Shepherd Center

This page is for Workers’ Compensation Case Managers who are seeking options -- or a "tune up" -- for their clients who have participated in rehabilitation previously and are more than six months post injury.

To request either a routine or a comprehensive assessment or evaluation of a client to be conducted by Shepherd Center, call Heddi Silon, Director of Workers' Compensation, at 404-350-7312 or email Heddi.

Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation (CDE)

A CDE is a comprehensive assessment of your client conducted by Shepherd Center. It consists of the following:

• Physiatry
• Nursing
• PT
• OT
• Speech
• Respiratory therapy
• Counseling
• Recreational therapy

A CDE can also include the potential for a consulting physician evaluation such as urology, gastroenterology or orthopedics.

The client would undergo medical diagnostics, intervention, treatment plan, and therapy recommendations as determined by the team. This model serves:

1. A person who has multiple unresolved issues, or who has possibly been misdiagnosed.
2. A person who has completed rehabilitation, but has not been given an opportunity to work in a specialized setting with exposure to equipment improving quality of life.
3. A person who has experienced a decline in functional ability.
4. A patient who requires specific evaluations to settle a medical/legal case.

Rehab Upgrade Evaluation - CARE (Client-Centered Approach to Rehabilitation Evaluation)

A Rehab Upgrade Evaluation is an assessment of your client conducted by Shepherd Center. This type of assessment is best for:

• A person with a spinal cord injury or a brain injury – or both – who has participated in a rehabilitation program in the past, but is experiencing some medical setbacks. This person could be debilitated from that medical setback and may need a rehabilitation admission for the purpose of restoring a prior level of function.

• A person who may be experiencing long-term effects of aging with a spinal cord injury. We are now seeing people who live more than 20-30 years post injury. As they age, they may need a rehabilitation upgrade to establish different goals, reconfigure a bowel or bladder program, or obtain durable medical equipment that better meets their current needs.