INJURED - Shepherd Center

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Photo by Gary Meek + Above: Martin Lawing, 32, a Burke County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Department deputy, sustained an incomplete C-6 spinal cord injury when he was shot during a SWAT police standoff in December 2007. After rehab at Shepherd Center, he returned to work part time in August 2008. With Shepherd Center’s help and his status as a military veteran, Deputy Lawing received his service dog, Phantom, and training with him from Canine Assistants in metro Atlanta in September 2008. With that encouragement and the tremendous progress he made in rehab, Martin returned to work part time as a narcotics investigator in August 2008. He works two to three days a week and is assisted by a service dog named Phantom. With Shepherd Center’s help and his status as a military veteran, Martin received the dog and training with him from Canine Assistants in metro Atlanta. “Phantom, who is a lab/golden retriever mix, is great at opening heavy doors and cabinets and picking up things I drop,” Martin says. “There are so many things he can help me with.” Another officer back on the job is Mark Ayers, 38, who works for the Olive Branch (Miss.) Police Department gathering criminal intelligence information for law enforcement agencies in northwest Mississippi and Memphis, Tenn. He returned to work in late spring 2007 after months of rehab for a T-3 complete spinal cord injury he sustained from gunshots fired into his chest and abdomen by a driver he pulled over for a routine traffic stop in August 2006. Mark’s story was also profiled on “America’s Most Wanted” in the hope that new information will emerge that may assist law enforcement officials in finding the gunman who shot Mark and his partner (who was uninjured thanks to a bulletproof vest). Although Mark has had some difficult days at home and work, he is getting back to the routine of daily life. “It feels like this is impossible (when you are first injured), but it gets a whole lot easier with time,” he says. Mark is holding out hope that he will regain some function in his legs. 8 Spinal column www.shepherd.org
“Nothing is coming back yet as far as movement, but I always hope that I’ll get something back,” he says. Still, Mark looks back at his time at Shepherd and sees how far he has come. Meanwhile, Courtney Gale has begun to think of her future in police work: “I’d love to go back to work in law enforcement, maybe get a master’s degree in public administration and become a chief of police.” And Bryan Lawrence plans to return to work at some point, as well. All of this recovery would not be possible without the support of family, friends and even people in the community who may not know these police officers. Most have benefitted from fundraisers to help cover their medical and other costs associated with the injuries. Many receive heartfelt words of appreciation and encouragement. “I got a lot of cards while I was in the hospital,” Mark Ayers recalls. “The people at the Shepherd mail room said they didn’t think they had ever had so much mail for a single patient.” Also, fellow police officers who have been injured on the job often come to the support of each other. For example, Pat Cocciolone has become a great peer supporter. “She is very willing to talk with patients and encourage them,” Dr. Leslie says. The greatest support often comes from patients’ families and loved ones. “I’m very blessed to have my wife, who is a great caregiver,” Bryan Lawrence says of his spouse Brenda. Dr. Leslie has seen these types of heartening support for police officers time and time again, and he is quick to acknowledge its vital role in recovery alongside the excellent medical care police officers receive at Shepherd Center. Above: After completing rehab at Shepherd Center, police officer Mark Ayers returned to work for the Olive Branch (Miss.) Police Department gathering criminal intelligence information for law enforcement agencies in northwest Mississippi and Memphis, Tenn. He sustained a T-3 complete spinal cord injury when he was shot by a driver he pulled over for a routine traffic stop. + Workers’ Comp Corner On the Frontlines Shepherd Center sparks dialogue among municipalities about the benefits of timely, specialty care for injured heroes By Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH Police officers protect the welfare of communities across the nation. In fulfilling this duty, these brave men and women put their own lives at risk, and some incur serious injuries. “Whether they sustain a gunshot wound to the head or a severed spinal cord, they need specialized care, and the earlier the better,” says Colleen McCrory, Shepherd Center’s manager of marketing and managed care. Most municipalities are self-insured and work with third parties to administer workers’ compensation claims for officers injured in the line of duty. Because Shepherd is a national provider, even if the city is self-insured, the hospital is able to work with municipalities to tailor the best care for the individual and improve outcomes. “It’s important for municipal risk managers and other city and county officials to know that injured police officers have options outside of their local rehab facilities, most of which are often only familiar with general rehabilitation,” McCrory notes. Case Managers Weigh In Because spinal cord injuries affect all systems of the body, patients are more prone to secondary medical problems, such as kidney, urinary tract or lung complications, infections or pressure ulcers. This situation reinforces the urgency for patients with spinal cord injuries to receive care from a facility that is highly trained to look for and deal with these complex issues and prevent additional disability, says Mary Jo Reed, RN, CCM, an independent case manager with Rehab Innovations. Reed recently worked with Roanoke, Va., police officer Bryan Lawrence, and highly recommended to his employer and workers’ comp carrier that he be transferred to Shepherd. “We have very good (rehab) facilities in this area, but they are geared more toward rehabilitation of stroke victims, amputees or those with moderate injuries from auto accidents,” says Reed, who is based near Roanoke. “However, when it comes to spinal cord injury, these patients need advanced, coordinated care, and we have to consider the big picture.” Judi Mehl, RN, MSN, a catastrophic case manager, recently worked with two catastrophically injured police officers, Martin Lawing and Courtney Gale, whom she placed at Shepherd. (See the mainbar article.) “Both will end up going back to work, and Shepherd made that happen; the staff knows how to motivate people by focusing on patients’ capabilities rather than on what they can no longer do,” says Mehl, who spends a lot of time talking with and educating adjusters and employers about how such specialty care positively impacts patient outcomes. “It’s worth every cent because they can become productive members of society again.” An Early Start Police officers injured on the job need to be able to access and start rehab as quickly as possible, case managers say. Devising the most appropriate plan of care up front is critical to minimizing the overall cost and, most importantly, helping injured officers obtain maximum function over the long-term, according to Mehl and Reed. “Shepherd Center urges self-insured cities, counties, municipalities and employers to consider specialty care for their injured workers who sustain spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries,” McCrory says. “The self-insured should exercise their voice and preferences to the third-party administrators handling their claims. Proactive dialogue and direction in the care of their claimants early on will be the best medicine.” winter 2009 9
Page 1 and 2: { THE MAGAZINE OF SHEPHERD CENTER |
Page 3 and 4: Spinal Column: The Magazine of Shep
Page 5 and 6: Extensive Study at Shepherd Center
Page 7 and 8: IN THE DUTY LINE OF Pat Cocciolone
Page 9: “From what I was told, it was so
Page 13 and 14: Photo by Leita Cowart Above: Marcus
Page 15 and 16: Above, from left to right: Dr. Denn
Page 17 and 18: { { Q & A ask the Doc Shepherd Cent
Page 19 and 20: Matthew was thrown backward and rec
Page 21 and 22: Caroline adds, “I’m so hopeful
Page 23 and 24: Photo by Jim Fitts Legendary Party
Page 25 and 26: FOUNDATION Legendary Party Chairman
Page 27 and 28: FOUNDATION { 2008 LEGENDARY PARTY S
Page 29 and 30: FOUNDATION 2008 Shepherd Center Cup
Page 31 and 32: FOUNDATION New Shepherd Center Volu
Page 33 and 34: FOUNDATION Photo by Leita Cowart De
Page 35 and 36: FOUNDATION One Rider’s Cycle of L
Page 37 and 38: { { LOVING TRIBUTES Julie and David
Page 39 and 40: { { LOVING TRIBUTES Joan Versailles

INJURED - Shepherd Center

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