School in Atlanta visited Shepherd
Center in January to deliver Valentine’s Day cards and decorations for patients and the
nursing units. During their visit, they learned about disabilities and even had a chance
to share some love with Galion and Bentley, two of Shepherd’s therapy dogs.
Minna Hong
Mr. Scott J. Keithley
Minna Hong –
Della and Walt Hopkins
Anonymous Donor
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Howard
Carol and Jim Thompson
Bart P. Hudson
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory A. Dunn
William Hughes
Mr. Jon W. Hughes
Dorothy Hunt – Thank You
Porter Hutto
Mr. and Mrs. Larry C. Williams
Lou Brown Jewell
Ms. Margaret S. Hansen
Robert Johnston –
Expression of Thanks
Mr. Evan Flynn
Ms. Susan L. Kaiser
Alex Bach
Lorraine Kaliher
John L. Lin, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Kehoe
Major General and
Mrs. David R. Bockel, Sr.
Parker S. King
Mrs. Christy K. Davidson
Nathan B. Klein
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred W. Klein
Mrs. Carol Klein
and Mr. Michael Larter
Ms. Terri R. Klein and
Mr. Daniel I. Gup
Catherine B. Kleiner
Ms. Susan Bailey
Sasha Klupchak’s Recovery
Mr. Richard Klupchak
Philippa Kort and Family
Mrs. Barbara Abend
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Antebi
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Assaf and Family
Dr. John Porter and Dr. Lucy Axtel
Mr. Mitchell Barnes
and Mr. Craig Weaver
Dr. Benedict Benigno,
Dr. Stephanie Yapp and office
Dr. Jonathan Berek and Faculty
Mr. and Mrs. Jorge Bergallo
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Brill
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Bruckman
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. John Burke
Ms. Heather Burke
and Mr. Colin McGuire
Ms. Suzy Burke and Mark
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carlin and
Family
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Christopher
Mr. and Mrs. George Cleveland
Mr. and Mrs. Stephan Cohen
Ms. Kathy Cole
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Corr
Dr. and Mrs. Andy Currie
Mr. and Mrs. David Deignan
Mr. and Mrs. Blake Dexter
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Dexter
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Dezelic
Dr. and Mrs. Ivan Diamond
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Dubovsky
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Firsowicz
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Foell
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Fricker
Dr. Richard Friedman
Dr. and Mrs. David Garber
Dr. Iqbal Garcha
and Dr. Stephanie Grogan
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Garmany
Mr. and Mrs. Graydon Garner
Mr. and Mrs. Chip Gerry
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Glass
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Glasson
Mrs. Peggy Davis Gold
and Ms. Sally Gold
Mrs. Katherine Hanson and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Armand Harris
and Benjamin
Mr. and Mrs. William Hartman
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hawkins
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Hilton
and Admiral Travel
Mr. and Mrs. John Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Hoffman
and Family
Ms. Anne Holdegrafer
Mr. and Mrs. William Holley
Ms. KC Hoppe
and Ms. Kathleen Cook-Hunter
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Inman
Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Janelle
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Joelson and
Family
Mr. and Mrs. David Joss
Mr. and Mrs. Abby Kaplan
Mr. and Mrs. Gerry Katz
Mr. and Mrs. Jonny Kaye
Mr. and Mrs. James Kennedy
and Family
Ms. Caroline King and Family
Mr. Rollie Kjesbo
Dr. Alan Kozarsky
Mr. Paul Largay and Largettes
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Lazarus
Mrs. Martha Gaughen
Ms Sandy Legath
Dr. and Mrs. Henry Leibowitz
Mr. and Mrs. George Levert
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Roland Liu
Mr. Peter Lloyd and Mr. Gene Lashley
Dr. and Mrs. Julian Lokey
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Lyon
Mr. and Mrs. Barclay Macon
Mr. Barclay Macon
Mrs. Martin Maddern
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Manidis
Dr. and Mrs. Basil Margolis
Mr. and Mrs. Don Martinson
Mr. and Mrs. David Massey
Mrs. Susan Mathis, and Allene
Mr. and Mrs. Rick Mayo
Ms. Rachel McCaffery
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Robberts
Mr. and Mrs. William Meaney
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Meir
Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Mendel
Mr. and Mrs. William Merritt
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Miller
Dr. and Mrs. Shapour Mobasser
and Family
Mr. John Moody
and Mr. Hardy Holland
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Moon
Dr. Christine Murphy and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murphy
Mrs. Linda Ornstein
Ms. Christiane Palpant
Dr. and Mrs. Mundy Papadopoulos
Mrs. Judy Peil
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Pirrung
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Plaut
Dr. and Mrs. Zane Pollard
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Powell
Mr. and Mrs. Art Rollins
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Rose
Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Rosenberg
Dr. and Mrs. Len Sacks
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Sacks
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sanders
Dr. and Mrs. Don Sharp
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Spiegel
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Don Sutton and Jackie
Mr. and Mrs. David Thompson
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Udwin
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Van Matre
Mr. and Mrs. James Warren
Mrs. Phoebe Weinberg and Family
Dr. and Mrs. Harvey Weiss
Mr. and Mrs. Dick White
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Frysh
and Family
Mr. Jeff Wiles
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wood
Ms. Tanya Yudelman-Bloch
Mr. and Mrs. David Zacks
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Zanatta
Janet Kraft
Mr. Thomas Kraft
Kathy Kreger – Great job on data!
