Shepherd Center - A Catastrophic Care Hospital

Ben Thrower, M.D., is Medical Director of the MS Institute at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, where he works exclusively with individuals with multiple sclerosis.  Since 1995, the MS Institute at Shepherd has worked with researchers at Harvard Medical School and Emory University to test new MS compounds, investigate new drug therapies and search for a genetic marker for immune activity in people undergoing various MS therapies.  Before joining Shepherd, Dr. Thrower was Medical Director of the Holy Family MS Institute in Spokane, WA.  He is fully committed to quality care of the MS community.  He has worked closely with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in various capacities and has received the society's Norman Cohn Hope Chest Award. Dr. Thrower was the first physician to be inducted into the NMSS Volunteer Hall of Fame. He also serves as a clinical instructor of neurology at Emory University.

Sherrill Loring, M.D., is a neurologist at the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center. She sees patients as well as conducts research in the MS Institute. Previously, she was an associate professor of neurology at the University of Florida. Dr. Loring earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She then completed an internship and residency at the Medical College of Georgia, where she was later a clinical assistant professor of neurology. She also worked as the chief of neurology at University Hospital in Augusta, Ga., and later directed the MS Clinic at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., before taking the position at the University of Florida. Dr. Loring is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Medical Association.

Robert Godsall, Ph.D., has been part of Shepherd Center since 1997 and is the coordinator of Neuropsychological Services for the MS Institute at Shepherd. He also facilitates the monthly MS support group meetings at Shepherd Center. Godsall received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Georgia State University Department of Psychology, where his specialty interests were Clinical Neuropsychology and Family Systems Therapy.  Following completion of his clinical internship, where he completed major rotations in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology, Godsall completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology in the Behavioral Neurology Section of the Neurology Department at the Emory School of Medicine. Along with his work in neuropsychology, Godsall continues to pursue his interests in the impact of family systems on the course of neurological disorders.   

Tracy Walker, NP, WOC, has been with Shepherd Center since 1994 and specializes in treating patients with neurological conditions. She is a certified family nurse practitioner, a wound ostomy continence nurse, as well as a Georgia registered nurse. Walker received a bachelor's of science in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia. She also earned a certification in enterostomal therapy nursing at Emory University and a master's of science in nursing at Georgia State University. Walker is actively involved in the MS community and frequently speaks on MS issues. Most notably, she has spoken on behalf of the MS Consortium of MS Institutes.