Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation.
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Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. Shepherd Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital devoted to the medical care and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury and disease, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular problems. Shepherd Center is a 152-bed facility and annually admits about 900 people to its inpatient programs and 540 people to its day patient programs. In addition, Shepherd Center sees more than 7,300 people annually on an outpatient basis.

Healing here isn’t just about checklists, it’s about moments.The ones that make you laugh unexpectedly, rediscover your ...
10/10/2025

Healing here isn’t just about checklists, it’s about moments.

The ones that make you laugh unexpectedly, rediscover your passions, and feel truly seen. It’s joy in motion.

For Alexi Dodson, that motion began after a life-changing spinal cord injury. She arrived with a feeding tube and a tracheostomy—and left with strength, confidence, wrist-powered mobility, and a deeper connection to herself.

“I talk to my body now,” Alexi says. “I thank it for everything it’s endured. When I need hope, I remember how far I’ve come.”

A former Zumba instructor, Alexi found healing in therapy, music, humor—and even dancing. Nurses made her laugh until the hallways echoed. Therapists danced through procedures. Peers bonded over inside jokes only they could understand.

This is what rebuilding lives looks like.

Photo by

10/10/2025

October is Physical Therapy Month, and we’re celebrating the incredible physical therapists at Shepherd Center who are essential to our patients’ recovery journeys.

What makes working at Shepherd so special? We’ll let our PTs tell you in their own words.

Stay tuned all month long as we share their stories, insights, and the heart behind the healing.

Our annual SCUBA trip to Bonaire was unforgettable! This experience brings together volunteers, staff, dive instructors...
10/09/2025

Our annual SCUBA trip to Bonaire was unforgettable!

This experience brings together volunteers, staff, dive instructors, and community members to support adaptive divers in exploring the ocean.

We were joined by longtime partners Dawn and Bert Quist, owners of Divers@Sea, along with Jackie Breitenstein, program manager of the SHARE Military Initiative and Complex Concussion Clinic, and Julie Shepherd, Canine Therapy Program Lead.


The team from Divers@Sea and Divi Resort helped guide our divers through underwater adventures, including our All-Star adaptive diver, Marie, who absolutely crushed it this year!

Thank you to everyone who made this trip so special. We’re excited to keep growing the program and celebrating more unforgettable moments.

Women Shaping Shepherd is a powerhouse of generosity—an inspiring group of women who donate annually and choose together...
10/09/2025

Women Shaping Shepherd is a powerhouse of generosity—an inspiring group of women who donate annually and choose together on the patient programs and experiences to support.

Over the years, their numbers have grown to over 200 members, and this year alone, they’ve raised more than $320,000!

Their contributions have funded a Zero G machine, a new van for the assisted driving program, family housing, and now—new microscopes, a urine particle analyzer, virtual reality devices for PT, sports wheelchairs, and an Ekso Indego wearable device.

Thank you, Women Shaping Shepherd, for continuing to support our mission to rebuild lives.

In a throwback Q&A, we sat down with Chris Nesbitt, a physical therapist in the Dean Stroud Spine and Pain Institute at ...
10/08/2025

In a throwback Q&A, we sat down with Chris Nesbitt, a physical therapist in the Dean Stroud Spine and Pain Institute at Shepherd Center, where he’s been helping people manage chronic pain since 2004.

Chris works with patients whose pain limits their function or affects their quality of life. He shared that physical therapy for chronic pain isn’t separate—it’s all physical therapy.

“The profession is changing, and more PT programs are including pain science, which leads to improvements in approaches to pain,” Chris says.

At Shepherd, Chris often sees patients with neurological conditions that affect movement. Over time, altered movement patterns can lead to orthopedic issues and increased pain.

One strategy he uses is Graded Motor Imagery—a series of brain exercises that help reset the body’s pain alarm system.

His favorite part of the job? Helping patients feel heard.

“People living with pain can be frustrated with healthcare experiences because they don’t feel like the doctor or therapist believes or understands them. Patients appreciate someone who will listen and acknowledge that their experience is real and makes sense.”

https://bit.ly/4mTA1I4

While on spring break, college swimmer Devin Bateman dove into the ocean and sustained a C5-C6 spinal cord injury. Devin...
10/07/2025