Deborah G. Krotenberg
Matthew Lambdin
Ms. Deanna Niemasz
Jason L. Langdon
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis E. Langdon, Jr.
Dr. Donald P. Leslie
Mr. and Mrs. J. Hays Mershon
Dr. and Mrs. Donald P. Leslie’s
Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Shaler Alias
Dr. Gerald S. Bilsky
and Dr. Judith Tolkan
Dr. Edelle Field-Fote
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Hardage
Mr. and Mrs. Mark P. Hartigan
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Klein
Mr. and Mrs. John J. Martin
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Melcher
Mr. and Ms. Jeffrey E. Morrison
Dr. and Mrs. David S. Owens
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Pearce III
Ms. Sherry G. Popwell
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan G. Roxland
Mr. Emory A. Schwall
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harold Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Sneed
Ms. Jennifer K. Swindall
Mr. J. Tyler Tippett
Mr. and Mrs. Scott L. Tucker
Dr. and Mrs. Gary R. Ulicny
Mr. and Mrs. David P. White
Mr. and Mrs. Zachary M. Wilson
Jeff A. Lewis – Great job on data!
Dr. John Lin
AXA Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Briggs, Jr.
Virginia Lippincott
Mr. and Mrs. Izumi Fujita
Mrs. Tomoko Kase
Ms. Yoko Kusano
Micko Morisaki
Mrs. Mikako Okamoto
Chiaki Tsuji
Mr. and Mrs. Jun Ueda
Lindsay Loflin, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Loflin
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Long
Mr. Emory Schwall
Todd Lyles
Ms. Tracy Godwin
Mr. and Mrs. John Longcrier
Mr. and Mrs. William Mabry
Judge Phyllis Kravitch
Chip Mack
Major General
and Mrs. David R. Bockel, Sr.
Will D. Magruder, Sr.
Mr. Will D. Magruder
Faye and Lewis Manderson
Central Alabama Community
Foundation
Michael D. Marchand
Ms. Barbara Richardson
Anita Marino
Family Insurance Services, Inc.
Virginia Martin – Congratulations
on your promotion!
Mr. and Mrs. Willard McBurney
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tackett
Mr. and Mrs. Willard McBurney
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Blocks
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Buckmaster
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cousins
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Cravey
Mrs. Nanette Crowdus
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cutlip
Dr. and Mrs. Dave Davis
Mrs.Carolyn Ewing
Mr. and Mrs. Hix Green
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kane
Mrs. Olivia Anne Leon
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Levy
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Long
Mr. Charlie Loudermilk
Dr. and Mrs. John McColskey
Dr. and Mrs. Foad Nahai
Mr. and Mrs. Mid Parker
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Richert
Mr. and Mrs. John Simms
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tackett
Mr. and Mrs. Woody White
Mr. and Mrs. Barney Wiggins
Rebecca M. McCallum-McWalters –
Great article on you and Frosty
Tommie Ann and Patrick
McCormack
Joyce and V.D. Scott Foundation, Inc.
Douglas McCray
Captain James H. McCray II
Emily P. McIntyre
Mr. and Mrs. V. Thomas Purcell, Jr.
Julie McLean
Ms. Marianna McLean
Mulkey McMichael’s Birthday
Ms. Carolyn C. Moye
Raymond N. McMillan
Ms. Shirley Pfister
Selby and Randall Millard
Ms. Martha Lane
Angela Mitchell
Ms. McRae Mayfield
Akira Mizutani
Mr. Ben Lippincott
Mr. and Mrs. John Mobley
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bridges
Mr. and Mrs. Brad Burnette
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Candler
Mr. and Mrs. James Christians
Mr. and Mrs. Clisby Clarke
Ms. Carol Dean Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Willis Dobbs
Mr. and Mrs. John Illges III
Mr. Ed Jones
Mr. and Mrs. William Maner
Mr. and Mrs. Berry Mobley
Ms. Martha Ann Mobley
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mobley
Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Nalley
Mr. and Mrs. English Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sams
Mr. and Mrs. William Tanner
Mr. Wilbur Warner
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Wood
Michael Moderow
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Moderow
Marina Moldavskiy –
Great job on data!
