Shepherd Center - A Catastrophic Care Hospital

David F. Apple, Jr., M.D., served as Medical Director of Shepherd Center since the hospital's inception in 1975 until 2005, and now holds the position of Medical Director Emeritus.

Gerald Bilsky, M.D. is the Medical Director for Outpatient Services and the Associate Medical Director for the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Shepherd Center. Dr. Bilsky graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1984. He completed his post-graduate residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Rochester in 1989.

Brock Bowman, M.D., is the Associate Medical Director of Shepherd Center and Assistant Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program.

Philip Brachman, M.D., received his medical education and training from Emory University School of Medicine, where, after receiving his M.D. degree, he completed his internship and residency training in Internal Medicine and his fellowship training in Infectious Diseases.

Luther Burse, M.D., of Consultative Gastroenterology of Atlanta is a consulting physician on the Shepherd Center medical team. He is dual-board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.

Christopher Edward Clare, M.D. is Board Certified in Neurological Surgery. He is a graduate of Colgate University in New York and the Medical University of South Carolina.

David DeRuyter, M.D., is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and has been in private practice with Atlanta Pulmonary Associates since 1992.

Anna Choo Elmers, M.D., joined Shepherd Center’s medical staff in 2009 as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician. She treats patients with brain and spinal cord injuries.

Payal Fadia, M.D., joined Shepherd Center as a physiatrist in Shepherd’s Acquired Brain Injury and Neurospecialty units in 2008.

Roger Frankel, M.D., specializes in neurosurgery. Dr. Frankel graduated from Brandeis University and received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine.

Bruce Green, M.D., is the Medical Directory for the Urology Department at Shepherd Center. He is a Board Certified Urologist.

Darryl Kaelin, M.D., is the Medical Director for the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Shepherd Center. He oversees Shepherd Center's medical treatment and specialized care programs for people with acquired brain injury, which is supported by nearly 125 staff members. He is also Medical Director of the Brain Injury Research Program at Shepherd.

Donald Peck Leslie, M.D. is the Medical Director of Shepherd Center. Prior to this appointment, he served for ten years as Associate Medical Director of Shepherd Center and Medical Director for Brain Injury Services.

John Lin, M.D. is medical director of Post Acute Services at Shepherd Center and the lead physician for the senior spinal cord injury service, medical management clinic and medical wound clinic.

Carlos E. Lopez, M.D., founded the practice in 1983. He attended the University of Puerto Rico where he earned his M.D. degree.

Sherrill Loring, M.D., is a neurologist at the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center.

Douglas H. Murray, M.D., serves as a consulting physician at Shepherd Center. He practices with the Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic, which he joined in 2003. Dr. Murray’s specialties include shoulder and elbow reconstruction and arthroscopy, general orthopaedic surgery and fractures.

Herndon Murray, M.D., Medical Director of Shepherd Center's spinal cord injury program, is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

J. Tobias Musser, M.D., sees patients at the Shepherd Pain Institute. He completed his residen­cy in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Emory University Hospital, including eight months of training at Shepherd Center.

Dr. Tommy L. Owens is a dental consultant on the medical staff at Shepherd Center. Raised in Newnan, Georgia, Dr. Owens was a Captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps.

Allan Peljovich, MD, MPH, is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with a specialty in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery.

Gary C. Richter, M.D., of Consultative Gastroenterology of Atlanta is a consulting physician on the Shepherd Center medical team.

Kevin P. Rozas, M.D., is a Board Certified Urologist. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University and Louisiana State University School of Medicine.

Erik Shaw, D.O., is an Interventional Pain Management Specialist at the Shepherd Pain Institute. Dr. Shaw is double board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine.

Arthur Simon, M.D., is Board Certified in plastic surgery. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana, Chicago Medical School and the Medical College of Virginia.

Keith Tansey, M.D., Ph.D., joined Shepherd Center as Director of Spinal Cord Injury Research in 2008 and simultaneously was appointed to the Departments of Neurology and Physiology at Emory University School of Medicine and to the Spinal Cord Injury Clinic at the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

Rhonda Taubin, M.D., is the Medical Director at Shepherd Pathways. She is a graduate of Emory University School of Medicine and attended Sophie Newcomb of Tulane University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Ben Thrower, M.D., is the Medical Director of the MS Institute at Shepherd. He previously served as the Medical Director of the Holy Family Multiple Sclerosis Institute in Spokane, WA.