While on spring break, college swimmer Devin Bateman dove into the ocean and sustained a C5-C6 spinal cord injury. Devin was paralyzed from the neck down and needed a ventilator to breathe. He got prompt acute medical care and was transferred to Shepherd Center 10 days after his injury. As a result, Devin made incredible progress and had no significant secondary complications.​
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“The day after I admitted, I was fitted for a power wheelchair so I could roll around with all my tubes in and see the rehab center,” Devin recalls.​
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Within a week, Devin was weaned off the ventilator. Simultaneously, he worked on his other rehabilitation goals with the rest of his care team. He regained movement and strength in his upper body, which allowed him to use a manual wheelchair, lower and raise himself into the wheelchair, and conduct weight shifts without assistance. He approached his rehabilitation with the discipline he’d learned as a college athlete.​
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“If you work hard at practice, you’ll do well in the meet,” he says. “Though it’s not the same as a race, here I’m working hard to be more independent.”​
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Devin continued his rehabilitation in Shepherd Center’s SCI Day Program before returning home and then back to college.​

With this year marking the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we’re highlightin...
10/07/2025

With this year marking the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we’re highlighting a key partnership that supports Shepherd Center’s efforts to prepare patients to return to the workforce.

For years, Shepherd’s vocational rehabilitation program has helped clients return to their careers or explore new ones after injury.

In 2023, Genuine Parts Company (GPC), a longtime donor, made a generous gift to the program, which now proudly carries their name: the Genuine Parts Company Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

GPC has become an integral part of how we help patients get back to work. They host tours of their offices, stores, and auto parts warehouse to give patients a real-world look at different work environments.

A great example: three patients who use wheelchairs recently toured GPC’s Atlanta headquarters with vocational therapist Laura McDowell, recreational therapist Juliana Heimann, and occupational therapist Tori Le. They practiced navigating conference rooms, supply closets, parking decks, workstations, and even the snack bar and bathroom.

It was the perfect opportunity to build confidence, learn strategies, and ask for accommodations.

“This gives our patients an opportunity to get into a real work environment and encounter the challenges they might have,” says McDowell.

To learn more about our partnership with GPC and how we help patients return to work, click the link below.

https://bit.ly/3WpnOjk

10/06/2025

Our Hispanic Heritage Month celebration was a blast!

The cafeteria was filled with delicious smells thanks to live cooking demos of traditional dishes. Chef Kenny Williams wowed us with fresh corn tortillas and skirt steak with chimichurri, while Madeline Gonzalez served up mouthwatering chicken tortas—complete with samples and recipe cards!

You could feel the room radiating with traditional dances from Mexico, Peru, and Spain.

A huge thank you to our organizers Nancy Figueroa, Carolain Paredes, Alexandra Juarez, the DEIA committee, and volunteers for bringing this vibrant celebration to life.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and we’re excited to announce the return of our Annua...
10/03/2025

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and we’re excited to announce the return of our Annual College & Career Fair on November 7 from 10 AM to 12 noon.

This event is more than your average job fair—it’s a space for job seekers, students, and anyone exploring secondary education or vocational rehabilitation. You'll be able to:

🧑‍💻Meet potential employers
🎓Get expert advice from our education specialist on school accommodations
📋Learn how to open a vocational rehab case
📋Visit our resume station to tailor your resume for your dream job

Whether you're looking to launch a career or continue your education, we’re here to support your journey.

As we continue celebrating 50 years of Shepherd Center, we’re reflecting on the incredible moments that have shaped our ...
10/03/2025

As we continue celebrating 50 years of Shepherd Center, we’re reflecting on the incredible moments that have shaped our mission to restore the lives of people living with the most complex conditions.

While it’s impossible to capture every story from the past five decades in one book, but we fit in as many as possible.

We spoke with past patients, therapists, doctors, donors, environmental services staff, security, and more to tell the full story of Shepherd Center.

Now’s the perfect time to grab a love letter to our patients, their families, and our dedicated staff.

Mission Moments: 50 Years of Rebuilding Lives One Moment at a Time is now 50% off. Get your copy and help us celebrate our anniversary at the link below.

https://bookhouse.net/product/shephercenter/

On September 13, our Multiple Sclerosis (MS) team attended the annual Bike MS event hosted by the National MS Society to...
10/02/2025

On September 13, our Multiple Sclerosis (MS) team attended the annual Bike MS event hosted by the National MS Society to pedal for a purpose.

Our team represented the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute by hosting the Shepherd Saloon which served as a rest stop for all the cyclists to get a quick breather and keep on trucking.

Thank you to everyone who biked, volunteered, and supported!

10/02/2025

ShepherdCares 2026, our annual employee giving campaign, has officially concluded. Thanks to our employees,we have raised well over our $200,000 goal. This year’s fund will purchase new sleeper sofas for the Woodruff Family Residence Center and sustain the Sarah Morrison Staff Support Fund. The support fund provides emergency financial support for employees navigating unexpected crises, like flooding or house fires.

This is a testament to our Shepherd family and their belief in our mission. Together, we work with one another to support not only our patients and their families but each other.

Thank you to everyone who gave, and until next year!

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2020 Peachtree Road NW
Atlanta, GA
30309

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