Doyle K. Mote
Mr. and Mrs. Martin M. Pollock
Ms. Carolyn C. Moye
Mr. Mulkey McMichael
Julie and David Mucher’s
Anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Gil C. Mucher
Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Ms. Stephanie Miles
Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy C. Nash
Wish Much Love and a
Very Merry Christmas to:
Mr. Bobby Hogg
Irma Navarro
Ms. McRae Mayfield
Fran Newbold Mohr
Mr. Jerry M. Newbold
Lauren Nieves – PT Day Program
Dr. Mark Loveland
Sally D. Nunnally’s Friendship
Mrs. Christina R. Freeman
Bryan Overly
Ms. McRae Mayfield
Bright Woodruff Owens
Mrs. Katherine F. Williams
Stephen Paul
Mr. and Mrs. David Paul
Benjamin Perretti
Ms. Janice M. Hildreth
The Peters Company at Keller
Williams Realty Peachtree
Road Wishes Happy Holidays
to their Clients and Friends
Jerry Pickens
Mr. Frank L. Pritchard
and Ms. Amy K. Parker
Plant Improvement Company, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Aftergut
Dr. and Mrs. Perry Ballard
Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Blanchard
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Boots
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Zim Cauble
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Coole
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Copeland
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Dirico, Jr.
Ms. Barb Dockweiler
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Eddy
Mr. and Mrs. David Flint
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Funtain
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Geiger
Mr. Geoff Gober
Mr. and Mrs. John Gordon
Mr. and Mrs. David Grayson
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Grizzard
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Haney, Jr.
Ms. Mindy Hyde
Mrs. Liane Levetan
Mr. Charles Loudermilk
Mr. Michael Mills
Mr. David J. Moellering
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Murray
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Patrick
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Pearce
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Perry
Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Pittman
Mr. and Mrs. Louie Pittman
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sams
Mr. Sandy Sanford
Mr. and Mrs. Danny Shepherd
Mrs. E. R. Snell
Mr. Fido Snell
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Snell
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Stephenson
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Strickland
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Wheeler
Mr. and Mrs. Goodloe Yancey III
Mr. P. Dan Yates, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. P. Dan Yates III
Toby Regal’s Recovery
Ms. Sharon Regal
Mr. and Mrs. Neal Q. Pope
Major General
Rodney Rogers’s Recovery
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Collier
Mr. and Mrs. Ronel Poppell
Major General
Christopher Port –
25th year graduating
from Shepherd Center
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Port
Tom and Kathy Port
Mr. Christopher Port
Zachary Poss
Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Laird
Corey C. Potts
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maguigan
James E. Prickett
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Callahan
James E. Prickett and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Jon W. Paulson
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Prickett
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Cheek
Dr. and Mrs. Tom Callahan
Ms. Bette Hines
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hines
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lucas
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Stephens
Ms. Pat Thomas
Mr. and Mrs. John Turman
Mr. and Mrs. John Weitnauer
William G. Pritchard
Mr. and Mrs. Robert U. Goodman
Raven Internet Marketing Tools
Mr. Gregory Jones
Heather Ray
Ms. Ramona S. Ray
Kelly Regal
Sucherman Consulting Group, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Reichenbach
Mrs. Harriett Robinson
Cody Reyes
Mr. Ronald R. Reyes
Jamie Reynolds III
Mr. and Mrs. Gentry R. Strickland
Michael Rhoton
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne W. Shackelford
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Richert, Jr.
Darla and Willard McBurney
Mrs. Susan C. Ricks
Ms. Mary James-Ricks
Tara C. Robertson
Ms. Mary Diana Robertson
Hannah C. Robinson
Ms. Noreen Horrigan
Joe Rogers, Jr.’s Birthday
Mr. Joseph M. Rogers
Sylvia Ronco –
Thanks for excellence
in Respiratory Threapy
April and John Rooker on the
birth of Mary “Tatum” Rooker
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shepherd III
David Rutledge, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth D. Rutledge
Matthew Sanchez
Ms. Cynthia Sokolic
Joey Sands
Ms. Jennifer J. Sands
Vickie S. Scaljon
Mr. Nicholas Carroll
James Schilling
Ms. Susan McComb
Mr. Gary Schilling
Shannon Schneider
The Charles & Esther Kimerling
Charitable Foundation
Bobbie and Bill Schneidewind
Mrs. James MacWhinney
Mr. and Mrs. Gil Schneidewind
Mrs. William Wiedersheim
Emory A. Schwall
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. McLure
Mrs. Jo Williams
Linda Servin
Mrs. Sam Arogeti
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Shanor
L J Brewer
Shapiro Capital Management
LLC Wishes Happy Holidays to
Their Clients
Susan B. Sheehy
Ms. Erica Garofalo
Alana Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. Russell C. Ashmore, Jr.
Mr. Herbert Cohen
Ms. Leslie M. Dees
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel I. DuBose
Dr. John D. Engel
Mrs. Betty Ann Inman
Mrs. Deborah M. Krupp
and Mr. Armin Krupp
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O. Powell
James H. Shepherd, Jr.
Ms. Carter M. Hoyt
Stephen B. Shepherd’s Friendship
Mr. John T. Bohlayer
Clyde Shepherd III
Bickers Consulting Group, LLC
Shepherd Center Pathways
Therapists who worked
miracles for Keith
Ms. Debra F. Bean
Shepherd Center Promotion
and ASW Staff
Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Edmonds
Shepherd Center SHARE Military
Initiative for disabled Veterans
Mr. Michael B. Randall
Ms. Barbara Linden
Mr. and Mrs. Galen L. Oelkers
Mr. Gary Schilling
Mr. and Mrs. Robert I. Werner
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald H. Elliott
Global Concierge Medicine, Inc.
