Shepherd Center Radio

When a patient has a spinal cord injury, depending on the level of injury, breathing can become the most important issue they and their family are facing. When a patient has limited use of their diaphragm, respiratory therapists assist through ventilator management or coughing assistance. Respiratory therapists keep the patient breathing and get them breathing on their own before physical recovery can begin.Shepherd Center respiratory therapist Kelley Taylor is here today to speak about the role of respiratory therapy in the rehabilitation process.

About 700,000 strokes occur in the United States each year. To serve the healthcare needs of these patients, Shepherd Center provides a full continuum of services – from inpatient rehabilitation to outpatient care for stroke rehabilitation. The hospital’s program specializes in rehabilitation for people who may be in college, raising a family or in the prime of their career. In today’s podcast, Dr. Andrew Dennison, a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician with an additional subspecialty board certification in brain injury medicine, discusses symptoms and risk factors of a stroke, as well as some therapies and treatments that are typically used in rehabilitation.

Secondary complications are a major health issue for people living with brain and spinal cord injury. Secondary conditions are negative health outcomes that occur as a direct result of a disability. The most common secondary conditions for these patients are pressure sores, respiratory complications, urinary tract infections, spasticity and neuropathic pain.Today, Angela Beninga, D.O., a staff physiatrist in Shepherd Center’s Multispecialty Clinic and the director of Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Day Program, joins us to discuss diagnosis and treatment for common complications post-discharge.

Are you a workers' compensation case manager, claims manager or life care planner who are seeking options for their injured client? In this podcast, Heddi Silon, the director of workers compensation at Shepherd Center, discusses the admissions process for patients covered under worker’s compensation. In this segment of Shepherd Center Radio, we discuss options for patients who need a “tune up,” those who never participated in rehabilitation, or injured workers who have previously participated in rehabilitation and are more than six months post-injury.

Brain injury affects the entire family, not just the injured person, and the support of the family system plays a significant role in recovery. In this podcast, Tana Hall, a family counselor for the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Shepherd Center, discusses the grieving process and how brain injury impacts the family system. She offers strategies for families to cope with the long-term effects of brain injury.

About 700,000 strokes occur in the United States each year. A stroke can affect a person physically and emotionally, and can affect the way a person thinks (cognition) and acts (behavior). Living with and returning home following a stroke can be daunting, requiring preparation for a patient’s ongoing safety, accessibility and independence. Listen in as clinical nurse specialist Tiffany LeCroy joins us to discuss stroke education for Shepherd Center patients undergoing rehabilitation in the stroke program, addressing stroke awareness, prevention and how to manage life after a stroke.

Athletes have long thrived at Shepherd Center. Over the past 41 years, Shepherd Center has treated countless patient-athletes from across the country who played high school, college or professional sports. In addition to occupational and physical therapy, patients have access to the largest team of recreation therapy specialists in the nation, as well as to an adaptive sports program that includes competitive teams, sports and health clinics, and outdoor recreation workshops. Listen in as Dan Dale, SCI Day Program Physical Therapist, explains the rehabilitation process for athletes who sustain spinal cord injuries.

Shepherd Center engages in research to improve clinical outcomes and the quality of life for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). At the hospital’s MS Rehabilitation and Wellness Research Program, researchers study the effects of rehabilitation and exercise interventions for people with MS, and studies also address vocation and quality of life. Researchers also make a concerted effort to share their findings to people with MS, as well as MS healthcare providers, caregivers and healthcare payers in hopes of optimizing function and quality of life for all people living with MS. Shepherd Center’s MS research program is unique in that it is truly an integration of clinical and research endeavors. This integrated team, led by Dr. Deborah Backus, PT, Ph.D., FACRM, is comprised of physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, exercise specialists, physicians and research collaborators from various related fields and institutions, who endeavor to answer meaningful questions that can be translated into

The increasingly widespread use of opioid painkillers for chronic pain has created a public health crisis as many people are abusing these highly addictive medications. Aiming to reduce the number of opioid prescriptions doctors write, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidelines that recommend doctors try pain relievers like ibuprofen before prescribing the highly addictive pills, and that they give most patients only a few days’ supply. But pain intervention specialists actually have a number of other alternative treatments that may address chronic pain with little or no medication. Today, Dr. Erik Shaw of Shepherd Spine and Pain Institute addresses the opioid crisis and explains some pain interventions that are helping patients manage their condition without addictive painkillers.

Each year, an estimated 2.4 million people in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and another 795,000 people are diagnosed with an acquired brain injury (ABI) from non-traumatic causes, such as stroke. Brain injury can have significant, long-term effects. In fact, more than 5.3 million Americans are living with a lifelong disability because of TBI, and an estimated 1.1 million have a disability related to stroke. With this large of an impact, many caregivers are seeking help from online educational resources. To meet the needs of its brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation patients and their families, Shepherd Center created an educational website found at MyShepherdConnection.org. An in-depth section is devoted to brain injury-related topics, such as mood, behavior, memory, safety, nutrition, medication management and family dynamics. Instructional videos and other educational materials are also available on the website. A number of other online resources also provide valuable infor

Shepherd Center embraces a total approach to fitness and wellness that emphasizes physical and mental wellbeing. Facilities include a weight room, indoor track, full-court gymnasium and swimming pool. Through land and aquatic classes, personalized programs, massage, yoga and personal training, Shepherd Center attempts to improve its members’ fitness and quality of life. The facility is completely accessible to allow people with physical disabilities to participate in all programs, as appropriate. Professionally trained and certified staff members are available to ensure that all members receive the highest quality assistance. Shepherd also introduces inpatients and day program patients to its fitness center, including aquatics, to give them the tools and knowledge to participate in their community fitness centers after discharge from the hospital. Rebecca Washburn, M.S., is here to discuss how health and wellness before a person’s injury is important, but even more important following injury to maintain stren

Patients at Shepherd Center are at risk of infection for a few important reasons. The risk goes up the longer a person is in a facility, and Shepherd’s average inpatient is in the hospital for more than six weeks. Because Shepherd Center is a rehabilitation facility, patients are very mobile throughout the hospital, which sacrifices some infection protection afforded by having them stay put in their rooms. Also, a high proportion of Shepherd patients use medical devices that add the risk of infection; these include certain kinds of IVs, tracheostomies and urinary catheters.Listen in as Sarah Culberson, RN, discusses how Shepherd Center is working to decrease the risks of infection to patients.