Kay R. Shirley
Mr. Mark L. Woods
Brian N. Shonson’s Recovery
Mark C. Shuler
Mr. and Mrs. James S. Long
Mr. and Mrs. Bert E. Shuler
Dell B. Sikes’s Birthday
Mary Ann and Dell Sikes
Ms. Merrill Ellis
Kelley B. Simoneaux
Mr. and Mrs. Bradly J. Atkin
Josh Sloan
Mr. Carter Whitley
Megan and John Stephenson
The Community Foundation
for Greater Atlanta
Ms. Wynne Stevenson Wishes
Merry Christmas to:
Dr. and Mrs. Champ Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carroll
Mr. and Mrs. Robert David
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Flournoy
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Foley
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner Garrard
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Link
Mr. and Mrs. Matt Swift
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Waddell
Dr. and Mrs. John Waldrop
Samuel C. Stronach, Jr.
Ms. Molly Norton
Laurie and Larry Swenson
Mr. and Mrs. Neil Berman
Siavash, Roya and Farid Termei
Mr. Tyler Davidson
Glynda S. Thor
Mr. Joe Gaskin
Matthew Thornburg
Mr. Bruce R. Stuart
Hunter V. Thornton –
Honor Student Notre Dame
High, Los Angeles
Dr. and Mrs. Garrett W. Thornton, Jr.
Ben W. Thrower, MD
Ms. Joyce Bihary
Mr. Jerry M. Newbold
Lisette Tiller – Great Board
Presentation!
Janice M. Tilley –
Great job on data!
Tony L. White
Mr. Colby McDowell
Sally G. Tomlinson –
for her years of friendship
to Shepherd Center
Mrs. Lindsey Hopkins III
Carol Girata and Tim Whittemore
Ms. Laura J. Gravesen
US Military Servicemen
Ms. Janet Phillips
Mr. and Mrs. Reginald I. Vachon
Mrs. John M. Bell
Bessie Valle
Ms. Janet Phillips
Karen and Tommy Vance
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Reeve III
Garland Smith
Mr. and Mrs. George K. Wolfes, Jr.
Dan Waite
Mrs. Eve J. Brown-Waite
Jennifer L. Smith –
Great Board Presentation!
Jennings E. Watkins’s Birthday
Mrs. Merrin A. Anderson
Ms. Jane Wheeler
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Adler
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel H. Bradley
Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Croft III
Mrs. Carol Curtis
Mr. and Mrs. Holcombe T. Green
Mr. and Mrs. W. Donald Knight, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Lynn, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Nalley III
Mr. and Mrs. McKee Nunnally
Mrs. Allen Post
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Shaffer, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wallace
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Whitman
Wesley A. Varda
Mr. Martin B. Chadwick
Mr. Brian Lemond
William Stahel
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Shanor
Mr. and Mrs. William B. Wellons, Jr.
Mrs. Gregory Anderson
Lauren Tilley
Mrs. Tana P. Tilley
Tom Sloope’s Recovery
Ms. Mary Ann DuBose
Jamie Stafford
Ms. Susan E. Hadden
Patricia Burks, of Duluth, Ga., enjoys a game of Bingo at Shepherd Center’s annual
Casino Night held March 5 and hosted by Shepherd Center Recreation Therapy.
Phillip W. Watters’s Recovery
Anne and George Wellington
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. Wellington
Kirk Wilder
Mr. and Mrs. David S. Nichols
Hanson Williams
Mr. Chris C. Carter
Mr. David C. Carter
Elizabeth W. Willis
Mrs. Katherine F. Williams
Carla and Leonard Wood
Anonymous Donor
Marinel T. Wood
Ms. Katherine H. Crumley
Joan Woodall
Mr. and Mrs. James Alban
Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Ansley
Mrs. McCary Ballard
Mrs. James Black
Mrs. John Bowen
Mrs. Roy Bowen
Mrs. Charles Brethen
Mrs. Douglas Browing
Mr. and Mrs. George Chase
Mr. and Mrs. Don Dennard
Mrs. Hayes Dever
Mrs. C. W. Dukehart
Mr. and Mrs. John Fletcher
Mrs. Barbara Folmar
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Foster
Mrs. Julian Fowler
Mrs. Gene Gwaltney
Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Hehir
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Howard
Mr. and Mrs. Barrett Howell
Mrs. Joseph Hutchinson
Mrs. Robert Ingram
Mrs. A. B. Martin
Mrs. Thomas Martin
Ms. Lee Moran
Mrs. Edward McDuffie
Mrs. Morris Shadburn
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sterling
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Stockton
Mr. George Trask
Mr. William Warren III
Mrs. Jean Wente
Jane Woodruff
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie N. D’Huyvetter
Cecilia R. Wright
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry R. Smith
Lois and Danny Yates
Ms. Wilma Bunch
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cousins
Dr. and Mrs. David Dubose
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Hicks
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Rob Johnston
Mr. Charles Loudermilk
Mr and Mrs. Robin Loudermilk
Mr. and Mrs. John Miner
Mr. and Mrs. Louie Pittman
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ripley
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. James Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Shepherd
Mr. Tommy Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. Dell Sikes
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Sloan
Ms Ginny Thompson
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Troutman
Dr. and Mrs. Gary Ulicny
Charlie Young
Mr. Charles Moberly
Photo by Sabrina Evans
Carol C. Sharkey
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Brewer
memorials
m
Deceased friends of Shepherd Center are listed first in bold print followed by the names
of those making gifts in their memory. This list reflects gifts made to Shepherd Center
between Nov. 1, 2014 and Jan. 31, 2015.
Chad E. Albritton
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Albritton
Kyle Burkhalter
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Caswell, Jr.
Mount Paran Woods Garden Club
Ms. Ann D. Swertfeger
Aline F. Alias
Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chapman, Jr.
Donatic
Gordon C. Bynum, Jr.
Ms. Catherine Fike
Mark English
Ms. Frankie Rickenbaker
L. C. Carlisle
Mr. and Mrs. J. David Penson
Brian Etheredge
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bass
Dana M. Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Rick Carr
Ms. Barbara Luther
Katharine Evans
Mrs. William E. Grabbe
Ms. May G. Kennedy
Bryan C. Griffin
Mrs. Sally C. Atwell
Anthony Louis Celidonio
Ms. Donna Peluso
Mr. William H. Wyche
Frank G. Falkner
Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hurd, Jr.
James Hunter Groome
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Smith
Eleanor M. Cheney
Mr. and Mrs. Homer W. Whitman, Jr.
Gloria P. Felder
Dr. Daniel C. Bacon
and Mrs. Lauren Felder-Bacon
Leola Guemmer
Mr. Richard H. Guemmer
Karl Anschutz’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Werner Anschutz
Martha and Albert Church
Mrs. Martha J. Church
Charlie Franco
Bernice S. Apple
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Hunt
George Clisby Clarke
Mr. Clarence H. Taylor, Jr.
David F. Apple, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Hunt
Don Collins
Mrs. Linnie H. Ailey
David L. Funk
Ms. Donna S. Aranson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Lipman
Marvin R. Back
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Back
Phillip Conley
Ms. Karen F. Johnston
and Mr. Robert A. Lieberman
George Altman
Betty June Anderson
Evelyn D. Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. James Lebow
Laura and Karl Anschutz
Ms. Esther L. Abisamra
Ms. Hope Abisamra
John C. Bair
Mrs. John C. Bair
Dorothy C. Fuqua
The Shepherd Center Auxiliary
Jean Gamble
Mrs. Jeff Griffin
Randolph R. Goulding
Major General
Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Hailey
Mrs. Frances W. Ramsey
Florence Green
Ms. Karen F. Johnston
and Mr. Robert A. Lieberman
George T. Gunnell
LTC and Mrs. Victor Macias
Richard A. Guthman
Marie M. Hamilton
Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hurd, Jr.
Clement E. Hanrahan
Ms. Mary Baird
Mr. and Mrs. John Bardis
Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Briggs
Mr. Jay Dority
Mr. Jack Duffy
Mr. and Mrs. Rich Henry
Mr. and Mrs. George Hofman
Ms. Dorothy C. Holding
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Lee, Jr.
Mr. Stephen Loftis
Mr. Dennis Mahan
Mr. and Mrs. Clive A. McAllister
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Mewborn
Mr. David Murray
Mr. and Mrs. Kent C. Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Robert O’Connor
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Palmisano
UPS GA Retiree Group
Mr. and Mrs. George R. Wilson
Charles G. Bartenfeld
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Alston, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Sorenson
Meredith Phia Cooper Bernhardt
Mrs. Minna Hong
and Mr. Wayne K. Ware
Debra Garlington
Mrs. Cheryl K. Andrews
Mr. David C. Garlington
Gertrude “Gertie” Cooper
Ms. Virginia Lippincott
Ann J. Gatwood
LTC Eugene G. Gatwood
Bryan Bartley
Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Bassett IV
Bryan Cox
Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Cox
Dr. Linton H. Bishop
Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Aldredge
Mrs. Ralph A. Murphy
George William Crist III
Mrs. Susan G. Crist
Diana Eve Dorsey
Mrs. Martha J. Church
John W. Gatz
Mr. Jackie Bradford
Ms. Amy Freeman
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Gage
Ms. Dorothy B. Groover
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Jackson
Ms. Tasha D. Jenkins
Mr. and Mrs. Fred McFaddin
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Medlock
Mr. Alvin L. Pilkinton, Jr.
Mr. William G. Pritchard, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Richardson
Ms. Susan M. Rupert
Mr. Mike Smith
Ms. Debbie Teal
Mr. and Mrs. Van Thompson
Mr. Dale L. Tino
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. Tracy
Trophikos, LLC
Ms. Jennifer R. Winters
Tom Duggan –
A very special friend
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Reynolds
Adolfo Gentil
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Shepherd III
Mr. and Mrs. David P. White
Bettie J. Elarbee
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Cantrell
Ms. Jan Dillard
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Easterling
Mr. Vincent Gresham
Margaret Gillogly
Mr. and Mrs. James F. George
Colonel John W. Hill
Mrs. Carol D. Hill
George E. Goodwin
Morton S. Hodgson, Jr.