Patients in the acute rehabilitation phase of recovery from a brain injury are at a high risk of falls, largely because of physical limitations and cognitive impairments. But some prevention strategies implemented at Shepherd Center have proven successful in reducing fall rates significantly in this setting. Falls among these patients can occur because patients experience weakness, confusion, impulsivity, impaired safety awareness, and poor judgment and reasoning. They may also have uncontrollable spasms or movements that increase the risk of sliding out of a bed or a chair. Also, assisted falls may occur when a patient with limitations is learning new ways of moving and attempting to rebuild strength and endurance. Strategies to prevent falls among these patients can be simple, but effective. Shepherd Center uses bed alarms on all brain-injured patients, seatbelt alarms, one-on-one attendants and frequent rounding on patients. Also, leadership engages staff members in maintaining a culture that recognizes th

People with spinal cord injury and other conditions that limit movement are at great risk for pressure ulcer development. Many risk factors predispose people with spinal cord injury to the development of these wounds; factors include impaired sensation, mobility, spasms and respiratory issues. At Shepherd Center, nurse Cathy Koerner and her colleagues have implemented a comprehensive program to prevent these ulcers among patients while they are in the hospital and after they discharge. Today, Cathy will share some pressure ulcer prevention strategies, which include scheduled turning and repositioning in beds and wheelchairs; management of bowel and bladder issues; proper support surfaces; and regular checks of the skin.

Every October, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month to recognize the workforce contributions of people with disabilities. Those workers include people living with spinal cord or brain injury. Returning to work after rehabilitation for these life-changing injuries is filled with challenges. But with the guidance of vocational case managers and others, many have overcome the challenges and now make vital contributions to their employers and communities. They have also become more financially independent and are living full, productive lives. At Shepherd Center in Atlanta, vocational case manager Debbie Page counsels patients and employers on strategies to accommodate disabilities in the workplace. She and her colleagues have witnessed many successful returns to work, and Debbie is sharing her insights today with Shepherd Center Radio listeners.

Congress has designated September as National Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month. In addition to raising awareness and support for much-needed cure research, National SCI Awareness Month aims to further educate the public about how paralyzing accidents can be prevented. There is no cure for spinal cord injury, nor is there an FDA-approved therapeutic or device that can restore function. But researchers are working toward these goals, and more research dollars are needed to continue that work. For now, people who sustain a spinal cord injury receive acute care in trauma hospitals and then typically undergo rehabilitation, which can help to restore some function and independence. Early, comprehensive rehabilitation – such as what Shepherd Center provides – yields the best outcomes.Anna Choo Elmers, M.D., is here to discuss how efforts are under way across the nation to prevent spinal cord injuries, especially those caused by distracted driving, falls and diving.

Patients who are in a reduced or minimally conscious state following a traumatic brain injury are often not ready to begin an active rehabilitation program. But rehabilitation services are critical to optimize recovery until the patient emerges. It is also vital to educate and train the patient’s family and/or caregivers about expectations and care. For these patients, Shepherd Center’s specialized Disorders of Consciousness (DOC) Program provides pre-rehabilitation and education services. Ford Vox, M.D., is here to discuss how research is under way at Shepherd Center and elsewhere with an eye toward new and innovative treatments for patients with a DOC.

Outpatient Services at Shepherd Center provides comprehensive medical treatment for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain on an outpatient basis. These programs provide individualized, integrative care and may even include family members. Listen as Emily Cade, MS, CCM,CRC,CLCP,  director of Shepherd Center Outpatient Services, discusses the outpatient services available at Shepherd Center.

Shepherd Center is the lead clinical partner in the critical final stage of trials for a robotics-assisted walking device that could improve the lives of people with limited mobility caused by spinal cord or brain injury, stroke or multiple sclerosis.Developer Parker Hannifin Corp. describes the exoskeleton device – called Indego® – as a “powered orthosis worn around the waist and legs that allows individuals with spinal cord injuries to stand and walk."The device is being tested at Shepherd Center and a few other facilities across the nation in people with spinal cord and brain injury, multiple sclerosis and stroke. Parker hopes to obtain FDA approval for the device in late 2015.Casey Kandilakis, PT, DPT, NCS, is here to discuss the research and development of this robotics-assisted walking device.

A decade's worth of Shepherd Center statistics shows diving has historically been the fourth leading cause of paralyzing spinal cord injury among patients treated at the rehabilitation hospital.These injuries are also among the most preventable.Now, thanks to the efforts of Shepherd Center physician Herndon Murray, M.D., and the hospital's injury prevention program, Shepherd Center has seen a dramatic reduction in the past 18 months in spinal cord injuries caused by diving.Diving is simply not worth the risk, Dr. Murray says. The only safe dive is the one you don't take. Listen as Dr. Murray explains the injury prevention program and why diving is such a dangerous activity.