The Hodgson Charitable Trust
Eleanor D. Blass
Mr. and Mrs. Harllee Branch, Jr.
Ms. Elizabeth L. Branch
Lester Travis Brannon
Margaret Ann Bratton
Mr. Ray R. Bratton
Mr. and Mrs. David Wilder
Lovic A. Brooks, Jr.
Ms. Kathy Caputo
Betty A. Brown
Ms. Beth Edwards Tackett
Phillip H. Brown
Ms. Margaret A. Fultz
Eldon Burgess
Mr. and Mrs. John V. Zalewski
Torin D. Crowder
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin R. Jones, Sr.
Tommy D. Dean
Ms. Mary H. Dean
Frances Dewitt
Mr. Gary P. Alexander
Dr. Fred Dorrough
Ms. Karen T. Dorrough
Cannon Harmon, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Neufeld
Cpt. Ralph J. Harting
Mr. Alexander Hou
Donna Harvard
William Howard Flowers, Jr.
Foundation, Inc.
Jack Hendrixson
Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Dundon
Bert “Bud” Hene, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Paul C. Hene
Elizabeth R. Holt
Mr. and Mrs. David G. Hunter II
Frank W. Hulse IV
Ms. Sherry G. Popwell
Mr. and Mrs. Ferle G. Snell
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Stith
Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin Turbidy
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Vernier
Ms. Phyllis M. Winegar
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Winslow
Opal G. McAlpin
Mr. and Mrs. Julian Bajorek
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Haremski
Ms. Kay Heckman
Mr. and Ms. Randy Maddox
Mr. Emory McDougal
Mrs. Corinne W. Samford
Mr. and Mrs. Clark D. Strickland
Martha H. Jarrard
Aladdin Metal Products, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Jenkins
Ms. Era K. Thomas
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Troccoli
Mr. and Mrs. Wesley L. Wells, Jr.
Robert F. Kern
Marie Monrose Jaubert
Dr. and Mrs. George Rives Cary, Jr.
Michael Kober
Ms. Harriet K. Weinberg
B. Henderson Johnson
Mrs. Doris Johnson
Dr. Hilton I. Kort
Mr. Donald G. Sharp
Calhoun M. McDougall
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Duggan
Mrs. Reginald Heinitsh
Mrs. Charles H. Peterson
Curtis Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Mickey L. Cauthen
John Charles Kranyecz, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John C. Kranyecz
Michael D. McGuffey
Mr. and Mrs. Max E. McGuffey
Frances Elizabeth “Beth” Johnson
Audrey Leola Lampman
Ms. Barbara Luther
Mr. and Mrs. Dale E. Taft
Mr. and Mrs. Gene R. Wheeler
John R. McKinney, Jr.
Ms. Janet H. Baxley
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Roddenberry
Mr. Roy Stewart
Harry Laughlin, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. William Schultz
Laura G. McKinney
The Scott Hudgens Family
Foundation, Inc.
Tina M. Johnson
Ms. Cathy A. Bird
Tom E. Johnson, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Myers
Bert B. Jones
Mr. J. David Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Allen
Ms. Tracy Anderson
Mrs. Julie K. Arnold
Mr. and Mrs. W. Glenn Bell
Blount-Sanford Const. Co.
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Brice
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. William S. Burt
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis V. Cheney, Jr.
Mr. and Ms. George M. Drake
Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Dundon
Ms. Margaret M. Edwards
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas A. Grayson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Greene
Mrs. Alice D. Grotnes
Mrs. Sarah Grow
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond D. Guidos
Mr. and Mrs. E. Lewis Hansen
Mr. Ted Hansen
Mrs. Saralyn Hill
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Hindy
Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Hoke
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce W. Hunter
Mrs. Gail B. Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Kozlak
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin W. Krehmeyer
Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Laskey
Ms. Linda Leake
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Lee
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. McGahan
Ms. Anna Millar
Mr. Boyce E. Miller
Ms. Holly A. Mitchell
Mr. Marion A. Morrison
Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Mosshart
Ms. Judith P. Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Scott J. Oakley
Mr. and Ms. Jack E. Olden
Mr. John F. Pensec
Pittman Construction Company
Mr. and Mrs. Louie A. Pittman, Jr.
Chris Pratts
Mr. Jerry Rhea
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Roberts, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Santillo
Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Schmid
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Schuh
Mr. and Mrs. David W. Schwenk
Ms. Susan S. Scott
Ms. Janet Slater
Jean Jordan
Mr. David Jordan
Deanna L. Lee
Mrs. Charles H. Peterson
Terry Lee
Mr. Stephen L. Griffin
William O. Lillard
Mrs. Janice Moser
Daniel “Labe” Little
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Kesterton
Martha “Cissy” McCord
Mr. and Mrs. T. Rudy Harrell
Dawn McNally
Mr. and Mrs. Randal W. Norris
Helen H. Means
Mrs. Joan D. Woodall
Samuel “Mike” Means
Copeland & Johns, Inc.
Pen Lybrook
Ms. Phyllis Brooks
Bobby G. Meeks and in
honor of his great-grandson
Justice Meeks
Mrs. Linda C. Meeks
Robert F. Mabon
Mrs. Robert Mabon
Dr. James H. Milsap, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene T. Horn
John D. “Jack” Margeson
Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Hailey
Lynford Mortland
Mr. Bruce D. Burton
Jane J. Marsden
Mr. William Archer
Dr. and Mrs. Victor E. Corrigan
Mrs. Carolyn A. Ewing
Mr. and Mrs. T. Rudy Harrell
Ms. Helen Q. Hull
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Jenkins
Ms. Gloria J. Montgomery
Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Rubenoff
Ms. Virginia F. White
Ralph A. Murphy
Mrs. Ralph A. Murphy
Mark J. Nichelson
Mrs. Robert C. Beauchamp
Robert W. Northrop
Mr. and Mrs. Palmer T. Northrop
Adam J. O’Neill
Ms. Helen Hudson
Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Wald
Olivia Martin
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Flournoy
Bruno Palombini
Mr. and Mrs. Luis Ramos
Evan T. Mathis
Lola H. Park
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Laird
Sara Lee Mattingly
Bencomo & Associates
Mr. William J. Bruckner
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Corrigan
Mr. and Mrs. Francis M. Craft II
Ms. Kathy Craig Heller
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Kitchens
Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Mitchell
Mr. and Mrs. George D. Overend
Mr. and Ms. Brooks Patterson
Mr. and Mrs. DeNean Stafford III
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph L. Toon, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Waidelich, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Herron P. Weems
Dr. James Perry Parker, Jr.
Mary Ann Parker
Nancy F. Parker
Mr. William A. Parker III
Troy L. Partain
Mrs. June C. Partain
Mark P. Pentecost
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Duggan
Charles H. Peterson
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. Peterson, Jr.
Bartie and Oscar Plunket, Jr.
Ms. Jane Plunket
Beverly J. Pritchard
Mr. and Mrs. Robert U. Goodman
Michael L. Rae’s Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rae
Mikie Rae
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond B. Couture, Jr.
Laura A. Ratterree
Mr. and Mrs. Carl P. Brenner, Jr.
Ms. Mary-Sydney McAllister
Mr. Gregory W. Post
Robert L. “Bobby” Rearden
Mr. Robert A. Roach
SPC Steven Tyler Redmon
Mr. and Mrs. John Godi
Mr. and Mrs. Russ Latimer
Mr. and Mrs. Darrin Moore
George Reynolds
Ms. Virginia Lippincott
Robert W. Rhodes
Contractors Bonding of the South LLC
Daniel D. Richardson
Mrs. Lindsey Hopkins III
Dr. and Mrs. John J. Riordan
Mr. John F. Riordan
Rudy Roaissel, Jr.
Ms. Tracy Godwin
William E. Robinson
Dr. and Mrs. David O. Ellis
Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Reichenbach
Clyde A. Rodbell
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Cambias, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Conklin II
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Dryman
Mr. and Mrs. Peter B. Glass
Ms. Peggy F. Goldberg
Mr. Lee C. Hunter
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Y. Jobe
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard M. Marcus
Mrs. Hilary Pepper Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Martin M. Pollock
Mr. and Mrs. Roger L. Schlaifer
Mr. and Mrs. Dell B. Sikes
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Singer
Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Tucker
Ruth L. Rosenberg
Dr. and Mrs. Don P. Engelberg
Ronnie W. Rudd
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Williams
Marjorie B. Schwab
Mr. and Mrs. Gary W. Schwab
Randy Shampney, Sr.
Hillsboro Ford, Inc.
Julius “Bud” Shaw
Isham M. Sheffield
Mrs. McCary Ballard
1
2
Iva and Grant Shepherd
Ms. Mildred I. Shepherd
Douglas A. Spence
Mr. and Mrs. Moses M. Spence
C. Richard Shepherd
Mrs. Mary K. Shepherd
Lars Steib
Mrs. McCary Ballard
Dana J. Shepherd
Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Bowen
Ms. Nancy J. Cahill
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh W. Cornwell
Mr. and Mrs. Bradford D. Jordan
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Morris
Mr. Charles R. Simons, Jr.
Stanley H. Smith, Jr., Esq.
Donald B. Stewart, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Coleman
Ellen Silva
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas S. Arnold
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kontio
Sam S. Singer III
Mr. and Ms. Brooks Patterson
Mrs. Ann Singer
1. A group of military service members train for their second Shepherd’s Men run.
This year they will run 911 miles from New York City’s Ground Zero to Shepherd Center
April 19–26 to raise money for Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative. For more
information, visit ShepherdsMen.com. (Photo by Louis Favorite) 2. Former Shepherd
Center patient Von Fusco, 20, of Orlando completed the Warrior Dash 5K obstacle
course race in Clermont, Fla., on Jan. 31, 2015 with his father, John Fusco and John’s
Air Force Reserve teammates. Von sustained a severe brain injury in 2012 when a
vehicle hit him as he was crossing a road. (Photo courtesy of John Fusco)
Gloria Stone
Ms. Linda Coatsworth
Colonel and
Mrs. William H. Stubbs
Ms. Elizabeth L. Branch
Herman Eugene Talmadge, Jr.
Dr. Martha P. McKeon
and Mr. Thomas M. McKeon
Dr. and Mrs. Hal S. Raper
Dale Travis
Debbie and Sandy Selnick
Jay Patrick Welch
Mr. Gerald Welch
Mary Ann and Jack Tyson
Mr. and Mrs. Lee P. Hopkins
Allison F. Williams
Page and Doris Ufford
Mr. and Ms. Edward Casey
Patricia C. Williams
Dora W. Voyles
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Brantley
John B. “Jay” Woodruff
Mr. and Mrs. Pearson Beardsley
Mr. and Mrs. Andy Farmer
Ms. Betsy F. Flournoy
Mr. and Mrs. Pierre M. Kimball III
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lindsey
Ms. Elizabeth W. Willis
Kendall Corrine Smith
Mr. and Mrs. H. Howard Smith III
Carolyn Thomas in honor
of her life and research
Mrs. Joan Archibald
Ms. Josephine Boda
Mr. and Mrs. Angelo F. De Vito
Ms. Donna S. Falke
Mrs. Minna Hong
and Mr. Wayne K. Ware
Ms. Nancy Keyser
Orange Coast College
Enrollment Services
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Ramsauet
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Smith
Mr. Peter D. Thomas
Mr. Tim Ullon
Ms. Chang S. Hong
and Mr. Roger L. Zrimec
Lawrence E. Smith
Ms. Stephanie L. Peacock
Glenn M. Thompson
Mrs. Lola M. Thompson
David Webb
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Webb, Sr.
Randolph Smith
AXA Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Briggs, Jr.
Samuel C. Thrower
Ms. Mary C. Fishburne
Becky Webreck
Mr. Jack Webreck
JT Townsend
The JT Townsend Foundation, Inc.
Mildred Weissman
Ms. Jan Weissman
Ronald Singleton
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Henderson
Patricia Skowronski
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Skowronski
Kimberlee Slatton
Mr. Herbert Slatton
Claire D. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Fred R. Keith
Ed Voyles
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Brantley
Elizabeth A. Walz
Mr. Jack V. Walz
Dr. Edward Warrick
Ms. Lark W. O’Neal
Milton H. “Jay” Woodside
Mr. and Mrs. Addison H. Meriwether
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Woodside, Jr.
Ms. Mary A. Workman
Michael C. Waters
Mr. and Mrs. Mario J. DeLaguardia
Virginia Wooten
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne H. Arden
Dorothy E. Watkins
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Watkins
Jo.Lane Wright
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Dutson, Sr.
Mrs. William E. Grabbe
Mrs. Reginald Heinitsh
Mr. and Mrs. David M. Lacy
Ida and Don Yancey
Mr. John A. Taylor
Non-Proﬁt Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Atlanta, GA
Permit No. 1703
Address Service Requested
Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military
Initiative Receives Grant from
the Bob Woodruff Foundation
The SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center has
received a grant from the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to
help support the hospital’s rehabilitation and treatment
program for service members and veterans who have served
in the OEF, OIF and OND wars.
The Bob Woodruff Foundation works to ensure injured
veterans and their families thrive long after they return home.
The team at BWF navigates the maze of more than 46,000
nonprofit organizations to find and fund innovative programs
in communities where veterans, their families and caregivers
live and work.
The grant will help fund, in part, a new life coach, who will
engage with SHARE Military Initiative clients once they return
home to ensure they are able to fully integrate the techniques
they learned in therapy to their daily life.
“We are honored to receive recognition from such a
prestigious organization as the Bob Woodruff Foundation,”
said Susan Johnson, program director of the Shepherd
Center Brain Injury Program. “At SHARE, we strive to provide
the best possible care for service members and veterans.
With this grant, we will be able to expand our program and
continue to help these men and women make a successful
transition back to the community.”
The SHARE Military Initiative will use the grant it has received from the Bob Woodruff
Foundation to help fund a life coach, who will follow SHARE clients once they have
returned home from the program. (Photo by Gary Meek)
As a grant recipient, the SHARE Military Initiative joins the
BWF grantee network, a collaboration of top-tier programs
and advocates working to help our heroes on the homefront.
“Receiving a grant from BWF is an honor that recognizes
the dedication, focus and effectiveness of SHARE’s staff,
volunteers and supporters,” said Anne Marie Dougherty,
executive director of BWF.
To find out more about the Bob Woodruff Foundation, visit
bobwoodrufffoundation.org, follow @Stand4Heroes on
Twitter and like BFW’s page on Facebook at facebook.com/
Stand4Heroes.
Read more about SHARE at shepherd.org/SHARE.

Spring 2015 - Shepherd Center

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